See link below for full story. Father JAMES MCINVALE JR. essentially abducted the baby from the mother in Michigan and took him to Alabama. Now Daddy is on trial for severely abusing the baby, who has been left with severe disabilities. Daddy blames his own Daddy. While they squabble, the mother is left to grieve over a baby who is severely brain damaged, with up to 200 seizures a day.
http://www.alexcityoutlook.com/2016/06/14/trial-for-father-accused-of-abusing-his-4-month-old-son-begins/
Showing posts with label blindness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blindness. Show all posts
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Dad convicted of abusing infant son, leaving him blind, brain damaged: was "not suppposed to be" with son as "part of child custody agreement (Princeton, New Jersey)
Absolutely no explanation here as to how this abusive father managed to get access. Did he assault the mother? Threaten her? Abduct the child? Why was he not supposed to be with his son before? Previous history of child abuse, domestic violence? If so, why was the mother left to enforce this on her own? Why wasn't he locked up? Lots of unanswered questions here.
Dad is identified as BILLY ALLEN WHITE.
http://www.bdtonline.com/news/man-convicted-of-shaking-infant-son-leaving-him-blind-and/article_de191d68-ea60-11e5-9501-df969267815d.html
Man convicted of shaking infant son, leaving him blind and brain damaged, receives maximum sentence allowable
By GREG JORDAN Bluefield Daily Telegraph 7 hrs ago
Billy Allen White, 28, of Princeton waits for his sentencing hearing to begin before judge William Sadler in Princeton Monday afternoon.
PRINCETON — A father convicted of shaking his infant son and leaving him both blind and brain damaged received the maximum penalty allowable by law Monday in Mercer County Circuit Court.
Circuit Court Judge William Sadler proceeded to sentence Billy Allen White, 28, of Princeton after denying a motion for a new trial.
White was convicted in January on one charge of child abuse leading to serious injury. A jury found him not guilty on a second charge of child abuse. His son, Corey White, then 5 months old, was left with brain damage and retina scarring after being severely shaken. White testified at his trial that he panicked when his son stopped breathing in May 2014 and did not realize how hard he had shaken him. However, Dr. Joan Phillips, a physician specializing in child abuse and neglect cases, testified at White’s trial that the infant’s injuries were consistent with child abuse. She compared the sheer force needed to inflict his injuries with the force hitting the victim of a rollover car crash.
Sadler said White was not supposed to be with his son as part of a child custody agreement, and that the court found his excuse “ludicrous.”
“This is a child who has been sentenced to a life of suffering and debilitating injury,” Sadler said. “I can’t sentence him to a life of suffering like he sentenced this child.”
White was sentenced to a term of two to 10 years in prison, and Sadler stated he would recommend to the parole board that White serve as much time as possible. Sadler said under the law, he had to grant White 419 days credit for the time served in jail since his arrest.
Sadler also imposed a $1,000 fine, and granted a judgment against White for the medical expenses the state has incurred while treating Corey White. Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney George Sitler said he did not know the amount of money spent on treatment, but added the sum could be more than $1 million. White also must be registered as a child abuser for the remainder of his life.
Corey’s adoptive father, Woodrow Cecil Jr. gave the court an emotional statement before Sadler pronounced sentence.
“I’ll never understand how you could hurt this baby,” Cecil told White, going on to say how Corey still could not see, and could not walk, speak, or do anything of the things a 2-year-old child normally does.
“It’s never going to be enough, of course,” Cecil said after sentencing. “I wish he didn’t get time served.” Cecil added he understood Sadler was required by law to give White this credit, and that he planned to attend White’s parole hearings.
White was sent back to the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver pending his transfer to the state Department of Corrections.
Dad is identified as BILLY ALLEN WHITE.
http://www.bdtonline.com/news/man-convicted-of-shaking-infant-son-leaving-him-blind-and/article_de191d68-ea60-11e5-9501-df969267815d.html
Man convicted of shaking infant son, leaving him blind and brain damaged, receives maximum sentence allowable
By GREG JORDAN Bluefield Daily Telegraph 7 hrs ago
Billy Allen White, 28, of Princeton waits for his sentencing hearing to begin before judge William Sadler in Princeton Monday afternoon.
PRINCETON — A father convicted of shaking his infant son and leaving him both blind and brain damaged received the maximum penalty allowable by law Monday in Mercer County Circuit Court.
Circuit Court Judge William Sadler proceeded to sentence Billy Allen White, 28, of Princeton after denying a motion for a new trial.
White was convicted in January on one charge of child abuse leading to serious injury. A jury found him not guilty on a second charge of child abuse. His son, Corey White, then 5 months old, was left with brain damage and retina scarring after being severely shaken. White testified at his trial that he panicked when his son stopped breathing in May 2014 and did not realize how hard he had shaken him. However, Dr. Joan Phillips, a physician specializing in child abuse and neglect cases, testified at White’s trial that the infant’s injuries were consistent with child abuse. She compared the sheer force needed to inflict his injuries with the force hitting the victim of a rollover car crash.
Sadler said White was not supposed to be with his son as part of a child custody agreement, and that the court found his excuse “ludicrous.”
“This is a child who has been sentenced to a life of suffering and debilitating injury,” Sadler said. “I can’t sentence him to a life of suffering like he sentenced this child.”
White was sentenced to a term of two to 10 years in prison, and Sadler stated he would recommend to the parole board that White serve as much time as possible. Sadler said under the law, he had to grant White 419 days credit for the time served in jail since his arrest.
Sadler also imposed a $1,000 fine, and granted a judgment against White for the medical expenses the state has incurred while treating Corey White. Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney George Sitler said he did not know the amount of money spent on treatment, but added the sum could be more than $1 million. White also must be registered as a child abuser for the remainder of his life.
Corey’s adoptive father, Woodrow Cecil Jr. gave the court an emotional statement before Sadler pronounced sentence.
“I’ll never understand how you could hurt this baby,” Cecil told White, going on to say how Corey still could not see, and could not walk, speak, or do anything of the things a 2-year-old child normally does.
“It’s never going to be enough, of course,” Cecil said after sentencing. “I wish he didn’t get time served.” Cecil added he understood Sadler was required by law to give White this credit, and that he planned to attend White’s parole hearings.
White was sent back to the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver pending his transfer to the state Department of Corrections.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Dad to go on trial for blinding 4-month-old daughter (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
Dad is identified as CORNELIUS SHANKLIN.
http://www.newson6.com/story/29887864/oklahoma-father-accused-of-shaking-baby-to-blindness-will-stand-trial
Oklahoma Father Accused Of Shaking Baby To Blindness Will Stand Trial
Posted: Aug 26, 2015 6:54 PM EST Updated: Aug 26, 2015 7:53 PM EST
Lori Fullbright, News On 6
TULSA, Oklahoma - A Tulsa man must stand trial for child abuse after prosecutors say he shook his 4-month-old daughter so hard, she’s now blind.
A detective and a doctor testified against Cornelius Shanklin on Wednesday, and the judge ruled there's enough evidence for him to go to trial.
About a dozen members of the baby’s family showed up to support the case in court and they all wore matching T-shirts that say “Justice for MaAliyah."
MaAliyah's family members filled two rows inside the courtroom as they listened to the testimony of a child crisis detective and a pediatrician who specializes in abuse cases.
