2002-04-30 � Indicte, Incite, Delight
Was recently indicted for smacking a homeless man with her car hard enough to lodge him in her windshield, nearly amputating one of his legs and killing him in the process. This photo, while not as expressive as my favorite image of Ms. Mallard, was taken at the proceeding and communicates her deep sorrow. Just look at her. She probably cries herself to sleep every night for getting caught. The following is an Associated Press item on the proceeding. My comments follow.
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- A former nurse's aide accused of hitting a homeless man with her car and leaving him to die on her windshield was charged Thursday with murder.Chante J. Mallard, 25, also was indicted on a charge of tampering with evidence in the death of 37-year-old Gregory Biggs, a former bricklayer who had been living in a homeless shelter.
Mallard remains jailed on $250,000 bond.
"She committed or attempted to commit an act clearly dangerous to human life," the grand jury wrote in the indictment. "(She) ... transported Greg Biggs to her home when he was seriously injured and lodged in her car ... and (concealed) him in her garage, which prevented him from receiving medical care, which caused the death of Greg Biggs."
Attorneys for both sides declined to comment Thursday, citing a judge's gag order.
Mallard told investigators she was returning home from a nightclub October 26 when she hit the man as he walked along a highway, according to police records. She said he remained lodged in her windshield, but she was scared and drove home anyway and parked in her garage.
Mallard told police she was upset and apologized to the man but never sought help for Biggs, who authorities say could have survived if he had received medical attention.
Biggs' body was found in a park October 27, but police had no leads in the case until a tipster came forward four months later, saying Mallard talked and laughed about the incident at a party.
When investigators talked to Mallard, they found the car's seats burned in the back yard, police said.
After Mallard was arrested in February, police said preliminary findings in the investigation showed that Biggs may have lived two or three days in the garage.
But Dr. Nizam Peerwani, Tarrant County medical examiner, has said Biggs probably died from blood loss a few hours after he was hit because of his severe injuries, including the near amputation of his left leg.
Although there is much to be fascinated by in this ongoing story, I'm most fascinated by the way Ms. Mallard was aprehended. As I understand it, she was at a party, having a few cocktails and a hit or two of E, and giggling fiercely about that man she killed. I like to imagine how that scene played out.
"Hey, Chante! We ain't seen your car for a while. Where is it?"
"Oh, It's still in my garage from when we had to remove some of the seats so we could burn them. I haven't had time to replace the seats yet. Would you pass the bean dip?"
"Burn them?"
"Yeah, oh didn't you hear? I thought everybody knew that old story!"
"What story?"
"You know, the one where I hit a homeless man and he got lodged in my windshield. Not only was the fucker in my goddamn way, but he got himself through the glass and stuck in my car! Hoo-hoo-ahaaah!
"Girl, it was some sight! Here I was driving down the street and some skanky-ass white man's butt was hangin' out of the front of my car! Hoo-hoo-ahaaah!"
"Tell us more, Chante, what did you do next?"
"Well, his leg was mostly severed and only hanging on by a little flap of skin, so there was a lot of blood on the hood and on the windshield, so I turned on the wipers and just drove home. It wasn't far.
"You should have heard that white boy scream. He catterwalled at every bump in the road! Hoo-hoo-ahaaah! And you know I got those speed bumps in my neighborhood. Those bitches are big!
"Hey everybody! Let's do the Hustle! Hoo-hoo-ahaaah!"
"We'll dance in a minute, Chante. Finish your story."
"I swear. You kill somebody and that's all anybody wants to talk about. Hoo-hoo-ahaaah! Well, we got back to my place and I pulled into the garage. He was screaming and sayin' stuff like, 'help me!' and 'Oh, God I'm in unbearable pain!' and 'I need a doctor!' Shit like that.
"So, I said, 'Listen up, honkey. Now, I'm sorry I hit you, but you were in my way and if I take you to the hospital they'll know I was doin' E, and I just can't have that.' Hoo-hoo-ahaaah! You know how I like my E, baby! You know how I like my E!
"Well, a few days later I went to check on him and, you know he was dead. So, I called my best girl friend and I said, 'I got a dead man in my garage,' and she said--hoo-hoo-ahaaah!--she said, 'well Chante, if you don't dump him in the park, he's gonna smell up your house worse than your man's feet!' Hoo-hoo-ahaaah! I think we all know ain't much worse than them feet!
"Hey you got a tissue? I'm laughing so hard I'm crying over here!
"So, we dumped him in the park and took the seats out of the car, the ones with blood on them anyway, and burned them out back. Them neighbor kids roasted marshmallows while the evidence burned.
"I tell you, I ain't never been so scared in all my life! I mean, there was a dead guy in my garage! Hoo-hoo-ahaaah! But that's all over now. All that nastiness is behind. I'm just looking forward now. Just aiming for the future.
"'Course, I'm gonna need a new car. Hoo-hoo-ahaaah!"
And everyone was having a grand time, except for that one wallflower standing in the back who stared at her like this
Then he called the cops.
It's always the quiet ones that spoil it for everyone else. Always.
Posted at 2:11 a.m.
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