Mormon Royalty and child homicide

The catch-all forum for general topics and debates. Minimal moderation. Rated PG to PG-13.
drumdude
God
Posts: 5219
Joined: Thu Oct 29, 2020 5:29 am

Mormon Royalty and child homicide

Post by drumdude »

LDS Freedom Forum wrote:Bonnie Cordon shared about an experience with her grandson’s death. I wanted to know more about what happened to him. She said he just stopped breathing, and they lost him. This is what I found:

Bonnie Cordon’s grandson didn’t just “stop breathing.” He died of head trauma caused by apparent non-accidental abuse. Homicide.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxpr87qHhzU

https://www.myflfamilies.com/childfatal ... 344471.pdf

This was the subject of tonight's Mormonism Live, which did a very thorough examination of this disturbing incident.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAWlqV0nNwA
Dr Exiled
God
Posts: 1602
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2020 2:40 pm

Re: Mormon Royalty and child homicide

Post by Dr Exiled »

That was a hard one to watch.
Myth is misused by the powerful to subjugate the masses all too often.
User avatar
Everybody Wang Chung
God
Posts: 1624
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2020 1:52 am

Re: Mormon Royalty and child homicide

Post by Everybody Wang Chung »

Excellent (and disturbing) podcast.

Consig handled this topic very well.
"I'm on paid sabbatical from BYU in exchange for my promise to use this time to finish two books."

Daniel C. Peterson, 2014
User avatar
Dr Moore
Endowed Chair of Historical Innovation
Posts: 1812
Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2020 2:16 pm
Location: Cassius University

Re: Mormon Royalty and child homicide

Post by Dr Moore »

I read the PDF report. Haven't listened yet.
This all went down 5.5 years ago.

Are we just hearing about it now because Bonnie Cordon used the story of her grandson's homicide to tell a faith-promoting story about the holy ghost whispering to her?

I guess the question I have is, why didn't the same holy ghost whisper to her that her grandson was being violently shaken by his mother, in sufficient time to save his life? He would have been baptized this year, surely a future missionary.
User avatar
Doctor CamNC4Me
God
Posts: 8981
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2020 2:04 am

Re: Mormon Royalty and child homicide

Post by Doctor CamNC4Me »

This was a tough watch. We actually had to turn it off after I think 25 minutes. I don’t even know what to say.

- Doc
Hugh Nibley claimed he bumped into Adolf Hitler, Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill, Gertrude Stein, and the Grand Duke Vladimir Romanoff. Dishonesty is baked into Mormonism.
IHAQ
God
Posts: 1533
Joined: Wed Nov 18, 2020 8:00 am

Re: Mormon Royalty and child homicide

Post by IHAQ »

Dr Moore wrote:
Thu Sep 01, 2022 7:42 pm
I read the PDF report. Haven't listened yet.
This all went down 5.5 years ago.

Are we just hearing about it now because Bonnie Cordon used the story of her grandson's homicide to tell a faith-promoting story about the holy ghost whispering to her?

I guess the question I have is, why didn't the same holy ghost whisper to her that her grandson was being violently shaken by his mother, in sufficient time to save his life? He would have been baptized this year, surely a future missionary.
It seems there were plenty of people around for the HG to whisper to…
Days after Young Women General President Bonnie H. Cordon lost her grandson Derek to an unexpected death, she had an assignment at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City. She wasn’t sure she could do it.

President Cordon’s heart was heavy after spending about three days in the intensive care unit at a children’s hospital before Derek died. Her family was on a vacation together when he suddenly stopped breathing.
https://latterdaysaintmag.com/how-presi ... ons-death/

The irony of her using her grandsons preventable death to tell a story about being able to hear promptings seems to be completely lost on Sister Cordon.
User avatar
Res Ipsa
God
Posts: 9569
Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2020 6:44 pm
Location: Playing Rabbits

Re: Mormon Royalty and child homicide

Post by Res Ipsa »

My first law firm regularly represented the county coroners office. The coroner was sued from time to time over findings that the deceased had committed suicide. Even when the evidence was crystal clear, some parents, children, spouses, etc. could not accept that their loved one would commit suicide. The cases went on and on forever — it was pretty unbelievable.

That was the first time it struck me how strong denial can be.

I would guess that the situation is a thousand times worse when a loved one commits such an awful act as apparently occurred here. It would not surprise me at all if the grandmother was in deep denial about what happened. And the state’s decision not to prosecute would be an easy thing to latch onto as “evidence” that the daughter in law really didn’t do it — that the medical examiner was wrong — that he really did stop breathing. And it does not surprise me that her mind built a narrative that something good had grown out of an awful event.

The church should really do some serious fact checking in these faith promoting anecdotes. Someone should have had the wisdom to steer her away from using her grandson’s death in this manner.

I feel nothing but compassion for the grandmother, and dragging her back through a tragic and hideous event seems unnecessarily cruel to me. I truly don’t get it. 😥
he/him
When I go to sea, don’t fear for me. Fear for the storm.