MaAliyah's mother, Mandy, waited outside the courtroom doors, ready to testify if needed against her husband.
The detective says Shanklin told police he was watching his daughter and toddler son the night MaAliyah was injured, and he could tell she had a skull fracture and didn't look right and wouldn't stop crying.
He told police he was upstairs and thought maybe she rolled off her pillow and hit her head or their son did something to her.
A pediatrician says MaAliyah did have a skull fracture in the back of her head, bleeding in her brain and both her retinas were detached.
She testified someone would have to violently shake a baby and hit her head on something to cause those injuries.
She testified a toddler isn't strong enough or coordinated enough to shake a baby that hard, and even if a toddler dropped the baby, it would only cause bruising, not those injuries.
She also testified the baby could not at that age roll over or crawl, so couldn't cause the injuries herself.
She told the judge MaAliyah likely will be blind the rest of her life.
"She's innocent,” the pediatrician said. “She couldn't protect herself."
As it turned out, MaAliyah's mother was not called to testify, and she was relieved to learn the judge ordered her husband to stand trial.
In addition to the child abuse charge, a charge of child neglect also was added.
Prosecutors argued Shanklin did not get medical help for MaAliyah in a timely manner.
http://www.newson6.com/story/29887864/oklahoma-father-accused-of-shaking-baby-to-blindness-will-stand-trial
Oklahoma Father Accused Of Shaking Baby To Blindness Will Stand Trial
Posted: Aug 26, 2015 6:54 PM EST Updated: Aug 26, 2015 7:53 PM EST
Lori Fullbright, News On 6
TULSA, Oklahoma - A Tulsa man must stand trial for child abuse after prosecutors say he shook his 4-month-old daughter so hard, she’s now blind.
A detective and a doctor testified against Cornelius Shanklin on Wednesday, and the judge ruled there's enough evidence for him to go to trial.
About a dozen members of the baby’s family showed up to support the case in court and they all wore matching T-shirts that say “Justice for MaAliyah."
MaAliyah's family members filled two rows inside the courtroom as they listened to the testimony of a child crisis detective and a pediatrician who specializes in abuse cases.
MaAliyah's mother, Mandy, waited outside the courtroom doors, ready to testify if needed against her husband.
The detective says Shanklin told police he was watching his daughter and toddler son the night MaAliyah was injured, and he could tell she had a skull fracture and didn't look right and wouldn't stop crying.
He told police he was upstairs and thought maybe she rolled off her pillow and hit her head or their son did something to her.
A pediatrician says MaAliyah did have a skull fracture in the back of her head, bleeding in her brain and both her retinas were detached.
She testified someone would have to violently shake a baby and hit her head on something to cause those injuries.
She testified a toddler isn't strong enough or coordinated enough to shake a baby that hard, and even if a toddler dropped the baby, it would only cause bruising, not those injuries.
She also testified the baby could not at that age roll over or crawl, so couldn't cause the injuries herself.
She told the judge MaAliyah likely will be blind the rest of her life.
"She's innocent,” the pediatrician said. “She couldn't protect herself."
As it turned out, MaAliyah's mother was not called to testify, and she was relieved to learn the judge ordered her husband to stand trial.
In addition to the child abuse charge, a charge of child neglect also was added.
Prosecutors argued Shanklin did not get medical help for MaAliyah in a timely manner.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Dad found guilty of assaulting 3-month-old baby; boy, now 3-years old, has permanent disabilities (Danvers, Massachusetts)
Dad is identified as DANIEL GREEN.
http://www.salemnews.com/news/local_news/father-guilty-in-shaken-baby-case/article_da0ee491-b354-5ea4-bb3f-70ad18c52d8a.html
Father guilty in shaken baby case
Danvers: Former resident guilty of assault, battery on a child with substantial injury
Posted: Monday, August 24, 2015 9:55 pm
BY JULIE MANGANIS STAFF WRITER
A former Danvers resident is facing up to 15 years in state prison, after a judge on Monday found him guilty of causing life-altering injuries to his then-3-month-old son.
The verdict against Daniel Green, 30, was delivered by Lawrence Superior Court Judge Mary Ames following four days of deliberation. He will be sentenced next month.
“This has been a very difficult matter, to say the least,” said Ames as she prepared to read her verdict.
Ames found Green guilty of assault and battery on a child causing substantial bodily injury, but not guilty of permitting an assault and battery on the child.
Green and his lawyer, Joseph Collins, had waived a jury in the case, which was based in large part on complex medical evidence.
The incident, on Nov. 27, 2012, left the baby with a 60 percent loss of vision and developmental delays.
Doctors at Boston Children’s Hospital found that the child, who they believe had either been thrown down or shaken violently, suffered bleeding on the brain and on both retinas, as well as bruising under his armpits and on his spleen, and a laceration to his thigh.
The child, now 3, has spent much of his life since then with a foster mother who is a retired head injury nurse.
She described how the boy is beginning to recognize his limitations compared to other children and how he struggles with that knowledge, as well as other symptoms of a traumatic brain injury.
His vision is so poor, the foster mother testified, that he was unable to see the animals, only nearby trees, during a trip to the zoo. He will begin receiving services this fall from the Perkins School for the Blind.
http://www.salemnews.com/news/local_news/father-guilty-in-shaken-baby-case/article_da0ee491-b354-5ea4-bb3f-70ad18c52d8a.html
Father guilty in shaken baby case
Danvers: Former resident guilty of assault, battery on a child with substantial injury
Posted: Monday, August 24, 2015 9:55 pm
BY JULIE MANGANIS STAFF WRITER
A former Danvers resident is facing up to 15 years in state prison, after a judge on Monday found him guilty of causing life-altering injuries to his then-3-month-old son.
The verdict against Daniel Green, 30, was delivered by Lawrence Superior Court Judge Mary Ames following four days of deliberation. He will be sentenced next month.
“This has been a very difficult matter, to say the least,” said Ames as she prepared to read her verdict.
Ames found Green guilty of assault and battery on a child causing substantial bodily injury, but not guilty of permitting an assault and battery on the child.
Green and his lawyer, Joseph Collins, had waived a jury in the case, which was based in large part on complex medical evidence.
The incident, on Nov. 27, 2012, left the baby with a 60 percent loss of vision and developmental delays.
Doctors at Boston Children’s Hospital found that the child, who they believe had either been thrown down or shaken violently, suffered bleeding on the brain and on both retinas, as well as bruising under his armpits and on his spleen, and a laceration to his thigh.
The child, now 3, has spent much of his life since then with a foster mother who is a retired head injury nurse.
She described how the boy is beginning to recognize his limitations compared to other children and how he struggles with that knowledge, as well as other symptoms of a traumatic brain injury.
His vision is so poor, the foster mother testified, that he was unable to see the animals, only nearby trees, during a trip to the zoo. He will begin receiving services this fall from the Perkins School for the Blind.
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Dad abuses 4-month-old baby during visitation; pleads guilty to felony child neglect (Barboursville, West Virginia)
Notice that all this took place at the "father's residence," meaning that this was a custody/visitation situation.
Babies do not need contact with non-committed fathers. They don't benefit from this kind of contact in any way, shape, or form. They need consistent loving care with their mothers. Only a dogmatic fathers rights position would say otherwise. And too often we see the results.
