UPDATE: Stepfather enters plea to aiding in 7-year-old's murder on The Murfreesboro Post

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UPDATE: Stepfather enters plea to aiding in 7-year-old's murder

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By: By Lisa Marchesoni, Senior Writer April 3, 2007 - 3:55 PM

An angry grandmother wished her son-in-law would "rot in hell forever" for his role in killing her 7-year-old grandson, James Lee Harper III, three years ago.

Grandmother Janet Pursley expressed her comments in a written statement to son-in-law Edward Eugene Summers when he entered a best interest plea Monday to facilitation to commit first-degree murder of James.

Summers, 28, accepted a 20-year prison sentence for his role the murder of James, a second-grade student at Christiana Elementary School. Summers will be eligible for parole in about six years.

Circuit Court Judge Don Ash accepted the plea worked out by Assistant District Attorney Trevor Lynch and defense attorney Brad Hornsby and found Summers guilty.

Rachel Summers, Edward Summers' wife and James' mother, is serving a life term in prison killing her son. Rachel Summers is Pursley's daughter.

After the plea, Pursley said she is glad this chapter is finished without undergoing the trauma of a trial.

"We can take a deep breath and James can have justice," Pursley said.

In Rachel Summers' arrest warrant, Warf stated deputies and detectives found James deceased in January 2004 at his Ebb Court home near Christiana.

"During the investigation, a letter was found written by Ms. Summers that included statements implicating herself in the premeditated murder of her son," Warf's arrest warrant stated.

After Rachel Summers entered a guilty plea, Edward Summers was charged in a sealed indictment for first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and solicitation to commit first-degree murder.

Lynch filed a motion last month to seek a sentence of life without parole against Edward Summers.

The prosecutor said Rachel Summers' told Warf she and her husband got into an argument about James' behavior at a store. When they returned home, she struck him in the head, which caused swelling. Later, she and her husband discussed giving him rat poison. She mixed the poison and gave it to her son.

Later, Rachel Summers said her husband tried to strangle her son but she pulled him off and smothered James.

Ed Smothers told Warf he knew about what happened but didn't call for help, the prosecutor said. Ed Summers gave conflicting statements to Warf.

Grandparents and other family members understood Rachel Summers killed her son, the prosecutor said.

"Ed Summers could have stopped it and he didn't," Lynch said, based on the statements and investigation.

Hornsby said Ed Summers denied hurting James. The state offered Summers a chance to enter a plea to facilitation with a sentence of 20 years.

"The evidence was uncontroverted that Rachel Summers actually put the pillow over James and strangled the child," Hornsby said.

She earlier hit her son on the head and fed him rat poison, Hornsby said. The question was if Edward Summers helped.

Edward Summers was upset and felt he would lose Madeline, the daughter he had with RacheI. If the case had gone to trial, Hornsby said jurors would have hated the offense. Summers felt jurors might believe he was involved.

He was scheduled to enter a plea March 23 but delayed it because he wanted to watch Madeline's first T-ball game, Hornsby said.

Summers entered the best interest plea to the amended charge of facilitation of first-degree murder, a charge that carries a sentence between 15 and 25 years. The remaining charges were dismissed as part of the plea.

As part of the hearing, Lynch read the victim impact statement Pursley wrote about the effect James murder had on the family.

"Edward Eugene Summers III, you have destroyed our family," Pursley wrote. "You took little James and Rachel away from us."

The family will not get to celebrate birthdays and holidays again with James. They will not get to take him to movies, watch him compete in sports or play "cowboys and Indians," Pursley wrote.

"He was a beautiful, bright, funny young man (with) beautiful, dancing blue eyes," Pursley wrote. "Because of you (Edward Summers), we will never watch him grow up to be a fine young man."

The family won't be able to hug or kiss James. Grandfather Will Pursley won't be able to take James, his fishing buddy, fishing, the grandmother noted. His uncles, Jody and Jason, and his aunt, Jessica, won't be able to spend time with him.

Edward Summers took so much from other families, she stated. James' classmates have truly lost a special friend who will never forget their classmate.

"For what you have done to our family, may you never have peace," Pursley wrote. "May you never forget what you did to an innocent little boy. He never asked to be treated the way you treated him. As for you — Edward Eugene Summers III — may you forever rote in hell forever."

Summers was taken into custody immediately to serve his sentence. He will receive credit for about 10 weeks. He is not eligible for probation.

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Member Opinions:

By: DMW37128 on 4/2/07
April is Prevention of Child Abuse Month. Wear a Blue Ribbon to symbolize the bruise and battered bodies of children who cannot defend themselves.
If you want to help in Rutherford County, contact The Exchange Club Family Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse on Heritage Park Drive, 890-4673

By: ohiogirlgonesouth on 4/2/07
My daughter was affected by the death of this young man when she was at the elementary school as were many of us in the community. As a teacher it was especially sad knowing that nothing protected James from the very people that should have been his ultimate shelter in life...and I am so glad to see justice has been served in this case. May James rest peacefully and his family hold the memories of him dear to them. Thank you for updating the public on this case so we (the community) can also feel that closure has been brought to the family.

By: lupusman on 4/2/07
Somehow it is hard for me to believe justice was served when this man admitted to helping killed his step son can be out of prison in 7 years! I can only hope Janet Pursley will attend all the parole board hearings for Mr. Summers.

By: truthandjustice on 4/2/07
The loss of a child is massive. To have a child murdered at the hands of the very people that child depends on is unforgiveable. I've followed this story from the beginning and have always felt that this man had to be involved. I'm glad that the district attorney persisted in the search for a more complete picture of what happened in that house. I agree with lupusman that 7 years is not enough time. But if you look at what has been happening in our justice system, perhaps one in the hand is better than betting on the whole bang.

By: poncho on 4/3/07
He will be eligible for parole in seven years. It has been my experience if the victim's family attend the parole hearings he will do the full twenty. I anticipate they will attend.

By: bigbro on 4/3/07
An eye for an eye. Any less is a crime against God. Only an execution will stop these monsters from repeating the crime again. When he or she is paroled they will continue where they left off in life. Not so for their son. I hope prision is a living hell for them.

By: Boo on 4/3/07
Nothing short of the death penalty would be justice for this little boy! The man may not have actually done the murder, but he stood by and let it happen. He is a grown man, he could have helped that child. The justice system is so concerned with the criminal's civil rights and his rehab potential that there will never be justic for this child or any other child abused OR murdered.