Still more background on custodial dad who killed 9-year-old son in 2007; mom now suing (Saginaw, Michigan)

There's a fair number of background stories on custodial dad OLIVER BRAMAN, who killed his 9-year-old son in 2007. The case has recently made the news again as the boy's non-custodial mother is now suing the state of Michigan. This is one of the more informative articles I've seen on how Daddy Dearest got custody. Of course, Daddy had a history of abuse while he was married to the mother. And when she finally divorced him, Daddy did what many abusers choose to do: go after custody of the kids for revenge (i.e. basically to control/further abuse the mother). Of course, what happened is that the kids were then subject to his abuse, with CPS refusing to help them until it was too late. See additional posts below.

http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/local&id=5713230

Montcalm County murder-suicide has local connection
Thursday, October 18, 2007
By Bisi Onile-Ere

SAGINAW (WJRT) (WJRT) -- (10/17/07)--A murder-suicide involving a father, step-mother and 9-year-old boy has a Mid-Michigan connection.

Wednesday night a Saginaw mother was searching for answers after her son was killed by his father. She says there were warning signs, but no one chose to take action.

The bodies were discovered Tuesday at a home in Douglass Township in Montcalm County. All three died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Becki Jasinski says when she ended her marriage to Oliver Braman back in 2000, it was the end of years of both physical and mental abuse. But what was once her burden was eventually inflicted on her kids.

After years of court custody battles, Jasinski was forced to hand her three sons over to ex-husband Braman back in 2005.

"They had decided that the best way to save Nick was to get out themselves," she said.

Two of the boys, ages 14 and 15, ran away and into their mother's arms this past August after claims of child abuse by their father.

Jasinski hadn't seen them in more than two years.

"I got them the hell out of Dodge and brought them back to Saginaw County," she said.

But they never got a chance to go back for the youngest, 9-year-old Nicholas Braman. Braman recently pleaded guilty to abusing both teenage sons with an electrical cattle prod and was facing jail time.

All the while, Nicholas Braman was still in his custody.

"I needed to get Nick out of there and no else was doing it," Jasinski said, adding that she was in Stanton this past Friday, voicing her concerns to the Department of Human Services.

A day later, Nicholas Braman was killed. Authorities say Braman filled his Douglass Township house with carbon monoxide.

Nicholas Braman, his father and step-mother were found dead on a mattress in a bedroom.

"He was 9 years old," Jasinski said.

Jasinski says her unanswered pleas to Child Protective Services and the Friend of the Court cost her son his life, and she's not the only one looking for answers.

"We are dependent on DHS to say there's substantial harm to the child's health or well-being. They wouldn't make that call," said Montcalm County Prosecutor Andrea Kraus.

"I want to know why," Jasinski said. "Why?"

Jasinski said she never filed a police report against her husband when they were married. She wishes she would have. She says then maybe things would be different.

In the meantime, state officials in Lansing are reviewing this case.