Dad is identified as SHAWN GRAVES.
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/x45925280/Toddler-improves-ahead-of-fathers-final-punishment
Toddler improves ahead of father's final punishment
Aug. 18, 2015 @ 12:01 AM
By CURTIS JOHNSON
BARBOURSVILLE - DaMarcus Graves could soon be a walking miracle, a little more than a year after his limp body became the focal point of a case involving shaken-baby syndrome.
Medical experts had advised the family that the infant, then 4 1/2 months, may remain deaf and blind and never develop an ability to swallow or make voluntary movement.
"He has surpassed all of that," said Graves' mother, Shay Harper. "When he was first in the hospital we were excited that he moved his toe, and he's doing so much more now."
Mother and son take another step this week. They will appear before Cabell Circuit Judge Paul T. Farrell, where Harper will urge the judge to stick with prison time for the child's father, Shawn Anthony Graves.
The local rap artist, also known as Sg Tha Yunggin, entered a Kennedy plea in June to felony child neglect. Farrell immediately ordered the maximum, 1- to 5-year prison sentence, but will hear a defense argument for leniency Wednesday.
The Kennedy plea allowed for the conviction without Shawn Graves admitting or explaining his role in the crime.
Initial court filings state Shawn Graves, 22, of Huntington, told police early on that he shook his son back and forth without supporting his head. The incident occurred June 21, 2014, at the father's residence in the 1800 block of 12th Avenue, where Harper dropped off the child for supervision.
Emergency crews described the infant's body as limp and lifeless. Medical tests revealed a brain bleed, according to the initial filings.
DaMarcus Graves, now 18 months, lives with limited vision, dramatically improved hearing and swallows about an ounce or two of baby food each day, Harper said. He also can lift his head for longer periods of time, which is considered an accomplishment given his injuries and the placement of a shunt.
Within the past two months, DaMarcus Graves developed the ability to stand with the aid of equipment. Harper said that progress convinces herself and nurses he could be ready for a walker very soon.
"I'm just astounded," she said. "I bought him a Cookie Monster doll. I watched him focus on that doll and he loves the sound of (the doll's) voice. He has started reaching for the doll, and he wasn't reaching before."
Shawn Graves defended himself within hours of the incident in a series of tweets, including one which said, "Facing 2 to 10 years for something I didn't do. Smh."
Defense attorney Dennis Kelley acknowledged the plea agreement, but said Friday their side takes exception with the prosecution's idea of intent and causation. The defense believes something beyond his client's actions caused the child's injuries, including the potential of a pre-existing condition.
"I was always concerned about the timeline," he said. "My client had the child for a short period of time. Obviously the risk set forth with going to trial versus the offer was what my client wanted to do."
Kelley plans to argue for alternative sentencing Wednesday. Possibilities include probation, although he estimates credit for more than a year already behind bars could make his client eligible for parole within six months.
Harper, somewhat frustrated that Shawn Graves was allowed to plead no contest to a less serious offense, said she will urge Farrell to show no leniency.
"Not only for my child and myself," she said in opposing leniency. "That shows the community, the public, these people who harm children can just go back out in the street. That is a danger.
"... I am his voice, that is no justice for him. Nobody knows how he feels, and that is a very short sentence because Shawn Graves feels nothing compared to what my son feels," Harper added.
An April 2015 superseding indictment charged Shawn Graves with felony child abuse. The no contest plea to child neglect, a lesser included offense, resolved the case and reduced the maximum punishment from a 2- to 10-year prison sentence to a 1- to 5-year stint.
Harper recalled accepting the plea agreement with some resistance, after a prosecutor advised she needed to in light of Shawn Graves' willingness to take the lesser conviction.
Babies do not need contact with non-committed fathers. They don't benefit from this kind of contact in any way, shape, or form. They need consistent loving care with their mothers. Only a dogmatic fathers rights position would say otherwise. And too often we see the results.
Dad is identified as SHAWN GRAVES.
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/x45925280/Toddler-improves-ahead-of-fathers-final-punishment
Toddler improves ahead of father's final punishment
Aug. 18, 2015 @ 12:01 AM
By CURTIS JOHNSON
BARBOURSVILLE - DaMarcus Graves could soon be a walking miracle, a little more than a year after his limp body became the focal point of a case involving shaken-baby syndrome.
Medical experts had advised the family that the infant, then 4 1/2 months, may remain deaf and blind and never develop an ability to swallow or make voluntary movement.
"He has surpassed all of that," said Graves' mother, Shay Harper. "When he was first in the hospital we were excited that he moved his toe, and he's doing so much more now."
Mother and son take another step this week. They will appear before Cabell Circuit Judge Paul T. Farrell, where Harper will urge the judge to stick with prison time for the child's father, Shawn Anthony Graves.
The local rap artist, also known as Sg Tha Yunggin, entered a Kennedy plea in June to felony child neglect. Farrell immediately ordered the maximum, 1- to 5-year prison sentence, but will hear a defense argument for leniency Wednesday.
The Kennedy plea allowed for the conviction without Shawn Graves admitting or explaining his role in the crime.
Initial court filings state Shawn Graves, 22, of Huntington, told police early on that he shook his son back and forth without supporting his head. The incident occurred June 21, 2014, at the father's residence in the 1800 block of 12th Avenue, where Harper dropped off the child for supervision.
Emergency crews described the infant's body as limp and lifeless. Medical tests revealed a brain bleed, according to the initial filings.
DaMarcus Graves, now 18 months, lives with limited vision, dramatically improved hearing and swallows about an ounce or two of baby food each day, Harper said. He also can lift his head for longer periods of time, which is considered an accomplishment given his injuries and the placement of a shunt.
Within the past two months, DaMarcus Graves developed the ability to stand with the aid of equipment. Harper said that progress convinces herself and nurses he could be ready for a walker very soon.
"I'm just astounded," she said. "I bought him a Cookie Monster doll. I watched him focus on that doll and he loves the sound of (the doll's) voice. He has started reaching for the doll, and he wasn't reaching before."
Shawn Graves defended himself within hours of the incident in a series of tweets, including one which said, "Facing 2 to 10 years for something I didn't do. Smh."
Defense attorney Dennis Kelley acknowledged the plea agreement, but said Friday their side takes exception with the prosecution's idea of intent and causation. The defense believes something beyond his client's actions caused the child's injuries, including the potential of a pre-existing condition.
"I was always concerned about the timeline," he said. "My client had the child for a short period of time. Obviously the risk set forth with going to trial versus the offer was what my client wanted to do."
Kelley plans to argue for alternative sentencing Wednesday. Possibilities include probation, although he estimates credit for more than a year already behind bars could make his client eligible for parole within six months.
Harper, somewhat frustrated that Shawn Graves was allowed to plead no contest to a less serious offense, said she will urge Farrell to show no leniency.
"Not only for my child and myself," she said in opposing leniency. "That shows the community, the public, these people who harm children can just go back out in the street. That is a danger.
"... I am his voice, that is no justice for him. Nobody knows how he feels, and that is a very short sentence because Shawn Graves feels nothing compared to what my son feels," Harper added.
