Joann Bell Charged With Aggravated Child endangerment

November 20, 2009

Remember the story of the 5-month old baby found in the family car on a hot day this past July 15th. After an investigation by the Murfreesboro Police Department, a sealed indictment was served Thursday (11/19/09) on the mother. It charges 33-year old Joann Bell with aggravated child endangerment. The unemployed 103 Whittle Court resident is to appear in General Sessions court on January 19th. On July 15th Joy Bell was rushed to the ER at Middle Tennessee Medical Center. The infant was then taken by Life Flight helicopter to the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. The child did survive.

FYI…Here is the story as it appeared on WGNS in July

Murfreesboro Police Officer Kyle Evans told WGNS News that the infant’s mother, along with her 15-year old daughter and the 5-month had been out running errands last Wednesday (7/15/09) and stopped for lunch at McDonald’s before returning to their Santana Street home. They went inside and after about an hour, the mother wondered why little Joy Bell was not crying. They searched the home and found the infant still in the car. Experts estimate the temperature in the car may have been near 140 degrees. The mother rushed the baby inside in an effort to cool off the 5-month old who, according to police reports, was blue and hot to the touch. They also immediately called 911.

The mother told police that she thought her daughter brought Joy inside and vice versa. Paramedics rushed the child to Middle Tennessee Medical Center, and later LifeFlight helicopter took the baby to the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. Officer Evans said that Joy Bell was on life support, and a spokesperson at Vanderbilt told WGNS News that the 5-month old was still in critical but stable condition.

MPD Sought Expert Information

Murfreesboro Police Major Jim Gage spoke with Certified Consulting Meteorologist Jan Null at San Francisco State University who said, “With an outside air temperature near 90 degrees on Wednesday, the inside air temperature of the car could have been as high as 140 degrees. Objects or a person inside the car in direct sunlight would have been significantly hotter.” Dr. Null noted that as of Wednesday there have been 19 deaths due to hypothermia in the United States as a result of children in vehicles; none in Tennessee. Since 1998 at least 431 infants and children have died in hot vehicles in the United States and 14 of those have been in Tennessee.

Previous Restraining Order Expired 10-Days Earlier

Last week’s restraining order was not the first one taken out against JoAnn Bell. On June 19th Jonathan Bell told Chancellor Robert Corlew that he was concerned that his children were not living in a stable environment. The tragic incident with Joy Bell occurred just 10-days after Chancellor Corlew’s order expired. Murfreesboro Police Officer Evans indicated detectives were in conversation about the investigation with District Attorney General Bill Whitesell.

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