In Texas last week, the media carried far and wide the kind of story that makes all of us in the adoption community shudder and cringe.

A licensed vocational nurse with five biological kids was convicted in Corpus Christi, for murdering a four-year-old child she and her husband were preparing to adopt through CPS (by way of Spaulding).

She took the stand to testify that upon running out of chili, she'd fed the boy water seasoned with Cajun spices, in hopes of satisfying his demand for more.

Her pastor took the stand to affirm that she was a good Christian woman who was known in the community as a doting mother and faithful wife.

Her social worker took the stand to verify that there were no warning signs of danger in the home, that the family passed the homestudy with flying colors.

The medical examiner took the stand to testify that the child had a head injury caused by blunt force trauma and enough sodium in his little system to slay a much larger mammal.

What went wrong? Who is to blame? How can we understand such a tragedy? (Who knows?)

Today, Hannah Overton was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. Her husband Larry is about to stand trial, as well. Andrew Burd, the little boy who'd been salted to death, is being mourned by the entire community, as well as his birthfamily, who didn't learn of his passing until a reporter contacted them for comment. Andrew's birthgrandmother, who'd originally sought permanent custody but been denied by the state, is inconsolable in her grief.

And the five Overton children? What is to become of them, if both their parents get locked up?

Let's just hope CPS leaves those arrangements to the extended family, this time.