An April 2015 superseding indictment charged Shawn Graves with felony child abuse. The no contest plea to child neglect, a lesser included offense, resolved the case and reduced the maximum punishment from a 2- to 10-year prison sentence to a 1- to 5-year stint.
Harper recalled accepting the plea agreement with some resistance, after a prosecutor advised she needed to in light of Shawn Graves' willingness to take the lesser conviction.
Sunday, August 16, 2015
"Home alone" dad charged with abusing 2-month-old son; baby may have permanent injuries (White Lake, Minnesota)
Yeah, like he can totally explain. He was home alone and all this stuff just, um, happened...
Dad is identified as ANTHONY MICHAEL LONGVILLE.
http://www.presspubs.com/white_bear/news/article_bd91e264-4083-11e5-ab6c-07fcc2292f04.html
Father charged with abusing baby
Posted: Tuesday, August 11, 2015 6:50 pm
A White Bear Township man is accused of abusing his infant son, possibly causing permanent harm.
Anthony Michael Longville, 29, was charged Aug. 7 with malicious punishment of a child. When he was 2-months-old, Longville's now 9-month-old son sustained multiple injuries allegedly caused by shaking or blunt force trauma.
According to the criminal complaint, the baby was taken to a hospital by ambulance because he was having difficulty breathing on Jan. 21. Longville was home alone with the baby and said he had left his son briefly unattended and returned to find him gasping for breath. The baby had no prior heath issues, Longville and his wife told an investigator.
Children's Hospital medical professionals found that the baby had bruising of his brain, bleeding and tearing in his eyes, scratches on his torso and multiple broken ribs in different stages of healing. Multiple medical professionals suspected the child was abused, according to the complaint. The brain injuries might have caused permanent brain damage and the eye injuries might have caused permanent vision impairment, the complaint states.
Longville's attorney provided a statement from a physician claiming that the baby's injuries might not have been the result of abuse. Dr. Steven Gabaeff reported the brain bleeding could have occurred before or shortly after the baby was born, that the difficulty breathing might have been caused by the vaccinations the baby received two days earlier and the broken ribs could have been caused by rickets.
Physicians at Children's Hospital's refuted Gabaeff's claims as improbable due to multiple reasons, according to the complaint. Dr. Alice Swenson “found that explanation to be unreasonable in light of the total constellation of injuries to this child, which are consistent with inflicted trauma and child abuse,” the complaint states.
Longville was booked and released on his own recognizance. His first court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 28.
Dad is identified as ANTHONY MICHAEL LONGVILLE.
http://www.presspubs.com/white_bear/news/article_bd91e264-4083-11e5-ab6c-07fcc2292f04.html
Father charged with abusing baby
Posted: Tuesday, August 11, 2015 6:50 pm
A White Bear Township man is accused of abusing his infant son, possibly causing permanent harm.
Anthony Michael Longville, 29, was charged Aug. 7 with malicious punishment of a child. When he was 2-months-old, Longville's now 9-month-old son sustained multiple injuries allegedly caused by shaking or blunt force trauma.
According to the criminal complaint, the baby was taken to a hospital by ambulance because he was having difficulty breathing on Jan. 21. Longville was home alone with the baby and said he had left his son briefly unattended and returned to find him gasping for breath. The baby had no prior heath issues, Longville and his wife told an investigator.
Children's Hospital medical professionals found that the baby had bruising of his brain, bleeding and tearing in his eyes, scratches on his torso and multiple broken ribs in different stages of healing. Multiple medical professionals suspected the child was abused, according to the complaint. The brain injuries might have caused permanent brain damage and the eye injuries might have caused permanent vision impairment, the complaint states.
Longville's attorney provided a statement from a physician claiming that the baby's injuries might not have been the result of abuse. Dr. Steven Gabaeff reported the brain bleeding could have occurred before or shortly after the baby was born, that the difficulty breathing might have been caused by the vaccinations the baby received two days earlier and the broken ribs could have been caused by rickets.
Physicians at Children's Hospital's refuted Gabaeff's claims as improbable due to multiple reasons, according to the complaint. Dr. Alice Swenson “found that explanation to be unreasonable in light of the total constellation of injuries to this child, which are consistent with inflicted trauma and child abuse,” the complaint states.
Longville was booked and released on his own recognizance. His first court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 28.
Dad pleads guilty to aggravated abuse of infant; little boy, now 4, left blind (Memphis, Tennessee)
How did dad managed to shake this baby "nearly every day" without detection? Appears that either dad was either a deadbeat "caretaker" while mom worked, or this was a custody/visitation situation.
At any rate, once again we have a "frustrated" dad with no nurturing abilities who couldn't cope with normal infantile crying. Not just once (the "snap" scenario), but multiple times.
Dad is identified as STEVEN GRAYSON.
http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/story/29782700/father-pleads-guilty-to-aggravated-child-abuse
Father pleads guilty to aggravated child abuse
Posted: Aug 13, 2015 5:00 PM EDT Updated: Aug 13, 2015 5:00 PM EDT
The father of a four-year-old boy who is blind was sentenced to 13.5 years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated child abuse.
41-year-old Steven Grayson entered the guilty plea after testifying that he routinely shook the boy as an infant in an effort to stop him from crying.
The child was taken to the hospital in December of 2010 with “shaken baby syndrome.”
He is now blind as a result of suffering bilateral retinal hemorrhages and bilateral subdural hemorrhages to the brain, according to testimony from Le Bonheur pediatrician Dr. Karen Lakin.
Sgt. Jim Byars with the Memphis Police Department testified that Grayson admitted shaking the baby nearly every day for several weeks in late 2010.
Grayson's sentence will be served without the possibility for parole.
At any rate, once again we have a "frustrated" dad with no nurturing abilities who couldn't cope with normal infantile crying. Not just once (the "snap" scenario), but multiple times.
Dad is identified as STEVEN GRAYSON.
http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/story/29782700/father-pleads-guilty-to-aggravated-child-abuse
Father pleads guilty to aggravated child abuse
Posted: Aug 13, 2015 5:00 PM EDT Updated: Aug 13, 2015 5:00 PM EDT
The father of a four-year-old boy who is blind was sentenced to 13.5 years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated child abuse.
41-year-old Steven Grayson entered the guilty plea after testifying that he routinely shook the boy as an infant in an effort to stop him from crying.
The child was taken to the hospital in December of 2010 with “shaken baby syndrome.”
He is now blind as a result of suffering bilateral retinal hemorrhages and bilateral subdural hemorrhages to the brain, according to testimony from Le Bonheur pediatrician Dr. Karen Lakin.
Sgt. Jim Byars with the Memphis Police Department testified that Grayson admitted shaking the baby nearly every day for several weeks in late 2010.
Grayson's sentence will be served without the possibility for parole.
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Dad pleads guilty to 2nd-degree murder in death of 2-month-old son (Raleigh, North Carolina)
Dad is identified as DEMETRIUS MORANT.
http://abc11.com/news/father-sentenced-after-pleading-guilty-to-second-degree-murder-of-son/572926/
Father sentenced after pleading guilty to second-degree murder of infant son
Father sentenced after pleading guilty to second degree murder
A Raleigh father pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of his infant son Wednesday.
WTVD By Ed Crump Wednesday, March 25, 2015 05:16PM
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- A Raleigh father pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of his infant son Wednesday.
