A young Washington DC prosecutor determined to put a daycare provider behind prison for killing her suspected child molester husband in the neck and leg.
Shanteari Weems, a 50-year-old daycare owner who is now facing ten years in prison for killing her husband, is being prosecuted by LaVater Massie-Banks, an assistant US attorney, who is in charge of the case.
To confront her husband, former Baltimore police officer James Weems Jr., Shanteari travelled from her home in Randallstown, Maryland, to the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Washington, DC, on July 21.
One of the moms of the kids she looks after had recently informed her that James had been abusing the child sexually.
She is now being detained on suspicion of aggravated assault with a weapon.
She might spend up to 10 years in prison if found guilty.
Although she and James have only been married for five years, her older children claim that the accusations against James have destroyed their mother’s more than 20-year career as a daycare provider.
Massie-Banks believes she should be demoted. The 29-year-old prosecutor was last employed in Florida.
She assisted in the March sentencing of a homeless man who had stolen one business and attempted to loot another to nine years in jail.
Massie-Banks said at a recent court hearing on the daycare owner: “Yes, her husband was suspected of assaulting children and might be the reason this occurrence happened.”
Then she read aloud from Shanteari’s journal.
I’m heading out to shoot James, the first sentence of the message reads. I have no desire to murder him. I want to make him paralysed. And indeed, that is what took place. He had gunshot wounds to his neck and leg.
The second time Shanteari had learned of this accusation against her husband was on July 21. The first resulted in the closure of her Lil Kidz Kastle childcare facility, which her family claims she spent years establishing.
Shanteari drove to her husband’s hotel armed with her pistol and ready to shoot him twice, once in the neck and once in the leg.
She had previously noted that she wished to immobilise and harm him as retaliation for what he was supposedly doing to the kids (James has since been charged with ten sex offences and he is also in jail awaiting sentencing).
A fire alarm was mysteriously set off inside her husband’s hotel room due to their argument.
She claims James approached her and started acting violently toward her. She claims to be a former officer and that she discharged her pistol because she was afraid of what her spouse could do to her.
According to Shanteari’s lawyers, she has never been violent before and wouldn’t pose a threat to society if released.
The judge disagreed and imprisoned her. She will now appear in court once again in November. However, a lot of people think Weems ought to be granted freedom.
Supporters shouted in the courtroom after she was refused release earlier this month: “Imagine if it was your grandchildren!”
Her defence was funded in part by a GoFundMe campaign, but GoFundMe shut it down after $3,000 and compensated everyone who contributed.
Her family is pleading with the authorities to let her go.
The only reason she is in prison is because she was attempting to ensure the safety of children, thus it is ironic that they believe she poses a safety danger.
She has entered hell. When these moms came to her, the lady was terribly and utterly devastated.
She for definitely did not want him to touch another youngster while she was watching.
She has 20 years of experience in this. She created this company from nothing. Her whole life’s work has been earning the confidence and permission of moms to watch their children while they are at work. To have this occur, and it’s not even a worker.