Madras pair charged with murder by abuse in child’s death

A Madras couple pleaded not guilty Tuesday to murder by abuse and several other charges, accused of causing the death of her 1-year-old daughter through neglect and maltreatment, including lack of food and medical care and leaving her alone for long periods of time.

Garry Lee Vineyard II, 20, and Raine Jasmine Austria, 25, appeared separately by video hookup from the Jefferson County Jail for their arraignment before Circuit Court Judge Gary Williams.

They were arrested around 4 p.m. Monday at their apartment on Southwest H Street in Madras and lodged in the county jail on $1 million bail. Each is accused of one count each of murder by abuse, first- and second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, three counts of first-degree criminal mistreatment and one count of second-degree criminal mistreatment, District Attorney Steve Leriche said.

Leriche said the charges related to the death of Katerina Austria on or about March 30, just nine days after her first birthday. Judge Annette Hillman issued an arrest warrant for the pair on Monday, 10 days after an indictment was handed down, the DA said in a news release

Leriche said “a fairly lengthy investigation” into the girl’s death was conducted by Madras police, the state Medical Examiner’s Office, state Department of Human Services, Jefferson County Sheriff’s office and his office, in consultation with the KIDS (Kids Intervention and Diagnostic Services) Center.

The indictment alleges the couple, for just over a year ending in March, “did unlawfully and knowingly withhold necessary and adequate food, physical care or medical attention” from Katerina Austria, who is only identified as under the age of 14 at the time; the woman’s defense attorney confirmed after the hearing that the girl was about 1 year old.

As a result, the indictment alleges Austria and Vineyard did “unlawfully and recklessly, under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life,” cause the girl’s death in late March, “by neglect and maltreatment.”

Prosecutors claim the pair left the girl “unattended … for a period of time that was likely to endanger” her health and welfare.

One of the criminal mistreatment charges involves leaving another child, a toddler, unattended for a period of time.

After each defendant was given a court-appointed attorney, Judge Williams set their next court appearance for Feb. 11 and kept their bail set at $1 million.

The couple’s attorneys each requested 20 days to file motions and up to six months for an evaluation of “diminished capacity,” to determine their mental condition and its impact on the case.

The court hearing revealed that Vineyard was working as a cashier and gas station attendant at a local convenience store, while Austria was self-employed.

A neighbor of the couple and co-worker of Vineyard’s mother, who asked not to be named, told NewsChannel 21 the girl was Austria’s daughter. She said Vineyard “always seemed like a good kid” and she couldn’t believe this tragedy had happened.