Investigators said Demetrius Morant beat his son so badly that the child was bleeding from his brain.
After the plea, Morant was sentenced to state prison for a minimum of 20 years.
Witnesses testified that they believed he shook his two-month old son, Drew, so violently that the boy had brain damage and was rendered blind. They also testified the child had signs of prior abuse including broken bones.
Drew survived to around his first birthday before he died, which is when his father was indicted for first-degree murder. Wednesday he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
The mother of his child, who said her son's injuries were due to a rough birth, told the judge that Morant was not a murderer.
"To the officers of this courtroom, I know that you all have to enforce the law on Demetrius. I have already lost my son, but you are also taking away my best friend. To me he is not a threat to society." said Faith Newton. If Morant serves his entire minimum term, he will be at least 50 years old when released. His maximum sentence would add another five years.
http://abc11.com/news/father-sentenced-after-pleading-guilty-to-second-degree-murder-of-son/572926/
Father sentenced after pleading guilty to second-degree murder of infant son
Father sentenced after pleading guilty to second degree murder
A Raleigh father pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of his infant son Wednesday.
WTVD By Ed Crump Wednesday, March 25, 2015 05:16PM
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- A Raleigh father pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of his infant son Wednesday.
Investigators said Demetrius Morant beat his son so badly that the child was bleeding from his brain.
After the plea, Morant was sentenced to state prison for a minimum of 20 years.
Witnesses testified that they believed he shook his two-month old son, Drew, so violently that the boy had brain damage and was rendered blind. They also testified the child had signs of prior abuse including broken bones.
Drew survived to around his first birthday before he died, which is when his father was indicted for first-degree murder. Wednesday he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
The mother of his child, who said her son's injuries were due to a rough birth, told the judge that Morant was not a murderer.
"To the officers of this courtroom, I know that you all have to enforce the law on Demetrius. I have already lost my son, but you are also taking away my best friend. To me he is not a threat to society." said Faith Newton. If Morant serves his entire minimum term, he will be at least 50 years old when released. His maximum sentence would add another five years.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Dad's abuse leaves 6-week-old baby permanently disabled; gets 5 years in prison (Perth, Australia)
UNNAMED DAD
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-14/father-jailed-for-shaking-baby-son2c-leaving-him-disabled/6098530
Father who left baby son disabled after shaking him jailed for five years
By Joanna Menagh Posted Fri at 5:39pmFri 13 Feb 2015, 5:39pm
A 35-year-old Perth father who shook his six-week-old son and left him permanently disabled has been sentenced to five years' jail.
The man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to the baby in the days before Christmas in December 2013.
Whilst the exact cause of the child's injuries was not known, the District Court was told medical experts believe they were most likely the result of him being vigorously shaken.
The child, who is now 15 months old, suffered a serious brain injury.
He was left permanently blind in one eye and there was a strong risk he would develop cerebral palsy.
However, the court heard that because of his young age, medical experts were not able to definitively list the permanent injuries he would suffer.
The injuries came to light after the baby was taken to the Joondalup Health Campus by his mother because he was suffering seizures.
In police interviews, the father said he had gone to the child in the middle of the night because he was crying.
Father 'frustrated at constant crying'
The man initially said he had "no recollection" of doing anything, but later he admitted he may have dropped the baby onto a lounge because he was frustrated about his constant crying.
He also said it was possible he had shaken the child, but not violently. Judge Simon Stone said the crime was "a serious instance of aggravated grievous bodily harm".
"You owed your child a duty to support and protect that child," he said. "I accept it's not a case of deliberate infliction of serious injury, but your actions constitute a profound breach of trust ... as a father to a helpless infant who was entitled to look to you for care and protection.
"You've ruined his life from a very young age ... There is a need for general deterrence in cases such as this."
However, Judge Stone accepted that the man was remorseful and that the offence was out of character.
He also gave him a discounted sentence because of his plea of guilty.
The man will have to serve three years before he can be released on parole.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-14/father-jailed-for-shaking-baby-son2c-leaving-him-disabled/6098530
Father who left baby son disabled after shaking him jailed for five years
By Joanna Menagh Posted Fri at 5:39pmFri 13 Feb 2015, 5:39pm
A 35-year-old Perth father who shook his six-week-old son and left him permanently disabled has been sentenced to five years' jail.
The man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to the baby in the days before Christmas in December 2013.
Whilst the exact cause of the child's injuries was not known, the District Court was told medical experts believe they were most likely the result of him being vigorously shaken.
The child, who is now 15 months old, suffered a serious brain injury.
He was left permanently blind in one eye and there was a strong risk he would develop cerebral palsy.
However, the court heard that because of his young age, medical experts were not able to definitively list the permanent injuries he would suffer.
The injuries came to light after the baby was taken to the Joondalup Health Campus by his mother because he was suffering seizures.
In police interviews, the father said he had gone to the child in the middle of the night because he was crying.
Father 'frustrated at constant crying'
The man initially said he had "no recollection" of doing anything, but later he admitted he may have dropped the baby onto a lounge because he was frustrated about his constant crying.
He also said it was possible he had shaken the child, but not violently. Judge Simon Stone said the crime was "a serious instance of aggravated grievous bodily harm".
"You owed your child a duty to support and protect that child," he said. "I accept it's not a case of deliberate infliction of serious injury, but your actions constitute a profound breach of trust ... as a father to a helpless infant who was entitled to look to you for care and protection.
"You've ruined his life from a very young age ... There is a need for general deterrence in cases such as this."
However, Judge Stone accepted that the man was remorseful and that the offence was out of character.
He also gave him a discounted sentence because of his plea of guilty.
The man will have to serve three years before he can be released on parole.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Dad arrested for severely abusing 5-month-old son; infant now blind, with permanent brain damage (Mercer County, West Virginia)
A case where Mom had to work and support the family, so she had to rely on the criminal daddy (fresh out of jail) for caretaking. Of course it ended up being a disaster. But the U.S. doesn't provide paid maternity leaves for moms, and certainly no decent affordable infant care. So this is what happens.
Nevertheless, even though Mom was basically guilty of holding a job and having to depend on others for child care help, she has lost custody though she is apparently not charged with anything. Except maybe failing to "supervise" this abusive creep. And how is a woman supposed to "supervise" a violent male? Does the state issue firearms? Typical of the way women are held responsible for men's crimes.
Dad is identified as BILLY WHITE.
http://www.bdtonline.com/news/father-accused-of-severely-injuring-infant-arrested/article_e804cdfe-a1d7-11e4-8918-03e81d921028.html
Father accused of severely injuring infant arrested
Posted: Wednesday, January 21, 2015 8:42 pm
By SAMANTHA PERRY Bluefield Daily Telegraph
PRINCETON — A Mercer County man accused of shaking his infant son so hard it blinded the baby and caused permanent brain damage was arrested Wednesday evening.
Billy White, 27, who last known address was Princeton, was found hiding in a closet in Lashmeet, said Sgt. M.D. Clemons, with the West Virginia State Police Crimes Against Children Unit.
Clemons, who made the arrest, said White is charged with child neglect resulting in serious injury and child abuse.
The case stems from an incident that occurred on May 30, 2014, when White called Mercer County 911 and stated that his infant son had turned blue and stopped breathing.
