Chante Jawan Mallard
Encyclopedia
Chante Jawan Mallard is a woman from Fort Worth, Texas
who was convicted and sentenced to 50 years' imprisonment
for her role in the death of a 37-year-old homeless
man, Gregory Glen Biggs.
The incident occurred on October 26, 2001 when Mallard's car
struck him; at the time Mallard was believed to have been driving while intoxicated
by drugs and alcohol. The force of the impact sent Biggs flying through the windshield, lodging him there.
Mallard then drove home, leaving the injured Biggs stuck in her windshield, and parked her car in her garage.
After the accident Mallard did not notify the police nor did she get Biggs any medical attention, even though she was a former nurse's aide. When Biggs died an unknown number of hours later, still in the windshield of her car in her garage, she called a male friend, Clete Jackson, for assistance. Mallard, Jackson, and Jackson's cousin Herbert Tyrone Cleveland, took the body to a park and left it there, even going so far as to set fire to part of the car in an attempt to disguise the evidence. The three were each convicted on charges of tampering with evidence for this action.
Mallard became a suspect after she was reported talking and laughing about the incident at a party some four months after the events. "I hit this white man," Mallard allegedly told acquaintance Maranda Daniel, laughing. During the trial, Tarrant County
Medical Examiner
Nizam Peerwani
testified that, had Mallard taken Biggs to a hospital
, he would have recovered from his injuries. Other experts testified that they agreed that Biggs would have survived. "There's not a member of the Fort Worth Fire Department that could not have saved Mr. Biggs' life," testified Capt. Jim Sowder. Mallard was convicted of murder
in June 2003, with the 50-year murder sentence and 10-year tampering sentence to run concurrently. She will be eligible for parole
in 2027.
Mallard's case would later be adapted as an episode of the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
("Anatomy of a Lye", aired May 2, 2002) and also as an episode of Law & Order
("Darwinian", aired January 7, 2004 - though the driver is allowed to plead guilty to obstruction of justice after an autopsy reveals that the accident was not the cause of the fatal head injury). The case is referenced briefly in the Drawn Together
episode "Captain Hero's Marriage Pact" and in a parody song on the Russ Martin
Show. A sub-plot in "My Name is Earl" ('Gospel' episode) is also inspired by the case.
Films inspired by the events include Stuck
(2007, with Mena Suvari
and Stephen Rea
), and Accident on Hill Road
(2009, with Celina Jaitley
and Farooque Shaikh.)
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
who was convicted and sentenced to 50 years' imprisonment
Imprisonment
Imprisonment is a legal term.The book Termes de la Ley contains the following definition:This passage was approved by Atkin and Duke LJJ in Meering v Grahame White Aviation Co....
for her role in the death of a 37-year-old homeless
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
man, Gregory Glen Biggs.
The incident occurred on October 26, 2001 when Mallard's car
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
struck him; at the time Mallard was believed to have been driving while intoxicated
Drunkenness
Alcohol intoxication is a physiological state that occurs when a person has a high level of ethanol in his or her blood....
by drugs and alcohol. The force of the impact sent Biggs flying through the windshield, lodging him there.
Mallard then drove home, leaving the injured Biggs stuck in her windshield, and parked her car in her garage.
After the accident Mallard did not notify the police nor did she get Biggs any medical attention, even though she was a former nurse's aide. When Biggs died an unknown number of hours later, still in the windshield of her car in her garage, she called a male friend, Clete Jackson, for assistance. Mallard, Jackson, and Jackson's cousin Herbert Tyrone Cleveland, took the body to a park and left it there, even going so far as to set fire to part of the car in an attempt to disguise the evidence. The three were each convicted on charges of tampering with evidence for this action.
Mallard became a suspect after she was reported talking and laughing about the incident at a party some four months after the events. "I hit this white man," Mallard allegedly told acquaintance Maranda Daniel, laughing. During the trial, Tarrant County
Tarrant County, Texas
Tarrant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, it had a population of 1,809,034. Its county seat is Fort Worth. Tarrant County is the sixteenth most populous county in the United States and the third most populous in Texas. The county is named in honor...
Medical Examiner
Medical examiner
A medical examiner is a medically qualified government officer whose duty is to investigate deaths and injuries that occur under unusual or suspicious circumstances, to perform post-mortem examinations, and in some jurisdictions to initiate inquests....
Nizam Peerwani
Nizam Peerwani
Nizam Peerwani, M.D. is the chief medical examiner for Tarrant County, Texas. Locally, he is probably best known for his role in the David Koresh–Mount Carmel incident in Waco, Texas and in the trial of Chante Jawan Mallard. Dr...
testified that, had Mallard taken Biggs to a hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
, he would have recovered from his injuries. Other experts testified that they agreed that Biggs would have survived. "There's not a member of the Fort Worth Fire Department that could not have saved Mr. Biggs' life," testified Capt. Jim Sowder. Mallard was convicted of murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
in June 2003, with the 50-year murder sentence and 10-year tampering sentence to run concurrently. She will be eligible for parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
in 2027.
Mallard's case would later be adapted as an episode of the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
("Anatomy of a Lye", aired May 2, 2002) and also as an episode of Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
("Darwinian", aired January 7, 2004 - though the driver is allowed to plead guilty to obstruction of justice after an autopsy reveals that the accident was not the cause of the fatal head injury). The case is referenced briefly in the Drawn Together
Drawn Together
Drawn Together is an American animated television series, which ran on Comedy Central from October 27, 2004 to November 14, 2007. The series was created by Dave Jeser and Matt Silverstein, and uses a sitcom format with a TV reality show setting...
episode "Captain Hero's Marriage Pact" and in a parody song on the Russ Martin
Russ Martin
Russell Dale Martin is an American radio shock jock in Dallas, Texas. He has worked in the Dallas radio market for over 26 years. Martin hosted the #1 rated The Russ Martin Show on KLLI Live 105.3 in Dallas, until December 8, 2008 when KLLI switched to an all-sports format...
Show. A sub-plot in "My Name is Earl" ('Gospel' episode) is also inspired by the case.
Films inspired by the events include Stuck
Stuck (2007 film)
Stuck is a 2007 thriller directed by Stuart Gordon and starring Mena Suvari and Stephen Rea. The film premiered on May 21, 2007 at the Cannes Film Market...
(2007, with Mena Suvari
Mena Suvari
Mena Alexandra Suvari is an American actress, fashion designer, and model. Shortly after beginning her career as a model, she appeared in guest roles on 1990's television shows such as Boy Meets World and High Incident...
and Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea is an Irish film and stage actor. Rea has appeared in high profile films such as V for Vendetta, Michael Collins, Interview with the Vampire and Breakfast on Pluto...
), and Accident on Hill Road
Accident on Hill Road
Accident on Hill Road is a 2009 Bollywood film, directed by Mahesh Nair and produced by Nari Hira, starring Farooq Sheikh, Abhimanyu Singh, Celina Jaitley...
(2009, with Celina Jaitley
Celina Jaitley
Celina Jiya Jaitley is an Indian actress born in Kabul, Afghanistan. She appears in mainly Bollywood films. As a former beauty queen and model, she was crowned Femina Miss India Universe in 2001.-Early life:...
and Farooque Shaikh.)
External links
- Mallard hit hard with 50 years, by Matt Bean, CourtTV.com, July 1, 2003 (retrieved October 20, 2006)
- News article from Zone81.com
- WFTV news article
- Smoking Gun Arrest Warrant Affidavit of Detective D.E. Owings.