Dad now charged with murder in beating death of 5-year-old son; did he have custody of 1-year-old son? (Orange County, Florida)

This is an update on the post directly below this one. Dad DARRELL AVANT JR. has finally been charged with murder, not just "child abuse."

But there is something a little weird here. And you have to get all the way to the end of the article to find it.

Apparently there was a 1-year-old boy in this household in addition to the 5-year-old boy. And the mother of the 5-year-old is NOT the same mother as the mother of the 1-year old.

So why was the 1-year-old boy here?

Absolutely astonishing that nobody asks that question.

So what was the deal? DID KILLER DAD HAVE CUSTODY?

If not, then why is it necessary for the baby's own mother, the woman who gave birth to him, to apply for temporary custody?

And if she is fit to have custody now, then why didn't she have full custodial rights before?

And who the hell thought it was a good idea to award ANY VISITATION OR CUSTODIAL RIGHTS WHATSOEVER to a father with an extensive history of drug abuse, assault, and violence? Was child protective services involved in this fiasco? The courts?

There is A LOT here that is not being said.

Yet another case to cite when some whiny dude starts complaining about how "feminazis" have taken control over the family courts. You can tell him "Au contraire, my dear. In fact, the system coddles dads, even those with violent criminal records. And as a result, kids are dying. Take this case in Orange County, for example...."

http://www.wesh.com/news/central-florida/orange-county/father-charged-with-child-abuse-after-son-found-dead/-/12978032/23569792/-/v75opy/-/index.html

Deputies: Dad charged with murder in 5-year-old son's beating death
Darrell Avant arrested Thursday morning

UPDATED 3:04 PM EST Dec 20, 2013

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. —Charges against the father of a 5-year-old boy have been upgraded to first-degree murder after the boy was found dead in his home, deputies said.

Darrell Avant Jr. had internal injuries and multiple contusions and bruises on his body when he was found unresponsive on the floor of Darrell Avant's apartment Wednesday evening, according to deputies.

Deputies say Avant beat his son to death sometime between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday and didn't call 911 in enough time to save him.

"We believe (the beating) occurred for a long period of time," said Orange County Detective Kevin Wilson.

Wilson said they spoke to neighbors who heard a disturbance.

"There was lot of activity in that house as far as him beating his son," said Wilson.

In an interview with deputies, Avant, 26, said he picked his son up from school at 11 a.m. because he was acting up. He said he brought his son to his Burroughs Court home and hit him on the buttocks a couple of times. He said he then ordered him to do pushups and squats for 20 minutes.

After the boy took a shower, Avant said he collapsed.

Deputies said Avant searched the internet for terms like "seizure" and "eyes rolled back in the head" after his son collapsed and then he called a neighbor before calling 911.

Avant was originally only charged with child abuse, but the charges were updated on Friday afternoon after the medical examiner determined the cause of death.

A shelter hearing was held on Friday morning for Avant's 1-year-old son. A judge awarded temporary custody to the boy's mother, Kineisha Felix, and told Avant he is to have no contact with the child. Felix is not the mother of the 5-year-old.

Since 2003, Avant has been charged more than 25 times in Orange County. Many charges were for traffic violations, while others were for battery, drug possession, domestic violence and theft.