The 5-month-old child was transported by the Princeton Rescue Squad to Princeton Community Hospital, where a CT scan discovered a subdural hematoma on his brain, according to Clemons' criminal complaint.
The infant was transferred to Women and Children’s Hospital in Charleston where physicians determined that he had been shaken. As a result of being shaken, he had tears on the inside and outside of his retinas and was unable to see.
It was also determined that the baby had left lateral rib fractures on four ribs, Clemons said. The baby had permanent brain damage as a result of the incident.
Clemons obtained a statement from White and was told that on May 30 he was alone with the infant because his biological mother, Christina Bolin, 21, was working at a local motel. White said he had been living with Bolin and the infant since he was released from jail in April 2014.
White stated that the infant had been sick “for a couple of weeks,” and that approximately a week and a half prior to the infant being hospitalized, he had been tossing the infant up in the air and the infant “hit his soft spot on a board,” Clemons said. White also said that at approximately 5:30 a.m. on May 30, 2014, the infant woke up screaming and had "puked" all over himself.
White told Clemons that the infant "quit breathing, went limp, and his eyes rolled back in his head," according to the criminal complaint.
White advised that he “shook him a little” to try and get the infant breathing again and poured cold water on his back, Clemons said in the criminal complaint.
"His excuse for shaking the baby was that he was trying to revive him," Clemons said Wednesday. However, she noted that medical research has shown that "whoever the baby goes limp with is the one who has shaken the baby. It's an immediate reaction after the shaking."
Clemons said the infant's symptoms, including lethargy, vomiting and seizures, are consistent with Shaken Baby Syndrome.
Bolin was arrested last week on a charge of child neglect resulting in serious injury.
Clemons said she was referred to the investigation by a Mercer County Child Protective Service worker. Clemons was advised that Bolin and White had three other children along with the infant, and that their parental rights to these children had been terminated.
Clemons was also informed that Bolin had physical custody of the infant, but the state had legal custody and Bolin was on an improvement period. White was not supposed to be around the infant unsupervised.
Nevertheless, even though Mom was basically guilty of holding a job and having to depend on others for child care help, she has lost custody though she is apparently not charged with anything. Except maybe failing to "supervise" this abusive creep. And how is a woman supposed to "supervise" a violent male? Does the state issue firearms? Typical of the way women are held responsible for men's crimes.
Dad is identified as BILLY WHITE.
http://www.bdtonline.com/news/father-accused-of-severely-injuring-infant-arrested/article_e804cdfe-a1d7-11e4-8918-03e81d921028.html
Father accused of severely injuring infant arrested
Posted: Wednesday, January 21, 2015 8:42 pm
By SAMANTHA PERRY Bluefield Daily Telegraph
PRINCETON — A Mercer County man accused of shaking his infant son so hard it blinded the baby and caused permanent brain damage was arrested Wednesday evening.
Billy White, 27, who last known address was Princeton, was found hiding in a closet in Lashmeet, said Sgt. M.D. Clemons, with the West Virginia State Police Crimes Against Children Unit.
Clemons, who made the arrest, said White is charged with child neglect resulting in serious injury and child abuse.
The case stems from an incident that occurred on May 30, 2014, when White called Mercer County 911 and stated that his infant son had turned blue and stopped breathing.
The 5-month-old child was transported by the Princeton Rescue Squad to Princeton Community Hospital, where a CT scan discovered a subdural hematoma on his brain, according to Clemons' criminal complaint.
The infant was transferred to Women and Children’s Hospital in Charleston where physicians determined that he had been shaken. As a result of being shaken, he had tears on the inside and outside of his retinas and was unable to see.
It was also determined that the baby had left lateral rib fractures on four ribs, Clemons said. The baby had permanent brain damage as a result of the incident.
Clemons obtained a statement from White and was told that on May 30 he was alone with the infant because his biological mother, Christina Bolin, 21, was working at a local motel. White said he had been living with Bolin and the infant since he was released from jail in April 2014.
White stated that the infant had been sick “for a couple of weeks,” and that approximately a week and a half prior to the infant being hospitalized, he had been tossing the infant up in the air and the infant “hit his soft spot on a board,” Clemons said. White also said that at approximately 5:30 a.m. on May 30, 2014, the infant woke up screaming and had "puked" all over himself.
White told Clemons that the infant "quit breathing, went limp, and his eyes rolled back in his head," according to the criminal complaint.
White advised that he “shook him a little” to try and get the infant breathing again and poured cold water on his back, Clemons said in the criminal complaint.
"His excuse for shaking the baby was that he was trying to revive him," Clemons said Wednesday. However, she noted that medical research has shown that "whoever the baby goes limp with is the one who has shaken the baby. It's an immediate reaction after the shaking."
Clemons said the infant's symptoms, including lethargy, vomiting and seizures, are consistent with Shaken Baby Syndrome.
Bolin was arrested last week on a charge of child neglect resulting in serious injury.
Clemons said she was referred to the investigation by a Mercer County Child Protective Service worker. Clemons was advised that Bolin and White had three other children along with the infant, and that their parental rights to these children had been terminated.
Clemons was also informed that Bolin had physical custody of the infant, but the state had legal custody and Bolin was on an improvement period. White was not supposed to be around the infant unsupervised.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Protective mom fights abusive custodial dad over disabled sons (Plymouth County, Iowa)
Since this is being covered in the Native American press, the issue is being framed as a Native mother being crushed by a white father. That angle obviously plays into it, no doubt about it.
But we have seen similar situations played out where ethnic/racial differences are not apparent. To a very large extent, this is testimony to how much power the fathers rights movement has been able to wield over the family courts and child "protection" system. And that also needs to be brought out.
The fact that 17-year-old boys are being silenced by the courts is very much a fathers rights thing. SHAME ON JUDGE EDWARD JACOBSON for engaging in heavy-handed FR tactics.
See our previous post here. For some reason, the father has not been identified in the media.
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/11/20/sioux-mother-return-court-latest-fight-her-abused-sons-157916
Sioux Mother to Return to Court in Latest Fight for Her Abused Sons
Suzette Brewer 11/20/14
On Friday, November 21 another hearing is scheduled in the Iowa District Court in Plymouth County in an interstate custody showdown that has sparked national outrage among tribes and Indian child welfare advocates over the return of disabled twin brothers to the custody of their non-Indian father, who has six founded cases of child abuse on his record. One of the boys is wheelchair bound with cerebral palsy, while the other is blind and has autism.
Last June, Audre’y Eby, the twins’ Rosebud Sioux mother who resides in Nebraska, was jailed for a week in Iowa on kidnapping charges for refusing to return the boys back to their father after officials in Nebraska threatened her with child endangerment charges when they found evidence of abuse during an emergency room visit, in which blood and bruises were found on one of the boys’ groin area. The boys testified to officials in both states that their father’s girlfriend had kicked one of them after she caught him masturbating and that the father had threatened to “cut his privates off.”
Trapped between competing interstate jurisdictions, Eby said she had no choice but to keep her children, even though she subsequently went to jail in Iowa for trying to protect them from their abusers.
