Two dads accused of child abuse; one faces murder charge (Pontiac, Michigan)

Two dastardly dads for the price of one. We have DEVONYA HULL, who is charged with homicide in the death of his 4-year-old son. There is also UNNAMED DAD, who is accused of whipping a 3-year-old child with a belt.

http://www.dailytribune.com/articles/2011/04/27/news/doc4db8521308369599690372.txt?viewmode=fullstory

Two fathers accused of child abuse; one faces murder chargePublished: Wednesday, April 27, 2011

By Shaun Byron
For The Daily Tribune

PONTIAC —Two fathers are being held on allegations of child abuse, with one facing a murder charge.

Devonya Hull, a 22-year-old from Pontiac, is being held in the Oakland County Jail after being arraigned on child abuse and homicide April 23.

His bond was denied and he is also facing two unrelated drug charges. No defense attorney had been appointed to the case as of Tuesday.

Emergency crews were dispatched about 9:20 p.m. April 20 to a home in the 200 block of west South Boulevard for a report of an unconscious 4-year-old boy, Sgt. Steve Troy said.

The boy, Demarroa Burkett, was declared dead about 20 minutes later, although there is medical evidence to support he may have been dead for a while, Detective Jeff Buchmann said.

The Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy on the child.

The manner of death was ruled a homicide after the procedure found evidence of blunt force trauma to the abdominal area, said an investigator with the medical examiner’s office.

“Through the investigation, they reinterviewed the parents, they ended up getting a warrant on the dad,” Troy said.

Demarroa had been disciplined prior to being unconscious, he said, adding two other unsettling matters involving children are following the case.

Another Pontiac father has been arrested and a third is being investigated for unrelated child abuse allegations almost a week after Demarroa’s death.
A second father was arrested and confessed to an unrelated child abuse case where he whipped his child with a belt, Troy said.

Pontiac police were searching for the 29-year-old man after the grandmother of his 3-year-old daughter reported Monday the evidence of abuse.

The daughter has been released from the hospital after being treated for extensive bruising.

No information is being released on the third incident.