Convicted Murderer Gets Custody of Son

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The state Supreme Court has allowed a woman who served a prison term in Florida for the death of her child to regain custody of a 3-year-old boy born after she moved to Illinois. Sheryl Hardy, who served nine years of a 30-year sentence in Florida, has been fighting Illinois for custody for 3-year-old Billy Hardy since he was born.
The Illinois 4th District Appellate Court ruled March 10 that she and her husband, Randy Hardy, should regain full custody of Billy.
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office appealed to the state Supreme Court, but the justices announced Friday they had decided not to hear the case, meaning the appellate court ruling will stand.
The case stems from the 1989 death of Hardy's 2-year-old son, Bradley McGee, in Florida. Hardy testified that she smoked a cigarette while her former husband, Thomas Coe, punished the boy for soiling his pants by lifting him by his ankles and repeatedly dunking him in a toilet. Bradley died the next day of head injuries, and a medical examiner counted more than 90 cuts and bruises on the boy. Hardy admitted she had abused Bradley, including forcing him to eat his own feces. She was convicted of second-degree murder. Coe was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
After being released early because of prison crowding, Hardy moved back to her home state of Illinois. She married Randy Hardy in July 2001 and gave birth to Billy the following February. The boy was taken from her at birth. Hardy regained custody later that year, but the state Department of Children and Family Services won an appeal and placed the boy with foster parents.
In March, the appellate court found that prosecutors had not offered enough evidence that Hardy was now negligent or abusive.
``Parental rights and responsibilities are of deep human importance and will not be lightly or easily terminated,'' the court said.
After the appellate court ruling, Randy Hardy took custody of his son and Sheryl Hardy was given unlimited supervised time with the boy.

By Ginny~moderator on Saturday, November 6, 2004 - 05:16 pm:

I don't often post stories from newspapers or the internet (except in political debate), but I am so appalled by this court ruling I had to share my anger with someone.

By Karen~moderator on Saturday, November 6, 2004 - 05:51 pm:

I'm sitting here with my mouth open, Ginny. *HOW* could they give her this innocent child??? Parental rights my foot! Why didn't she exercise these *parental rights* when her X was abusing this child?? Where were these parental rights when SHE was abusing this child?

This makes no sense to me at all. People like this should be sterilized and certainly not allowed to raise a child. This is sick, sick, sick!!!!

By Tink on Saturday, November 6, 2004 - 06:51 pm:

This is disgusting! When I started reading this, I thought maybe she used to be an abuser but has reformed. Then I actually read this and am absolutely horrified! Ditto everything that Karensaid!

By Trina~moderator on Saturday, November 6, 2004 - 07:24 pm:

I'm speechless...

Billy will be in my prayers.

By Marcia on Saturday, November 6, 2004 - 08:51 pm:

It is the child's rights that they should be looking at, not the parents'. It's sickening!

By Jelygu on Saturday, November 6, 2004 - 09:39 pm:

What kind of sick, twisted judge would give this woman custody? Parental rights?!?! She lost those with the 1st child!

By Kim on Sunday, November 7, 2004 - 01:46 am:

``Parental rights and responsibilities are of deep human importance and will not be lightly or easily terminated,'' the court said.


WHAT????? SHE SAT AND WATCHED HER OWN CHILD BE ABUSED! SHE ALSO ABUSED THE CHILD! THE CHILD DIED! FORCING TO EAT FECES?????

THIS IS WHAT ANGERS ME ABOUT THE SYSTEM!

Ginny, I am so utterly outraged. I wish I could protest this. It makes me ill.

By Beth on Sunday, November 7, 2004 - 08:27 am:

You guys are not going to believe this but my friend from college and her husband was this boys foster parents. I actually just saw her yesterday because it was homecoming and we had a shower for another friend. My friend has been throught the ringer as you can imagine. She had Billy from the time he was born until he was 11 months old and then he was returned. Then they overturned the decision and was returned to her only to have him returned to his father. Who get this is mentally handicapped not mentally ill but has some retardation. They say in this article that she has limited visitation. I am not positive on this but I actually believe that she lives in the home and this man is supposed to supervise! And get this they gave him 9 months to decide if he wanted custody or not. 9 months that he again lived in my friends home. He actually took the nine months to decide. Pretty convincing that you want your child! NOT! Well my friend had tried for 7 years to have a baby and she now has a baby girl and is actually pregnant again. So she is doing well but I know this will always be on her heart. I guess if one thing good came out of it while she was a foster mom she took in another brother and sister. She is in the process of adopting them now. We don't actually talk about it to much anymore because it is to painful for her to relive it again and again. It was strange seeing it on here but I am glad to share. So far Billy is doing well but this is a little boy that will need lots of prayers.

By Karen~moderator on Sunday, November 7, 2004 - 09:21 am:

Wow Beth, that story simply reinforces my initial feelings. This child would be SO much better off in a permanent situation with your friend's family. As Marcia said, this should be about the CHILD, not the sicko parents who abused him.

Our system is whacked. I have no faith in it. There is so much politcal caca and red tape and nitpicking about *rights*, those who TRULY need representation and help by the *system* fall through the cracks and are forced to plunge deeper and deeper into unacceptable situations.

By Marcia on Sunday, November 7, 2004 - 10:02 pm:

That's something that is great about our system in Canada. It is the kids rights that come first, not the birth, foster of adoptive parents. We are all working to make the best decisions for the kids, and to find the perfect families for them.

By Bobbie~moderatr on Monday, November 8, 2004 - 12:21 am:

I am sitting here shaking my head. This makes me so sick. The system doesn't work. Children are seen as property of the parent not as human beings. And I am just outraged that a grown man, "judge" ,would sit back on his hands and watch another child suffer at the hands of that nut case........ They are so busy spending money fighting things that don't amount to a pile of beans but they are going to let someone in that mind set (with no funds) walk all over the system... GRRR, That woman should be held my her ankles and dunked in a toilet until she dies.

And I honestly remember when that happened by the way. It made the national news at the time.

By Cocoabutter on Monday, November 8, 2004 - 01:14 am:

This woman tore up her "parent card" when she allowed her first child to die.

By Cocoabutter on Monday, November 8, 2004 - 01:25 am:

I did a Google search for Sheryl Hardy and found this article from November of 2001, which was when she first got custody of the new baby, but before the state dept of children and families was able to have the baby removed again.

The judge said that she took classes in prison and could then be given the chance to be a good mother.

http://www.sptimes.com/News/112401/TampaBay/Slain_boy_s_mother_ha.shtml

By Bobbie~moderatr on Tuesday, November 9, 2004 - 12:43 am:

That just makes me sick...... Something should be done.

By Beth on Tuesday, November 9, 2004 - 08:24 am:

Bobbie there was a lot of higher ranking government officials in Illinois that made big promises over this case but nothing was ever done. While I whole heartedly agree that this boy should not be with these people. I also know that they cannot keep yanking this boy back and forth. If by the grace of god it happens again and my friend is able to take him back that needs to be the end. I know the first time they took him and brought him back it was very hard. He already had issues that she had to deal with and on top of at that time she had four other foster kids. She now has just the two she is adopting and her own and one on the way. So needless to say she has her hand full. But I know she feels that Billy will always be her child.