"Primary caretaker" dad ripped over death of 14-month-old son (Delaware County, Pennsylvania)

No "such a nice guy" tributes here. Dad THOMAS PIERCE--by the family's accounts, no less--is a deadbeat, heroin-addicted, abusive freeloader who "babysat" while the mom worked 3 jobs (e.g. the usual working definition of a "primary caretaker" dad). He threatened to harm the mother and the kids if she left him, and with all the murderous dads these days, that's no idle threat. As it happened, he was passed out on the couch when the house caught fire. Daddy and the older children escaped--after the kids managed to rouse his lazy @$$. But Daddy "forgot" the baby.

http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2010/04/07/news/doc4bbbf73255f1d761464969.txt

Family rips father over death of 14-month-old
Published: Wednesday, April 07, 2010

By MARLENE DiGIACOMO
mdigiacomo@delcotimes.com

MEDIA COURTHOUSE — A grieving grandfather Tuesday lamented the fiery death of his 14-month old grandson while the tot was sleeping in his bedroom under the care of his drug-addicted father.

“The wrong person died in that fire,” said David Doppler during the sentencing of his 33-year-old son-in-law, Thomas Pierce. “It should have been (Pierce) — not that innocent, beautiful, happy, amazing little baby that Tom let die.”

Pierce was on drugs and asleep on his couch when a fire erupted in the early morning hours of March 20, 2009, at his Clifton Heights home. The defendant and two other children managed to escape. However, the blaze claimed the life of his youngest son, Robert. Their mother was at work at the time.

Doppler said the baby’s mother had to work three jobs to support her children and Pierce.

Doppler told the court his daughter, Lauri, “feared” leaving Pierce because of threats he made that he would harm her and her family.

Judge Frank T. Hazel sentenced Pierce to serve three and a half to 10 years in jail. The defendant pleaded “no contest” in February to charges including involuntary manslaughter and delivering heroin stemming from his baby’s death.

“You, sir, love drugs more than you love anybody,” said Hazel, staring down at Pierce, who remained handcuffed and somber-faced.

The defendant offered no apology for his actions that night when he was under the influence of a variety of drugs, according to the court statements.

The plea agreement was worked out by defense attorney Robert Keller and Assistant District Attorney Michael Dugan.

“Because of (Pierce’s) drug-induced state, he wasn’t in a position to properly protect his children and that’s why we agreed to the no-contest plea,” Keller said at the time the plea was entered.

Keller said Tuesday that his client “chose not to speak,” stating Pierce is devastated by what happened.

“It’s a tragedy that he will have to live with and deal with every waking moment of his life,” said Keller.

Hazel agreed it was tragic.

“It is a tragic, tragic event — not just because a little boy is dead. It’s because it didn’t have to happen,” said the judge.

Doppler said it was Pierce’s two other school-aged children who woke him up to escape the flames.

And while outside it was his daughter who screamed that the baby was still in the house.

“How do you forget your son?” asked Doppler. “I would give my life for my children.”

Keller called a neighbor, who told how he and Pierce tried to race back into the house to save the child, but they were pushed back by the flames.

Eric Gantz also said other neighbors converged in an attempt to help and even put up a ladder so Pierce could climb to the room where the baby was.

However, he said there was too much smoke and they were helpless.

“It was horrible. We couldn’t get in,” said Gantz. “I believe he (Pierce) made every possible effort. We all did to try to reach him.”

Michael Dugan pointed to the defendant’s long history of drug abuse. He also called the baby’s aunt, Michelle Doppler Stinglen, who said her nephew died because of Pierce’s “selfish, careless actions.”

“Because of Thomas Pierce, I will never hear Robert laugh again or see his sweet smile break across his face … I will never see him reach or fulfill his dreams,” she said.

Firefighters found the toddler unresponsive in his crib. Pierce was not arrested until May after an anonymous tip led Philadelphia police to capture him following a brief foot chase in Southwest Philadelphia, according to authorities.

At the time of his arrest, authorities said Pierce was “grossly negligent and reckless” in caring for his children, who were all sleeping one floor above the kitchen when the fire raged through their home.

The death of the toddler and concern for the remaining members of the family spurred a fundraising campaign in the community.

Doppler said he can’t help but think about his grandson’s last moments in which he imagined the baby was trying to crawl out of his crib, “crying, coughing and screaming.”

“The smoke filled his lungs as his little life slipped away,” said the grandfather.