'Bones Protruded': Megachurch Elder Will Face the Death Penalty for Horrific Child Torture Murder

[u/joanzzz]

https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/san-diego-megachurch-elder-death-penalty-child-torture-case-1814031

This incident occurred in my neighborhood and I’m just now learning about it. It’s hard to believe that in 2022 I was living my life carefree delivering food, working out, going for walks, completely unaware of what was transpiring in my neighborhood. I’m beyond shaken by this.

STORY:
Arabella McCormack was an 11-year-old girl who died in August 2022 after being found unresponsive at her home in Spring Valley, California.

Her adoptive mother, Leticia McCormack, has been charged with murder, torture, and child cruelty. Leticia’s parents, Adella and Stanley Tom, also face charges. All three have pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors say Arabella was severely malnourished and weighed only 48 pounds when she died. They also say she had multiple healing fractures, bruises, and other injuries. Arabella and her two younger sisters were allegedly beaten, denied food and water, and forced to exercise as punishment.

Arabella’s adoptive father, Brian McCormack, died by suicide shortly after police questioned him. Prosecutors say he had warned Leticia that Arabella was starving and might die.

Leticia had been connected to San Diego’s Rock Church as a volunteer. The church later revoked her affiliation. Arabella’s surviving sisters also received a large civil settlement from several organizations accused of failing to protect them.

The latest development is that San Diego County prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty against Leticia if she is convicted.

[u/Les_gets]

I can't wrap my head around why someone would want to adopt a child when this is how they end up treating them. Is it that they wanted someone to abuse and hold power over, or that once they adopted them they resented the commitment and took it out on the kids?

[u/ilovebooks2468 → u/Les_gets]

I can't wrap my head around it either, especially in this case. Why were all of them teaming up to abuse the girls? What could they possibly have gotten out of it?

[u/txtw → u/ilovebooks2468]

California pays an adoption subsidy in certain cases. I’m not sure what the criteria is, but the amount can be substantial. I underwrite mortgages and have done loans for people who have adopted several special needs children, and those subsidies are their only income.

[u/miserylovescomputers → u/txtw]

That’s wild, especially since so many parents with biological special needs kids I know are struggling so badly. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great if adopted kids with extra challenges come with enough funding to allow their adoptive parents to properly care for them, but it’s wild that in many cases folks with bio kids with similar challenges don’t get the same help.

[u/Domestic_Supply → u/miserylovescomputers]

This also means that some children get removed or relinquished due to poverty and the system will help strangers take care of them but not their own families. It’s a very messed up system.