BENSON – The parents of a infant seriously injured last year have been charged with felony child abuse.
In August 2023, the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office received a report of the alleged abuse and opened a criminal investigation.
Sometime between the child being born to 8 months of age, the infant sustained multiple injuries, including multiple broken bones, authorities allege. Some of the broken bones were already healing when authorities learned of the reported abuse.
Following a thorough investigation, including a review of the child’s medical records, and consultation with the Johnston County District Attorney’s Office, the parents were arrested.
On Feb. 28, Thomas Boone Gambill, age 27, of Rolling Field Drive, Garner, and Mackenzie Marie Barber, age 25, of Monroe Fields Drive, Benson were charged with one felony count of negligent child abuse causing serious physical injury.
Gambill and Barber posted $25,000 bonds on Feb. 28 and were released from the Johnston County Detention Center pending their next court appearance.
The infant was removed from the custody of the parents last year.
Lord take care of this child and make the parents pay for the damage they have done to this innocent being. How can anyone do this action to a defenseless child?
That made me physically sick to read…justice Oh Lord….justice.
And sentencing should be take them out to the woodshed…pure sorriness right there!
There’s no Hell hot enough for animals like this. Sterilize both of them and put them in prison.
Why did they have such a low bond? To hurt a child……..makes me sick to my stomach. They need their bones broke one by one slowly.
That’s what I want to know. Why such a low bond? I do not understand what’s going through the magistrate’s mind when he is setting bail these days. Why would he want them back on the streets so fast? Anyone who hurts a child or an animal is a sick individual and belongs behind bars indefinitely. The magistrate did the same thing with a man out of Dunn who stomped on a dog’s head. Set his bail real low and the man got out of jail.
The bond is low because their family’s are white and well off it’s not common sense
What does race have to do with it… Well Off I buy but not race. Give it a rest. Let’s focus on this child. Just saying
The bonds were not set by the magistrate, learn the law alittle before finger pointing please
They are far from well off . The girl comes from a good loving home but far from well off. I don’t know anything about the man. In Johnston county it all depends on if your attorney played a good round of golf with the judge or who is related to who and goes to the same church or needs their backs scratched. Spend a day in any court room and just pay attention. Sit in during recess and watch. Do it on 3 separate days, 3 separate judges and you will know what I mean. It’s a sad excuse for law and order and Justice. Color has no play in this game. They are all about making friends and doing favors. The only decent ones are the 2 that were disbarred. The Attorney ,young white guy I forgot his name and the older female DA that lost their jobs because they decided to punish the guilty and to protect the victims. For that they both lost their licenses. And do NOT get into an altercation with anyone that has a police relative . Oh boy. Same up in Orange County. A police officer was related to a bunch of violent crack head burglars. They were let go EVERY time . SMH. .
Not all judges and attorneys play like this! And are you talking about the attys that were paying off the ada, how was she punishing the guilty if she was dismissing everything 🤦🏼♀️
They should not have gotten bind! Come on judicial system!_
WHY DID IT TAKE A YEAR? This is absolutely unexceptionable, and as the other person stated, why is the bond so low? These POS need to have done to them what was done to that baby. That would be justice. Not long court proceeding that allow these monsters to take another breath.
Yet, deport illegal aliens. Crime comes in all different types of colors.
Yes, deport illegals. We have enough crime from legal citizens. We don’t need ANY crime coming illegally.
I knew I shouldn’t have read this.
These two need to be introduced to epstien’s prison guards .
Multiple healing fractures? It should have been $25,000 PER injured bone!
I’m also confused about the charges. It says some broken bones were healing before they were even looked in to. Shouldn’t it be a separate felony for every single bone and bruise? Also, we don’t know details yet. If one parent is guilty they charge both parents even if they are separated. The law is usually although we can clearly see it depends on only God knows what , never the same across the board, both parents are equally to blame. One did it, the other should have prevented it from happening. Not always fair. If 1 parent is guilty and the other does nothing then of course. If the parent not at fault takes the baby and reports the other parent, they can still be charged but not always. I’ve seen all kinds of madness in the JoCo courts. The innocent parent runs to protect the child before the other is found guilty then gets charged with parental kidnapping. I’d take that charge to protect my babies. Any good parent would. Some people should be made to prove they can be good parents and if not, sterilize them. If both parents were guilty here, permanent sterilization should be mandatory. Never ever allowed near any child under 18 again. Not even as a stepparent. The end. My heart is broken. A baby made to suffer by the 2 people who should give their lives to protect and love it always. Born to trust and love unconditionally then betrayed. The pain of broken bones with no Dr care, healing on their own. I cried when my kids even scratched themselves. They could have and should have sought help.
How quick all of you are to judge. Some of you are wanting them to burn in hell, some wanting them to pay for damages that you don’t know they inflicted, some wanting to take them to the woodshed, some wanting them sterilized, some claiming the bond is low because they are white (always have to play the race card). I know these kids personally. Great job attacking them like a pack of wild dogs. You people need to grow up. You are persecuting and assuming guilt without knowing anything more than a few sentences written in a report. Read all of these posts and imagine they are being directed toward your child or family member. Social media is definitely a tool used for hate and harm, since you can hide behind a computer while you talk nasty about someone. I guess that makes some of you feel good or superior to someone else. I think we still live in a land that says you are innocent until proven guilty, but all of you are assuming guilt and I am sure you will not apologize when you find out the charges are dropped, because there never was any abuse. Oh, and I am a Christian. Shame on those of you that asked the Lord for justice when you don’t even know what happened. I don’t know you or what is going on in your life. Should I ask the Lord for justice for whatever you may or may not be doing to someone else? Some of you questioned why there was such a low bond. Did you stop to think that the bond may be low because there is no abuse and no real proof to back up the ALLEGED charges? I don’t get it. SMH
Red John, I appreciate your post and I was the first to write something on this article. You seem like you know these parents very well. You probably know what happened to this child for the justice system to find that the parents needed to be charged. You are correct no one would want the things said about their loved ones or friends if they knew they didn’t do it. The only thing for my post is something happened, (could have been an accident) for the child to have multiple broken bones and were healing. Now with that said, does that mean they are healing due to doctor care or not. I guess it was assumed that there was no doctor care. When it comes to children these days with all the harm going on with them, people feel, including me sometime, children are needed to be protected by their close adults in their life and it is reported so many times that is not the case. I speak for myself, but I hope these parents are innocent of whatever happened to this child. Something happened and I hope they find out for sure. When I posted “Lord take care of the child” I meant that. I should have posted, instead of parents, whomever is responsible for the injuries, proven in the court of law, that they pay for damages done to this child. So with all this said, Thanks for the eye opening post. The bottom line I wish the best for this child and any innocent person involved. You are right, it still should be innocent until proven guilty.
The baby had broken bones. Some in the process of healing. Enough said
As someone who grew up being abused by their parents. This is absolutely disgusting. Cant believe I went to school with these clowns!
People are quick to judge when they do not know all of the facts. Praying for this entire family.