SURVENT

In Boston, Massachusetts 23 year old Natalie Rodriguez pleaded guilty to killing her roomate's baby because she was upset about being evicted. Read the full story.

One month before the slaying, Miranda's family took in Rodriguez and her then-4-year-old son in their three-bedroom Chelsea apartment after Rodriguez lost her job at a Social Security office and was kicked out her family home.

But Rodriguez drank, was belligerent and did not pay rent. The Miranda family told her to move out. Her deadline was the day she killed the baby.

Rodriguez said she silently lifted Xavier out of his crib in the middle of the night, picked up a knife from the kitchen, placed him face down in a snowbank in a neighbor's driveway, and slashed his throat. She then hid the body under a trash can in the driveway.

She used alcoholism and mental illness as an excuse for her behavior and what happened. It is typical of people charged with a crime in our society today to take no responsibility and blame someone else for your behavior. I have to give Rodriguez some credit as she did admit that,

"I was the cause of the death of a precious boy who I loved dearly."

What I cannot understand is why she killed the baby. It crushed me when I first read about this and how she went about the killing. Revenge is one thing, but to kill an innocent child because you are an addict to booze? Come on. Typical fashion would have been to maybe trash the place. I think the life sentence with eligibility for parole in 26 years is too light. She should be executed - oh, but wait, Massachusetts does not have the death penalty.

My heart goes out to Rodriguez and Giselle Miranda, the parents of Xavier Antonio Miranda, their family and the son of Natalie Rodriguez.

Hey Natalie, at least now you have someplace to stay.

You can read more on this story at the following sites:
Examiner.com
Boston Herald

You can read more on Massachusetts' death penalty at the following sites:
Death Penalty Information Center
Deadline the Movie
The Pew Forum