Brenda A. Wing, 28, and her lawyer finalize her sentencing documents in Lewis County Superior Court.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – A Lewis County judge yesterday decided that standing by and doing nothing while her husband inflicted abuse upon a toddler that led to his death merited the same lengthy prison sentence for Brenda A. Wing.
Twenty-eight-year-old Wing, a mother of three, was given 34 years and eight months for first-degree manslaughter.
The couple who are originally from the Vancouver area were taking care of a 3-year-old boy in their Vader home. Jasper Henderling-Warner died on Oct. 5, 2014.
Jasper Henderling-Warner
Lewis County Superior Court Judge Nelson Hunt called it the worst case of child abuse he had ever seen.
“The two months worth, over two months, of torture here,” Hunt said. “As I recall, no single incident was fatal; Jasper’s body simply gave up.”
“This is the reason accomplices are equally as guilty,” he said.
The court hearing yesterday afternoon in Chehalis brings to an end the case that began 15 months ago.
The family had been living in the Vader house about two weeks when the Wings called 911 to say the toddler was unconscious and not breathing. Jasper’s 21-year-old mother had given the couple temporary custody while she was homeless and looked for work out of state.
There was no trial to bring out all the facts and details of what transpired. Lewis County prosecutors entered into a complex plea agreement because they did not know what actually happened.
Among the autopsy findings was facial trauma, including two lower-front teeth missing, as well as scrapes and bruises and also that Jasper had contracted MRSA, a drug-resistant staph infection.
Some of the statements from the couple given to investigators, and tested with polygraphs, which have been revealed during numerous court hearings suggest it began on the return home from a beach trip to Oregon.
Brenda Wing told her husband Jasper had placed his hands over their infant child’s mouth, prompting Danny Wing to strike Jasper in the face several times in the back of their van.
Lewis County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Will Halstead has said that the little boy was being hit and conditioned until he would say it was someone else who had been harming him.
The plea agreements offered the Wings an opportunity of recommendations they be locked up for about 16 years if they truthfully described what occurred.
Halstead, the judge and defense attorney John Crowley spent a great deal of time yesterday discussing what the language in the supplemental agreement meant and whether Brenda Wing held up her end of the bargain. The deputy prosecutor successfully argued she withheld material information from investigators.
Halstead read from some of her statements: “Sometimes I would hold him down, while Danny was hitting him; this was to keep him from getting hurt worse” and “I remember flicking Jasper in the mouth.”
It turns out, while Brenda Wing told her husband Jasper assaulted their baby in the back of the car, he hadn’t, according to Halstead.
Halstead told the judge Brenda Wing admitted the lie to one of her relatives in a phone call from the jail, and said she didn’t know why she had said that to her husband but said it was what started all of the abuse.
When Danny Wing was sentenced in September, his lawyer compared the couple’s treatment of Jasper to a “Cinderella affect.”
Brenda Wing’s convictions, from the pleas she made last year, also include third-degree child assault, two counts of witness tampering and two counts of possession of a controlled substance.
Halstead asked the judge yesterday to give her 55 years in prison, the same request he’d made regarding her husband.
“I’m not going to go back through all of the facts,” he said. “I think the court’s aware of what’s in the file.”
Crowley requested a sentence of 14 and a half years, contending his client had not failed in the requirements of the plea agreement.
“She feels great remorse for whatever role she did play,” Crowley said.
Brenda Wing declined to speak on her own behalf.
Jasper’s mother, flanked in the first row bench by four women friends, advocated for the maximum sentence when she addressed the judge.
Nikki Warner recalled her child’s amazing and silly laugh and told the judge she asked people she considered family to take care of him while she got back on her feet.
“I could not believe it when I found out the living hell my son suffered,” she said.
Jasper would have celebrated his fifth birthday next week, she said.
“Why did you lie about Jasper doing mean things to your son that never happened?” Warner asked the defendant.
Also speaking to the court was Ruth Crear, a 14-year volunteer for the fire department, who was the first to arrive to the Vader house that evening.
