Personal Information[]
- Gender: Female
- Date of Birth: April 18, 1983
Case Information[]
Tierra Gobble – white, age 21
Sentenced to death in Houston County, Alabama
By: A judge, jury recommendation unavailable
Date of Crime: 12/15/2004
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Gobble killed her four-month-old son, Phoenix Cody Parrish. Gobble’s two children had been removed from her and father Samuel David Hunter's care after a Florida child welfare agency found abuse and neglect. Gobble’s "great uncle" took in Parrish and was instructed not to leave the state or allow any contact between the infant and his parents. The great-uncle violated both of these instructions by moving to Alabama and allowing Gobble to move in with him. Gobble admitted to hitting Parrish’s head on the side of his crib because Parrish would not stop crying. Parrish died from trauma consistent with child abuse, including a skull fracture, broken ribs, two broken wrists, and many bruises. The defense argued there were three other people in the house who could have murdered Parrish. During the sentencing phase, the defense introduced mitigating evidence that Gobble had an abusive childhood.
Prosecutor(s): Doug Valeska
Defense lawyer(s): Tom Brantley
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External Links and References[]
- Tierra Goble at Bonnie's Blog of Crime
- American Judiciary Society: Capital Case Summaries