By Janet Jacobs
Wednesday marked the one-year anniversary of the death of Hanna Mack,
the 6 year old killed in a community near Navarro Mills. The little girl
with a penchant for tiaras and princess dresses was sexually assaulted
and hung in a Navarro Mills garage. A young neighbor has been charged
with capital murder in the crime.
For friends and family, it’s been a difficult year, and with little
relief in sight.
“We’re still very much struggling,” said Sandy Runion, Hanna’s
grandmother. “It’s still very raw, still very painful. This anniversary
is painful because it’s making us kind of relive it.”
One obstacle to moving on is that the other two girls, Kimberly and
Haley, remain legal custodians of the state. They live in Waxahachie
with their maternal aunt, Julie Seymore, according to Marissa Gonzales
with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
Their mother and grandparents see them on regular supervised visits, but
Dana Mack still hopes to get her children back permanently. The next
status review hearing is scheduled for Nov. 24. A decision about where
the girls will go permanently isn’t expected until March 2009, Gonzales
said.
Dana Mack, Hanna’s mother, has changed her life around, according to
friends and family. She never did return to her job at the local cafe,
and she left the rented house in Navarro Mills after Hanna’s death. She
lives with her parents and works as a CNA at a Corsicana nursing home.
She is trying to buy a house in Blooming Grove.
This anniversary is looming over Dana, her mother said.
“It seems like a long time to you, but it isn’t to us,” Runion said.
On Wednesday, Dana Mack went to the cemetery, but friends and family
also gathered at the house to show support.
“We had a whole lot of people praying for us and lifting us up,” Runion
said. “Everyday is hard, but some days are harder, and that was one of
them.”
Another obstacle to overcome is the still-unresolved criminal case. A
preliminary hearing for the suspect was scheduled for Sept. 15, but that
has been delayed, and no new date has been set.
Regardless of when it comes to trial, Navarro County District Attorney
Lowell Thompson said he is still seeking the death penalty against
20-year-old Shaun Earl Arender, who has been charged with the crime.
Arender remains in the Navarro County Justice Center jail in lieu of
$2.5 million bond.
His attorneys are Mark Griffith of Waxahachie, and Kerri Donica of
Corsicana.
Donica said they are working hard, but she didn’t elaborate on their
defense strategy.
Kevin Wayne Anders, 33, the live-in boyfriend of Dana Mack, remains in
the county jail on charges of possession of child pornography. His bond
is set at $100,000. He has not been charged in connection with the murder.
His attorney, Alex Tandy in Hurst, attempted to get the bond reduced so
his client could get out, but the motion was rejected.
“I have no idea why this thing is going on so long,” Tandy said. “We
thought something would have been moving by this point.”
The barn where Hanna died is gone, torn down by hand in a community-wide
effort less than a month after the slaying. A shiny, new open carport
sits in its place. The house next door sits empty, as well. On the front
door is posted an appraisal with a bottom line of $74,159, but below
that is a hand-written note “I’m asking $55,000.”
The mark-down hasn’t helped, said owner Peggy Kindrick.
“I can’t sell it, I can’t lease it,” she said.
Although it’s been a year, the neighbors still have it on their minds,
Kindrick said.
“I think the trial will help. I hope it starts the healing,” she said.
The trailer where Dana and her three girls once lived next to the
Runions is gone. Where it once stood is a shaded garden of roses,
flowering shrubs and a water feature.
A small white sign marks it as “Hanna’s Garden.” Sandy spends time out
there, either working with her hands adding to it, or just sitting there
under the shade trees that stand over it.
She wanted to plant trees and flowers on Hanna’s grave, but the cemetery
limits displays.
“We figured, we have land, we can do what we want,” Runion explained.
“It’s therapeutic.”
“It’s helped the whole family,” Runion said. “We want to celebrate her
life, not her death. It helps having the garden.”
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Janet Jacobs may be reached via e-mail at jacobs@corsicanadailysun.com
