Because the two year old girl wouldn’t say “Please”:
Zeigler wanted his wife to spank Riley with a belt when she failed to say things like “please” and “yes sir” or “no sir,” Stickler said Wednesday. Zeigler didn’t believe Trenor was doing it, however, because the 2-year-old’s behavior wasn’t changing.
The fatal beating happened after Zeigler stayed home from work to make sure his wife was following his discipline plan, Stickler said.
In her statement to Galveston authorities, Trenor said the girl was beaten with leather belts, had her head held underwater in a bathtub and then was thrown across a room, her head slamming into a tile floor.
Although the affidavit said the couple abused Riley over a four- to six-hour period, Stickler said it wasn’t a continuous event. Instead, Zeigler grew increasingly enraged as he spanked Riley and she kept forgetting to do things the way he wanted.
In cases like this, the death penalty is too swift, too easy, too painless for me. This was a beautiful, two year old little girl named Riley and they beat her to death. Try to imagine the fear as she looks to her mother for protection and there was none there. Imagine the fear as her head was held underwater or she was throw into walls. Imagine the wails of pain as she was beaten with a leather belt.
These are monsters to me, not people. Death for them is too easy. Too quick. As a Christian man, I shouldn’t wish for them to suffer, but I do. That’s wrong, I know and I’ll work that out with God.
Monsters.
