Custodial dad, girlfriend severely beat 2-year-old son; boy's entire body bruised (Marion, North Carolina)

Another near textbook example for hiding the abusive father's custodial status.

The reporter mentions that the woman is the girlfriend, and the man is the father. Those of us who are in tune to these things immediately recognize that this a custody/visitation--though the general public may not. If the girlfriend was in fact the mother, she would have been identified as such. But she wasn't.

Then we find that these two have been beating this poor toddler for at least a month. This is clearly not 50/50 joint custody then, as the mother either would have complained or would have been arrested for failure to protect. Neither of these scenarios are reported. Therefore she clearly has been shoved out of the picture somehow, and dad RANDY LYNN STILWELL JR. is custodial.

Given how brutally he treated this little boy, it is very likely that the mother received similar treatment and that he has a history of violence.

So who gave this violent father custody and why? What happened to Mom?

http://www.wyff4.com/news/father-livein-girlfriend-repeatedly-beat-1yearold-detective-says/32483626

Father, live-in girlfriend repeatedly beat 2-year-old, detective says

UPDATED 11:30 AM EDT Apr 21, 2015

Samantha Lee Brasecker, 22, and Randy Lynn Stilwell Jr., 30: accused of beating 2-year-old, according to deputies

MCDOWELL COUNTY, N.C. —A father and his live-in girlfriend are accused of abusing a 2-year-old, according to Detective Billie Brown of the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office.

Samantha Lee Brasecker, 22, and Randy Lynn Stilwell Jr., 30, both of Geneva Drive in Marion, are charged with felony intentional child abuse inflicting serious injury, according to Brown.

Brown said Stilwell is the father of the 2-year-old victim, and Brasecker is Stilwell’s live-in girlfriend.

Investigators received information from the McDowell County Department of Social Services that the boy was bruised over his entire body, including his face, ears, abdomen, back, arms and legs.

Brown said further investigation showed that both suspects had repeatedly beaten the child for at least a month.

The victim and a 1-month-old boy have been removed from the home.