Pasco mother heads to prison for shooting daughter's alleged abuser

Pasco mother heads to prison for shooting daughter's alleged abuser



DADE CITY — Sylvia Neeley, dressed in a black suit and high heels, turned herself in this morning to begin serving her prison sentence for killing a man a decade ago who she believed was molesting her mentally retarded daughter.

Neeley, 48, shot Arthur Danner on May 24, 1998, in his Land O'Lakes mobile home. She told authorities he had boasted about sexually abusing her daughter, then 12, and said he could do it again. Stoned on beer and painkillers, she went to her home next door, grabbed a gun, returned to Danner's trailer and unloaded into his chest.

Then she reloaded and fired at his groin.

Neeley had reported the suspected abuse three months earlier to authorities. The Pasco County Sheriff's Office and child welfare workers investigated, but they had not found enough evidence to charge Danner, 73, with anything.

She told Circuit Judge Pat Siracusa in court this morning that she wished Danner had been arrested.

"I'm very sorry for the crime I committed," she said through tears. "I just felt like no one was helping my daughter."

One Department of Children and Families counselor, Marilyn Loper, had testified at Neely's trial that their investigation found some evidence Danner may have abused her daughter, but there probably wasn't enough to press criminal charges.

"She said, 'You mean he is going to get away with this?' " Loper testified. "I said, 'It's likely. It's not 100 percent, but it's quite likely that he will indeed get away (with) it. So it's your job to make sure that he doesn't bother your child any more.' "

Neeley was convicted of the killing once at trial in 2000, but an appeals court found that the judge had made errors and granted her a new trial. She has been out on bail since December 2002.

With her new trial looming, Neeley instead pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but will be credited for the more than four years she has already spent behind bars.

Siracusa gave her two weeks before today's sentencing to get her affairs in order and move her daughter, now 23, into a group home.

Neeley said before the hearing that she visited her daughter at the home this morning.

As she was led away in handcuffs, she carried a Bible, glasses case and small book of photos. Her family sat a few rows away, crying.

"I'm heartbroken, absolutely heartbroken," said her mother, Frances Hayman. "She was my wild child, but she's still my child."

If I knew a man had abused my child, mentally challenged or not, and the police said they could not find enough evidence to charge him, other than his admitting what he did, I'm sure I would have done the same thing. I don't understand how they found her guilty of murder if she was high on pain killers and beer.

When my SIL murdered my daughter, he admitted to being drunk, and they said they could not charge him with first degree murder because of his condition. He was only found guilty of Voluntary Manslaughter.

I read this story and it made me so angry. This woman was doing what LE didn't. She went to them. They didn't have enough evidence? WTH? This was her 12 yr old daughter for goodness sakes! They charged her with murder so tht they could get a plea deal out of her (IMO). She pled guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. This is wrong in so many ways. I do understand that people just can't take the law into their own hands but what about the sick bastard that did this to her daughter? What was his punishment? I'm sorry to say, but he got what he deserved. I hope she blew his balls off!

Hi, Fysty!

I completely agree with you. This poor woman should be given an award, not punished for getting rid of society's garbage! He did get exactly what he deserved. I don't blame her one bit for what she did to that pervert. The law wasn't going to do anything about it. He would have been free to do it to others. This woman did the world a favor. This is unbelievably unfair! My heart really goes out to this poor woman, and her family.

sitemama wrote:If I knew a man had abused my child, mentally challenged or not, and the police said they could not find enough evidence to charge him, other than his admitting what he did, I'm sure I would have done the same thing. I don't understand how they found her guilty of murder if she was high on pain killers and beer.

When my SIL murdered my daughter, he admitted to being drunk, and they said they could not charge him with first degree murder because of his condition. He was only found guilty of Voluntary Manslaughter.

Hi, sitemama!

I'm so sorry about your daughter. Your SIL deserves the Death Penalty. I can't understand why this poor woman was charged with murder. She did the world a big favor by preventing this pervert from hurting others. In my opinion, this is exactly what all predators deserve. Think of all the children that could be saved.