Custodial dad beats 7-year-old son to death with metal mop handle (Anderson, South Carolina)

Oh my god. Where do you even start with this case?
Somehow dad JAMES T. DICKERSON gets FULL CUSTODY of his two sons from their mother, who he was never married to. She allegedly neglected the children, but there is no indication here that she ever intentionally or deliberately abused them.
So what does the great Savior Daddy do? He beats his 7-year-old son with a metal mop handle till the boy died of shock from the blood loss. Daddy called the rescue squad when the boy wouldn't "wake up." (Yea, you dumb ----. Wouldn't all that blood have given you a tip off that something was just a wee bit wrong?) The younger brother was also found to have signs of abuse and neglect. Big surprise there.

SO WHO WERE THE LEGAL GENIUSES WHO GAVE THIS DAD CUSTODY? LET'S SEE THE NAMES.

http://www.independentmail.com/news/2009/jul/13/bond-hearing-set-father-accused-beating-child-deat/?printer=1/

Bond hearing set for father accused of beating child to death in Easley
By Liz Carey Monday, July 13, 2009

ANDERSON — A father accused of beating his 7-year-old son to death will face his first court proceeding on Wednesday.

James T. Dickerson, 41, of Easley will appear before Judge J. C. Nicholson to request bond.
Dickerson was charged with murder by child abuse in November.

On Nov. 28, the Friday after Thanksgiving, the Pelzer Rescue Squad went to Dickerson’s address at 215 West Church Road in Easley. James Dickerson reported that 7-year-old Jeremy Dickerson would not wake up. Emergency personnel instructed Dickerson on how to perform CPR on the boy.

When emergency personnel arrived, they found the child dead.

Anderson County Deputy Coroner Don McGown said Jeremy died of shock from blood loss after being beaten with a metal mop handle.

McGown said Jeremy had been dead for at least two hours when James Dickerson called authorities.

Another child, Justin Owens, 5, was present in the house along with his cat. Officials also charged James Dickerson with child abuse and neglect of the younger boy, who was taken into protective custody.

Officials with the Department of Social Services said Justin had been placed in a home.
Misty Owens, Jeremy and Justin’s mother, could not be reached for comment.

James Dickerson was given full custody of the two boys in 2006. According to court records, both children were placed in Dickerson’s care in August 2005 because of “physical neglect of the children” by Owens, the children’s biological mother, but not Dickerson’s wife.

A fight between Dickerson and Owens over where the boy should be buried ended when an anonymous donor came forward with money to help bury Jeremy Dickerson at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. A special fund for burial costs has been closed for months.