Dad gets life for death of 7-week-old son (St. Joseph, Missouri)

We've posted on this case numerous times. What is not mentioned here, is that there is evidence that dad RONNY RATHMAN coerced the depressed mother into pleading guilty to the child abuse charges. Even at the time there were questions as to whether she was really the guilty party in this home, but nobody followed up. We also forget to mention that the local CPS folks thought Daddy was just wonderful, and had no concerns about his caretaking in the mother's place. So once again, CPS is left unaccountable for their screw-ups and poor judgment.

See this post which includes links to previous posts:

http://dastardlydads.blogspot.com/2010/02/dad-pleads-guilty-to-2nd-degree-murder.html

http://www.stjoenews.net/news/2010/mar/16/rathman-gets-life-sons-death/

Rathman gets life for son's death
He must serve 25½ years

By R.J. Cooper

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

For more than a minute, Dwight Scroggins methodically described the fatal injuries in phrases that hold little meaning outside the medical community or anatomy classrooms.

But in between terms like calvarial, parietal and subdural, Mr. Scroggins continued to sprinkle in the words purple and red, painting with painful colors a clear picture of what Donald Rathman suffered at the hands of his father, Ronny Rathman.

After detailing the injuries that led to the 7-week-old infant’s death, Mr. Scroggins requested and then received a life sentence for Ronny Rathman on Monday in Buchanan County Circuit Court.

The defendant faced anywhere from 10 to 30 years or life for second-degree murder. He must serve 25½ years of that sentence before becoming parole eligible.

During his guilty plea last month, Mr. Rathman, 52, admitted he struck the baby twice in the back of the head on Oct 8 while the child cried. As a result, the infant slipped out of his arm, hit a chair and then fell onto an end table.

Mr. Scroggins said Donald had bruising in both ears, on his forehead, nose and temples, three skull fractures and epidural and subdural hemorrhaging in his brain.

On Monday, Mr. Scroggins told the court that all of the bruises on the child were red except one, meaning the injuries were fresh at the time of the infant’s death.

“If ever there were a case that merits the absolute maximum sentence, it’s this case,” Mr. Scroggins told the court.

The prosecutor also said Mr. Rathman “displayed no emotion whatsoever” at the hospital where his son eventually died and initially denied any involvement in the murder.

Public defender Michelle Davidson described the home situation over which Mr. Rathman presided as “difficult.” His wife, Angela Rathman, was in jail at the time of the murder for abusing Donald — a crime which eventually netted her a five-year sentence.

Ms. Davidson said the other two children in the house — ages 8 and 11 —had physical and mental disabilities that would be difficult for any parent but especially her client. She described Mr. Rathman as having “limited intelligence.”

Ms. Davidson added her client did not wake up that morning intending to abuse the baby and just “snapped” while trying to cope with the other two boys fighting and Donald crying. She noted this was Mr. Rathman’s first criminal case and asked the judge to follow the sentencing assessment report’s recommendation for 10 years in prison.

The judge, before issuing his sentence, noted it was particularly tragic when parents, the traditional source of protection for their children, became the abusers.

When asked whether he was satisfied with Ms. Davidson’s help, Mr. Rathman told the court he was just hoping for a second chance.

Upon leaving the courtroom following the sentence, Ms. Rathman’s sister Tracy Johnson said she was “so happy” with the sentence and started singing as she walked out of the building.