Dad charged with killing 6-year-old daughter tried to "intimidate" surviving child and keep him from taking; is this a custodial father? (Syracuse, New York)

We've posted on this case before. At that time we speculated that GLENN COLLINS was a custodial father since he was out at casino with his girlfriend while the kids were home alone under unsafe conditions. We finally see mention of a mother, but no other information. How did a guy with a prior drug felony conviction and guns get any custodial rights at all? Oh right, this is upstate New York, which has a very strong fathers rights lobby.

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/10/father_charged_in_carbon_monoxide_poisoning_death_intimidated_tried_to_silence_s.html

Father 'intimidated,' tried to silence surviving child of carbon monoxide poisoning, indictment says

By Julie McMahon on October 23, 2014 at 5:48 PM, updated October 23, 2014 at 6:19 PM

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Glenn Collins, the Salina father charged with manslaughter in the carbon monoxide poisoning death of his 6-year-old daughter, intimidated and attempted to silence his surviving son, court papers say.

In an indictment filed earlier this month, District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said that Collins repeatedly attempted to intimate Jaidon Collins, now 15, while he was being treated for carbon monoxide poisoning at Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital.

Collins also tried to stop Jaidon from talking about the events of Aug. 29, the day Collins left Jaidon and his sister Gabriella alone at his house with a generator running in the basement, the papers said.

In a news conference earlier this month, Fitzpatrick said that Jaidon contacted his father as Collins traveled to Turning Stone casino with a woman. Jaidon told him he felt sick and Gabriella was crying, but Collins did not return until around 6:30 a.m., Fitzpatrick said.

Onondaga County district attorney William Fitzpatrick makes announcement at a press conference that Glenn Collins, the father of a 6-year-old girl who was killed by carbon monoxide poisoning in late August, has been charged with second-degree manslaughter, a felony.

Reached by a Syracuse.com reporter, Jaidon's mother Elizabeth Stafford declined to comment on what happened while her son was in the hospital. Stafford has said that Jaidon is making a slow recovery and the two of them are not yet ready to talk publicly about the incident.

Collins was charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, in addition to the other charges previously discussed by Fitzpatrick.

Collins, 37, was released on bond Monday. His bail was set at $100,000 despite objections from the district attorney's office that he be allowed to leave the Onondaga County Justice Center.

Collins could not be reached at his parents' house for comment. He did not respond to requests for an interview left at the house.

Court papers also revealed that Collins was $2,000 behind on his National Grid bill before the utility company shut off his power, apparently leading him to place a generator in the basement of the house, the indictment said.

Second-degree manslaughter, a felony: Collins is accused of recklessly ignoring the warning label on a gas-powered generator, causing his house to fill with gas and kill 6-year-old Gabriella.

Theft of services, a felony, and second-degree criminal impersonation, a misdemeanor: Collins allegedly owed $2,000 to National Grid, which led the company, after 16 notices over several months and repeated payment plan offers, to cut power at the home.

Two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor: Collins' conduct toward his son, in addition to his actions regarding the generator, led to two endangerment charges, the indictment states. According to the papers, Collins ignored a warning label which stated the generator was not electrically equipped to be used indoors, in addition to its fumes being a hazard. Investigators found that Collins also endangered his children because he did not have functioning smoke or carbon monoxide detectors in the home, the papers said.

Fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, misdemeanor: Collins was found to have a rifle the day police responded to the carbon monoxide poisoning, according to the indictment. Because of a prior drug felony conviction, Collins was not permitted to have a gun.

Second-degree aggravated harassment, violation: Finally, Collins is accused of threatening on Sept. 9 a friend of Gabriella's mother through a Facebook message, according to the indictment and statements from DA Fitzpatrick.