Jessica Best, Fear for the Storm. From The Strange Case of the Starship Iris.
Dr Exiled
God
Posts: 1602
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2020 2:40 pm

Re: Mormon Royalty and child homicide

Post by Dr Exiled »

Res Ipsa wrote:
Fri Sep 02, 2022 1:24 am
My first law firm regularly represented the county coroners office. The coroner was sued from time to time over findings that the deceased had committed suicide. Even when the evidence was crystal clear, some parents, children, spouses, etc. could not accept that their loved one would commit suicide. The cases went on and on forever — it was pretty unbelievable.

That was the first time it struck me how strong denial can be.

I would guess that the situation is a thousand times worse when a loved one commits such an awful act as apparently occurred here. It would not surprise me at all if the grandmother was in deep denial about what happened. And the state’s decision not to prosecute would be an easy thing to latch onto as “evidence” that the daughter in law really didn’t do it — that the medical examiner was wrong — that he really did stop breathing. And it does not surprise me that her mind built a narrative that something good had grown out of an awful event.

The church should really do some serious fact checking in these faith promoting anecdotes. Someone should have had the wisdom to steer her away from using her grandson’s death in this manner.

I feel nothing but compassion for the grandmother, and dragging her back through a tragic and hideous event seems unnecessarily cruel to me. I truly don’t get it. 😥
It has to be tough for her (grandma cardon), however, I wonder what happened the night of the event. What did she know and what was her decision-making process? What was her level of participation in this? Was there a commitment to cover this up? Is there guilt she has for participating in this? Is this why she wants to turn this into something supposedly faith promoting where God was involved? From the evidence given in the CPS report, it seems clear that everyone knew or probably had a good idea what happened. How special needs was the little boy and how was he as a toddler? I remember difficult times dealing with toddlers and sometimes people just lose it. That doesn't justify the behavior and Hana needs to explain a lot and perhaps face some prison time. It's simply a sad story all around.
Myth is misused by the powerful to subjugate the masses all too often.
drumdude
God
Posts: 5219
Joined: Thu Oct 29, 2020 5:29 am

Re: Mormon Royalty and child homicide

Post by drumdude »

Res Ipsa wrote:
Fri Sep 02, 2022 1:24 am
The church should really do some serious fact checking in these faith promoting anecdotes.
These anecdotes are the product that the Mormon church is selling. They can't afford to waste any money on quality control. That would eat at their profit margin.
User avatar
Res Ipsa
God
Posts: 9569
Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2020 6:44 pm
Location: Playing Rabbits

Re: Mormon Royalty and child homicide

Post by Res Ipsa »

Dr Exiled wrote:
Fri Sep 02, 2022 2:30 am
Res Ipsa wrote:
Fri Sep 02, 2022 1:24 am
My first law firm regularly represented the county coroners office. The coroner was sued from time to time over findings that the deceased had committed suicide. Even when the evidence was crystal clear, some parents, children, spouses, etc. could not accept that their loved one would commit suicide. The cases went on and on forever — it was pretty unbelievable.

That was the first time it struck me how strong denial can be.

I would guess that the situation is a thousand times worse when a loved one commits such an awful act as apparently occurred here. It would not surprise me at all if the grandmother was in deep denial about what happened. And the state’s decision not to prosecute would be an easy thing to latch onto as “evidence” that the daughter in law really didn’t do it — that the medical examiner was wrong — that he really did stop breathing. And it does not surprise me that her mind built a narrative that something good had grown out of an awful event.

The church should really do some serious fact checking in these faith promoting anecdotes. Someone should have had the wisdom to steer her away from using her grandson’s death in this manner.

I feel nothing but compassion for the grandmother, and dragging her back through a tragic and hideous event seems unnecessarily cruel to me. I truly don’t get it. 😥
It has to be tough for her (grandma cardon), however, I wonder what happened the night of the event. What did she know and what was her decision-making process? What was her level of participation in this? Was there a commitment to cover this up? Is there guilt she has for participating in this? Is this why she wants to turn this into something supposedly faith promoting where God was involved? From the evidence given in the CPS report, it seems clear that everyone knew or probably had a good idea what happened. How special needs was the little boy and how was he as a toddler? I remember difficult times dealing with toddlers and sometimes people just lose it. That doesn't justify the behavior and Hana needs to explain a lot and perhaps face some prison time. It's simply a sad story all around.
Sad story indeed. I’d like to know the rationale for not prosecuting Hana. It’s seems odd to me, which makes me wonder if there aren’t important facts we don’t have access to. Absent those kinds of facts, I think she should have been tried. I completely agree that sometimes people lose it and that doesn’t justify the behavior.

As for the events of that night, I suspect there’s no way to know. If the authorities had probable cause to charge the grandmother, they could have done that. If I’m understanding correctly, she wasn’t in the room when it happened and wouldn’t have first-hand knowledge. There are lots of interesting questions one could ask, but I’m not sure what the point of dragging the grandmother through the whole thing is.
he/him
When I go to sea, don’t fear for me. Fear for the storm.

Jessica Best, Fear for the Storm. From The Strange Case of the Starship Iris.
Post Reply