Carrie Lynn Gaines
May 19 1988
Brutally beaten to death in
March 1990, by Richard Lee Howard
Rick Howard....sentenced to life in prison without parole! Now is finding loop holes in our system, and may get out of the murder of Carrie Lynn Gaines!
Carrie's life in a nutshell.
The brutal murder of Carrie!
The life of Carrie began with Sherri.
Sherri met Johnny Gaines, got pregnant at a young age and married Johnny during her pregnancy with her first child. Johnny was an abuser! She was pregnant for the second time with Carrie Lynn. Through Johnny she met Rick. Rick was a sweet and caring person (atleast that is what Sherri thought). Young and 2 babies she left Johnny and moved in with Rick! She was hoping that life would be better without the abuse of Johnny, not just for her but for her 2 little babies.
Carrie was born May 19 1988 an innocent little baby girl. She learned as a baby the life of more abuse! She lived in fear! Carrie would run through the house and Rick would put his foot out and trip her, she cried, and Rick laughed! Need I say more.
Sherri was pregnant for the 3rd time, this time with Rick's child. During the pregnancy, Rick beat her many times. At one of the times sending her to the hospital with her head split open from where he kicked her with his large boot. ( The same boot that kicked and killed Carrie) Another time he knocked out her teeth. During this same pregnancy he threatened her everytime she planned to leave him; for instance at one time he told her the baby she was carrying would never breathe its first breath (their child) = Rick's child! What kind of a man could he be when he threatens the life of his unborn child? These are the threats that Sherri lived with everyday.
Rick came home one night drunk, and woke Sherri up and started beating on her (keep in mind she was pregnant) Carrie started crying because her mommy was being hurt by the man she herself was scared of! Sherri got beat to the point she was unconscious, and Carrie continued to cry, so .....Rick took it out on Carrie because she would not stop crying--- He kicked her, and beat her, she went flying across the room, she stopped crying. Rick stopped the beatings. Sherri regaining consciousness knew Carrie was hurt. Sherri wanted to call an ambulance, Rick said NO! Sherri wanted to take her to the hospital! Rick said NO!
The saddest thing I have ever heard in my life came next!
Sherri held Carrie for a long time, she cradled her and tried to comfort her, Carrie looked up at her, and smiled at Sherri as if to say it is ok now mom. Sherri thought she went to sleep but still held her, and Carrie just kept getting colder and colder, and Sherri wrapped her in a pink blanket that she crocheted for her, to keep her warmer. Sherri didnt know at that point that Carrie was dead! Rick took her from Sherri and buried her behind a garage at a place where he had been doing yard work. Still wrapped in a blanket when he took her from Sherri, he placed her in a cardboard box and buried her, and there she lay for 5 years.
When family started asking too many questions about where Carrie was........They disappeared for a few years, we had no idea where they were. .....Meanwhile.....Sherri believed that by staying with this man......it was her punishment......she provoked him trying to get him to kill her like Carrie was killed....it never worked out that way....she thought drugs would kill her....that never worked either....She just wanted to die! Everytime she tried to leave Rick.....he found her, or had his connections find her. Threats would follow! All Sherri wanted--- was to die!! Rick knew what she was up to, and never hit her again! Still all she wanted was to die. Rick had his contacts with drugs and anything else he wanted! He was not going to go down without a fight, as far as Carrie was concerned....He was not going down easily with Carries death... Everyone who knew him, feared him. Everyone did as he said! Rick was a very big man and when he wanted, he could be sweet and caring, but also when he wanted, he could be and would be very brutal and evil, and very demanding.
Rick went to school to become a Witch.....YES men can be witches also!!....But he is suppose to be a good witch!...Yeah RIGHT!! Between witchcraft and drugs there is no hope for the people in his life!! ....Atleast not for those who gets in his way!(So he thinks!) He may think he rules all, but he will never rule me!! My life may have been close to Sherri's if I let it be. But, I seen a way out and I took it! ("Rick" my God is stronger than your witchcraft) My sister also has known the violence of men! And she also got out of the bad life! Sherri was not as fortunate until it was too late! But today she is drug free!!Hurray! She just got married to a very sweet guy! She also just got her 2 kids back from foster care! Sherri is far more stronger than I could ever be!
I look up to Sherri......she held it together more than I ever could have! .....Sherri you have turned yourself around more than 100 percent. I hope that if I ever have to go through what you went through.....that I could have your strength! I pray to God that I never will have to go through anything close to what you are going through!
Now let's talk about JUSTICE!!!!!!!!
JUSTICE!!! What is it?
Here we have Richard Lee Howard who brutally kicked and beat Carrie Lynn until she died from injuries made by him.
JUSTICE?
Yeah Right! .....Justice is only for the criminals! The system in my opinion SUCKS----PERIOD!
Justice is not for the innocent, but for the criminals!
The criminals by our luck gets put in prison, but, they end up having too much TIME on their hands, so......they go to the library in the prison......and guess what they look for....yeap....legal stuff. They look for a loop hole in the system! Unfortunately! They find it....as did Rick. Threats he has made towards the family don't mean squat to the system!...The letters that the JUDGE has from Rick threatening to finish the job.....well.....that is forgotten. Just where is the JUSTICE ....and where is the JUSTICE for CARRIE?
Carrie was just a baby....a baby that was so innocent and sweet and at 22 months was kicked and beaten to death.....Where is the justice for her?.....Rick was sentenced to life without parole and now he finds a loop hole in the system and JUSTICE gives him another chance. Did Carrie have another chance? I don't think so! Just where is the justice that we need and depend on?
I love you Carrie, and I will do whatever it takes to keep your murderer in prison!....This is my promise to you!
Great aunt Donna