Eby kept the boys in Nebraska for a time, but subsequently moved them to the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota in order to protect them from their father and his live-in girlfriend, both of whom have been placed on the Iowa Central Abuse Registry for physical abuse, denial of critical care and failure to provide proper supervision to the twins. In early October, the boys, who are now 17, were ordered to appear before Judge Edward Jacobson for testimony at a hearing, with which Eby complied. But rather than allowing the boys to testify as ordered, Jacobson instead ordered half a dozen police officers to physically remove the boys from their mother’s custody in the hallway of the courthouse in front of at least a dozen bystanders, who were shocked that the incident took place in such a public manner with no plan for a peaceful transfer, as usually is required under these circumstances. Eby said both boys were struggling and screaming to stay with her as they were being led away by law enforcement.
“Judge Jacobson said ‘I don’t allow children to testify in my court,’” said Eby. “The order was a ruse to get me to bring them [to Iowa] so they could take them from me.”
Subsequently, in a one-page ruling issued by Judge Edward Jacobson that only vaguely refers to the evidence that was presented, the boys were immediately ordered back to their father that day. Jacobson only mentioned that Eby had “absconded” with the children, in spite of the fact that the State of Nebraska had threatened her with child endangerment if she returned them to their father. Judge Jacobson also ordered that “Mr. Courtright shall have full care, custody, and control of both children. Visistation [sic] shall be at Mr. Courtright's discretion,” in spite of six founded charges of abuse on father’s record.
Eby has had no contact with her children since that time and that the boys’ father has threatened her that she will “never see them again” if she continues with the case.
“One can say that these young men fell through the cracks,” says Frank LaMere, the director of the Four Directions Community Center in Sioux City, Iowa. “The people over in Plymouth County absolutely knew what was happening to these boys and they turned a blind eye. The DHS and the officers of the court are very aware of the abuse charges against their father, but they feel no responsibility whatsoever in spite of the fact that these allegations have been confirmed and are on the record.”
LaMere says that he intends to be at the hearing on Friday, along with other members of the Native community to show their support for the twins and their mother, who they feel is victim of the racist policies toward Native parents in courtrooms across the country.
“If a Native man had six allegations of abuse on his record, he would be serving five to 10 years in prison,” said LaMere, who is a member of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. “But we have a white father and a white girlfriend with six founded charges and what does Judge Jacobson do? He gives the abused children back to their perpetrators and throws the Indian mother in jail. I’ve never seen anything like it in all my years of Indian child welfare experience.”
Next week, Eby and LaMere are scheduled to attend the 12th Annual March to Honor Lost Children in Sioux City. For 12 years, says LaMere, it has been necessary to organize these marches and events to raise awareness of the challenges faced by Native community members who find themselves locked in a never-ending battle with child welfare systems across the country.
“We have worked hard to build a good relationship with officials here in Woodbury County,” said LaMere. “But there are countless counties across the country that ignore the Indian Child Welfare Act. Sadly, they forget that ICWA is not a ‘defense’ strategy – it is federal law. And we want to ensure that they are attentive to the requirements of the law.”
But we have seen similar situations played out where ethnic/racial differences are not apparent. To a very large extent, this is testimony to how much power the fathers rights movement has been able to wield over the family courts and child "protection" system. And that also needs to be brought out.
The fact that 17-year-old boys are being silenced by the courts is very much a fathers rights thing. SHAME ON JUDGE EDWARD JACOBSON for engaging in heavy-handed FR tactics.
See our previous post here. For some reason, the father has not been identified in the media.
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/11/20/sioux-mother-return-court-latest-fight-her-abused-sons-157916
Sioux Mother to Return to Court in Latest Fight for Her Abused Sons
Suzette Brewer 11/20/14
On Friday, November 21 another hearing is scheduled in the Iowa District Court in Plymouth County in an interstate custody showdown that has sparked national outrage among tribes and Indian child welfare advocates over the return of disabled twin brothers to the custody of their non-Indian father, who has six founded cases of child abuse on his record. One of the boys is wheelchair bound with cerebral palsy, while the other is blind and has autism.
Last June, Audre’y Eby, the twins’ Rosebud Sioux mother who resides in Nebraska, was jailed for a week in Iowa on kidnapping charges for refusing to return the boys back to their father after officials in Nebraska threatened her with child endangerment charges when they found evidence of abuse during an emergency room visit, in which blood and bruises were found on one of the boys’ groin area. The boys testified to officials in both states that their father’s girlfriend had kicked one of them after she caught him masturbating and that the father had threatened to “cut his privates off.”
Trapped between competing interstate jurisdictions, Eby said she had no choice but to keep her children, even though she subsequently went to jail in Iowa for trying to protect them from their abusers.
Eby kept the boys in Nebraska for a time, but subsequently moved them to the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota in order to protect them from their father and his live-in girlfriend, both of whom have been placed on the Iowa Central Abuse Registry for physical abuse, denial of critical care and failure to provide proper supervision to the twins. In early October, the boys, who are now 17, were ordered to appear before Judge Edward Jacobson for testimony at a hearing, with which Eby complied. But rather than allowing the boys to testify as ordered, Jacobson instead ordered half a dozen police officers to physically remove the boys from their mother’s custody in the hallway of the courthouse in front of at least a dozen bystanders, who were shocked that the incident took place in such a public manner with no plan for a peaceful transfer, as usually is required under these circumstances. Eby said both boys were struggling and screaming to stay with her as they were being led away by law enforcement.
“Judge Jacobson said ‘I don’t allow children to testify in my court,’” said Eby. “The order was a ruse to get me to bring them [to Iowa] so they could take them from me.”
Subsequently, in a one-page ruling issued by Judge Edward Jacobson that only vaguely refers to the evidence that was presented, the boys were immediately ordered back to their father that day. Jacobson only mentioned that Eby had “absconded” with the children, in spite of the fact that the State of Nebraska had threatened her with child endangerment if she returned them to their father. Judge Jacobson also ordered that “Mr. Courtright shall have full care, custody, and control of both children. Visistation [sic] shall be at Mr. Courtright's discretion,” in spite of six founded charges of abuse on father’s record.
Eby has had no contact with her children since that time and that the boys’ father has threatened her that she will “never see them again” if she continues with the case.
“One can say that these young men fell through the cracks,” says Frank LaMere, the director of the Four Directions Community Center in Sioux City, Iowa. “The people over in Plymouth County absolutely knew what was happening to these boys and they turned a blind eye. The DHS and the officers of the court are very aware of the abuse charges against their father, but they feel no responsibility whatsoever in spite of the fact that these allegations have been confirmed and are on the record.”
LaMere says that he intends to be at the hearing on Friday, along with other members of the Native community to show their support for the twins and their mother, who they feel is victim of the racist policies toward Native parents in courtrooms across the country.
“If a Native man had six allegations of abuse on his record, he would be serving five to 10 years in prison,” said LaMere, who is a member of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. “But we have a white father and a white girlfriend with six founded charges and what does Judge Jacobson do? He gives the abused children back to their perpetrators and throws the Indian mother in jail. I’ve never seen anything like it in all my years of Indian child welfare experience.”
Next week, Eby and LaMere are scheduled to attend the 12th Annual March to Honor Lost Children in Sioux City. For 12 years, says LaMere, it has been necessary to organize these marches and events to raise awareness of the challenges faced by Native community members who find themselves locked in a never-ending battle with child welfare systems across the country.