She urged the judge to put Brenda Wing away for as long as he could.
“He was 3 years old, he couldn’t defend himself,” Crear said.
Crowley said his client will appeal.
•••
For background, read ” Vader man gets 34 years for toddler death” from Friday September 25, 2015, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Yay more prison jobs Yay!
@Liberalmedialives. I might be wrong but I don’t think the 1st amendment applies to private websites. The owner/administrator can censor or publish whatever they see as appropriate. They are responsible and liable for content.
As far as punishment for Jasper’s parents, I can only hope that it will go as far as the law allows. I guess it’s okay to bust out the pitchforks and torches in these threads but in real life we have to follow the legal system.
If Casey was that determined to see his son simple calls to CPS, DSHS & LCSO would have produced results.
I’m not posting my name because of backlash. But I honestly don’t think Casey should be punished. Please note all I said was “Casey” he fought to see his son. And was completely denied. There were only a few occasions that he was allowed to see jasper at all. The mother should of given custody to Casey if she couldn’t take care of jasper. Not the Wings. But she kept thinking that she wouldn’t get him back if she gave jasper to him. She was having fun while her son was being tortured. Why didn’t she go to their house? She knew where they lived. She was “oh well didn’t hear from them I’m going to hang out with friends all day now”.
I actually find the admins comment somewhat disturbing. If you truly started this outlet to report the news as facts then do so. I find it very interesting that it seems you make your personal opinion blatantly obvious. I also know for a fact you pick and choose which comments you allow to be published. Is that not called censorship? How can you call yourself a reporter of the Lewis County news but you censor and write these articles favoring a side.
Let me answer the question you posed to XDS. What about the Wing couple? Well let me tell you that everyone I am sure is ecstatic that they got what the judge felt was maximum time. Frankly I am pro death sentence and feel they should get what that poor boy got. Eye for an eye, but the sentence they got will have to do. As far as Nikki and Casey are concerned, anyone with a half a brain can see they deserve some sort of punishment for allowing their child, that they made, and both neglected should be handed down. There just is no excuse for two people who felt they were grown enough to sleep together and old enough to have a baby, that would justify their decisions that sealed the fate of that little boy.
So Sharyn, I’m sure many people have an opinion about the Wing’s and it’s clear what yours is. Now what is your opinion about Nikki Warner and Casey Henderling? Oh wait, I think we already know.
Ashamed, it was simply a question …
*isn’t not is
Yes I do Sharyn,
I think it is great that our county got convictions on half of the people that contributed to Jasper’s death and won’t stop until the other half are found guilty of Child Abandonment at the least.
Sharyn I don’t believe there is a person on this earth that believes the Wing’s didn’t deserve what they got. XDs brings up a valid point that these two so called parents are basically getting away with murder. Last time I checked this was a media outlet and his opinion is allowed to be expressed. I actually find it strange how you seem to take sides Sharyn. What’s your opinion on Nikki and Casey? Why call out XDs and you not weigh in? Did Bo help you type that?
XDs, did you have an opinion at all about the subject of this news story? Brenda Wing? Or, her husband Danny Wing? both who are now convicted and sentenced to prison for manslaughter? –news reporter sharyn decker
I will be distributing a petition this week to try and get Nikki Warner & Casey Henderling charged with child abandonment at the least.
You cannot sign away your child on a dirty napkin as if writing a bill of sale for an old trailer.
You two need to pay for your roles in causing Jasper’s death!!!
I agree with XDs 100%! It’s time for the parents to answer to their role in this boy’s death. Repeated abuse over a long period of time tells me the mother and father did not check on this little boy. You supporters of this so badly misunderstood parental unit should take a long hard look at the morals you live and preach. Shame on you all. Rest in peace Jasper.
Now Nikki Warner & Casey Henderling need to be charged for child abandonment!
Well good she is gone!!!!! She is headed right where she deserves to be. Too bad she didn’t get longer.