Dad beat 3-year-old son repeatedly before finally killing him (Annapolis, Maryland)

This is just too disgusting. Whose idea was it that dad ANDRE CLAY RUSSELL should EVER be allowed around any children, much less BABYSITTING a 3-year-old?

This piece of scum has a lengthy criminal record with "charges ranging from second-degree rape to assault, and from drug possession to theft." He is a REGISTERED CHILD SEX OFFENDER. Numerous people, including the child's mother, observed that this father had abused this child. And yet NONE of these people reported the abuse to the police or child protective services??? Is this really true? And if so, why?

Was the mother living with this guy? Or was the child visiting? That is not clarified here. If it was visitation, was this the mother's idea or the court's? That's also not clarified here.

The end result is that Daddy's left "home alone" with this poor child and beats him to death. Just sickening.

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/top/2010/04/30-30/Prior-abuse-allegations-surface-in-tots-death.html

Prior abuse allegations surface in tot's death
State: Man beat his son, 3, repeatedly before killing him
By SCOTT DAUGHERTY, Staff Writer
Published 04/30/10

An adult and child saw a Severn man punch his 3-year-old son in the stomach, chest and face on several occasions last summer shortly before the boy's death, according to prosecutors.

The boy's mother and grandfather told police after Charles Michael Brandley died Aug. 12, 2009, that they also had noticed some unusual bruises on the boy's legs.

And doctors at Baltimore Washington Medical Center treated Charles for some minor injuries before county police launched an investigation into the death and how Andre Clay Russell Jr. treated his son.

But despite all of the different incidents and injuries, prosecutors said this week that no one called police or Child Protective Services to see if the boy was in danger.

"Very unfortunately, most people are hesitant to report such incidents or step in to try and stop the abuse," said State's Attorney Frank Weathersbee, noting that prosecutors see this in a lot of child abuse cases. "It's important for people to remember that if something doesn't look right, if something makes you question the safety of a child, if something sounds wrong, that it's OK to tell someone. It's OK to bring it to someone's attention. It really could be the difference between life and death."

Elyn Jones, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Human Resources, which oversees Child Protective Services, seconded that.

"Reporting child abuse is everyone's responsibility," she said.

Russell, 28, of Tomlinson Court, was charged last year with first-degree murder, first-degree child abuse resulting in death, first- and second-degree assault and reckless endangerment in Charles' death. He is being held at the Jessup Correctional Institute pending a June 14 trial.

The case landed in court this week for a hearing on motions on whether the alleged incidents of past abuse will be admissible at trial.

The jury will be allowed to hear about more than just what happened Aug. 7, when prosecutors believe Russell beat his son to death. Over the objections of Russell's defense attorney, Circuit Court Judge Paul A. Hackner on Wednesday ruled that prosecutors may tell a jury about the allegations of prior abuse and how Russell allegedly lied to cover up abuse.

According to charging documents, Russell told paramedics and county police that he was home alone on Aug. 7, watching Charles, when the boy fell down a flight of stairs.

Charles was flown to Johns Hopkins Medical Center in critical condition. He never regained consciousness and died five days later.

Hospital staff told officers they believed Charles had been beaten. An autopsy found that he died of blunt-force trauma and the case was ruled a homicide.

What police learned

According to prosecutors, two people saw Russell beat Charles and at least three others saw the apparent results of previous abuse. From various interviews, police learned:

In April or May 2009, Charles' mother, Orielle Baker, saw loop marks on the boy's legs. She confronted Russell, who told her he beat Charles with a belt.

In May 2009, Russell's father, Andre Clay Russell Sr., saw his son repeatedly spank the boy very hard for urinating on himself. Later, in June, he saw unusual bruising on the boy's thighs that looked almost like burn marks. Russell told his father the marks were from laser surgery.

In late June or early July, a family friend, Shelly Parker, saw Russell punch his son several times in the chest and face. Later, on July 16 or 17, she saw Russell punch the boy so hard in the face he drew blood. And in the last week of July, she saw Russell punch him in the chest, arms and legs.

On July 17, Russell took Charles to Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie and told staff the boy had fallen down some stairs. He was treated for some cuts and bruises and released. After Charles' death, Russell told police he had taken the boy to St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore and that the injuries stemmed from a pit bull attack.

On Aug. 5, a 10-year-old girl living with Russell saw him punch the boy several times in the stomach, causing him to hit his head on a bed frame.

'Really essential'

While Russell was never charged or convicted of any crimes in connection with those incidents, Rogers said they showed intent, motive and even malice on the part of Russell.

Jason Silverstein, Russell's defense attorney, argued in court that the state is trying to get a jury to convict his client because they don't like him - not because they believe he killed his son.

"They want to try him on the prior act and they want to try him on the homicide," said Silverstein, stressing that his client was never charged in connection with any of the alleged incidents of abuse. "They want them to think he is a bad guy so he must have done this."

Hackner, however, noted that Russell repeatedly lied to cover up how Charles received his injuries.

"People don't try to cover up something unless there is something to cover up," he said, arguing that this showed a "consciousness of guilt."

Silverstein said Wednesday he did not know what defense he would put forward at trial - whether Charles fell down a flight of stairs or whether someone other than his client caused the boy's death.

According to online court records, Russell has a lengthy court record dating back to 1997, with charges ranging from second-degree rape to assault, and from drug possession to theft.

He was last released from prison Nov. 18, 2008 - nine months before Charles died.

Russell also is listed on the Maryland Sex Offender Registry as a child sex offender. Details about what landed him on the registry were unavailable. It is also unclear if Russell was in violation of his probation by watching Charles.---