“We have worked hard to build a good relationship with officials here in Woodbury County,” said LaMere. “But there are countless counties across the country that ignore the Indian Child Welfare Act. Sadly, they forget that ICWA is not a ‘defense’ strategy – it is federal law. And we want to ensure that they are attentive to the requirements of the law.”
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Video game-playing dad pleads guilty to aggravated assault against 6-month-old daughter (Augusta, Maine)
So this "frustrated" a-hole of a father gets just 7 years in prison for destroying this child's life. Sickening but all to typical.
Dad is identified as KEVIN PEASLEE.
http://www.wcvb.com/news/maine-father-who-shook-baby-gets-7-years-in-prison/29731670
Maine father who shook baby gets 7 years in prison
Girl expected to die prematurely
Published 9:07 PM EST Nov 14, 2014
AUGUSTA, Maine —A Maine man insisted he is not a violent person, as he was sentenced Friday to seven years in prison for shaking his 6-month-old daughter so forcefully it left her brain damaged, a quadriplegic and unable to see or hear.
The baby, now in foster care, must be fed through a tube and is expected to die prematurely.
Kevin Peaslee, 22, told the judge his daughter had been extra fussy that December day because she had received shots the previous day. He was home alone with her and playing a video game, according to court documents.
The Kennebec Journal reported that Peaslee told the judge he "was frustrated that day."
"It was a horrible mistake that I can't change no matter how much I wish I could," Peaslee said. "I'm not a violent person."
The case drew national attention because of a legal battle over the state's attempt to impose a do-not-resuscitate order over the mother's objection. Maine's supreme court dismissed the mother's appeal after the state agreed to abide by her wishes.
Peaslee pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault last month. Under an agreement, two other assault charges were dropped.
Kennebec County District Attorney Maeghan Maloney said Peaslee must report Monday to begin serving his sentence. He will also have to serve three years' probation, she said.
She said she hopes the case will help other parents learn the damage they can do to their children when they act out of anger.
"I hope that it causes other parents, when they feel frustration ... to call for help or place your child in a safe place and leave the room until you cool off," she said.
Dad is identified as KEVIN PEASLEE.
http://www.wcvb.com/news/maine-father-who-shook-baby-gets-7-years-in-prison/29731670
Maine father who shook baby gets 7 years in prison
Girl expected to die prematurely
Published 9:07 PM EST Nov 14, 2014
AUGUSTA, Maine —A Maine man insisted he is not a violent person, as he was sentenced Friday to seven years in prison for shaking his 6-month-old daughter so forcefully it left her brain damaged, a quadriplegic and unable to see or hear.
The baby, now in foster care, must be fed through a tube and is expected to die prematurely.
Kevin Peaslee, 22, told the judge his daughter had been extra fussy that December day because she had received shots the previous day. He was home alone with her and playing a video game, according to court documents.
The Kennebec Journal reported that Peaslee told the judge he "was frustrated that day."
"It was a horrible mistake that I can't change no matter how much I wish I could," Peaslee said. "I'm not a violent person."
The case drew national attention because of a legal battle over the state's attempt to impose a do-not-resuscitate order over the mother's objection. Maine's supreme court dismissed the mother's appeal after the state agreed to abide by her wishes.
Peaslee pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault last month. Under an agreement, two other assault charges were dropped.
Kennebec County District Attorney Maeghan Maloney said Peaslee must report Monday to begin serving his sentence. He will also have to serve three years' probation, she said.
She said she hopes the case will help other parents learn the damage they can do to their children when they act out of anger.
"I hope that it causes other parents, when they feel frustration ... to call for help or place your child in a safe place and leave the room until you cool off," she said.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Shaken baby syndrome: Fighting an epidemic mostly perpetrated by fathers and male caretakers (Springfield, Missouri)
Studies consistently show that most perpetrators of abusive head trauma are fathers followed by other male caretakers. Notice that this is totally the case here, but not stated explicitly. It's too politically incorrect to simply report all this accurately without a lot of flack.
http://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2014/10/18/shaken-baby-syndrome-fighting-tragic-epidemic/17524271/
Shaken baby syndrome: Fighting a tragic epidemic
Stephen Herzog | 6:09 a.m. CDT October 19, 2014
Doctors said her baby wouldn't be able to walk. Wouldn't be able to talk. Might be "a vegetable."
Only 4 months old, Savannah Wilson's life was on hold after doctors diagnosed her with shaken baby syndrome.
"My world just collapsed around me," Ghesika Wilson said, imagining her daughter's life and all the things she wouldn't be able to do.
Savannah's injury was the result of Ghesika's boyfriend shaking the infant. He has since been sent to prison.
Officials say the syndrome is particularly prevalent in southwest Missouri, where the high number of child abuse reports is well documented. To try to stem the problem through education, a local hospital is trying out some new technology, through an interactive doll.
Savannah spent more than two weeks in the intensive care unit at then-St. John's in Springfield, before she was sent to the St. Louis area for rehab.
It was in St. Louis that Savannah suddenly started to improve. She sat up on her own, and eventually started crawling.
"She's such a competitive girl," Ghesika said. "I think she watched her sister and wanted to be able to do the same things."
Three years later, Savannah is doing great, Ghesika Wilson said. She still has some balance issues and doesn't run as fast as her friends, but she's otherwise a happy, healthy kid, still fighting to keep up with her 5-year-old sister, Addy Mae.
"She's so intelligent," Ghesika Wilson said. "She knows all her numbers, all the months of the year, the days of the week."
But as health care professionals in southwest Missouri know well, not all babies are so lucky.
Deaths, injuries
Nancy Hoeman, nurse coordinator for the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, said a state report shows less than a third of infants who suffer abusive head trauma recover. They're most likely to suffer "significant cognitive or neurological deficits."
"The severity can vary from learning disabilities to seizures, blindness, paralysis or severe neurological injury leading to vegetative state," she said.
The most recent report from the Missouri Child Fatality Review Board says that in 2012, 10 infants across the state died as a result of abusive head trauma. In the five years before that, 78 children died as a result of abusive head trauma, according to the board.
And, according to the board, those deaths only account for about 20 percent of cases.
"The number of fatalities is the tip of the iceberg, so to speak," Hoeman said.
She said infants, because of their proportionally large heads and undeveloped neck and shoulder muscles, are particularly vulnerable to abusive head trauma.
Jason Martin, injury prevention coordinator for CoxHealth, explained that infants have space between their brains and skulls, before their brains eventually grow to fit better. That space allows the brain to move back and forth and collide with the skull if the child is shaken.
Education
Martin said the hospital's staff is well aware of the special problem the region has with child abuse and with shaken baby syndrome specifically.
"Springfield, southwest Missouri, is tops in the state for child abuse and certainly shaken baby," he said.
He said the hospital is working hard to change the trend.
A few years ago, the hospital started to see a rise in cases of babies being shaken, he said.
It hit especially close to home when one of the hospital's employees, Monica Howard, discovered her daughter Lyla had been the victim of shaking when 3 months old. Her father pleaded guilty in the case in 2011.
Doctors were concerned Lyla wouldn't survive, and would at least be disabled. Martin said Lyla made a "miraculous recovery" and is now healthy and perfectly normal.
But that case, along with many others, led officials to question their prevention methods.
"So we said, 'What are we doing?'" he said. "'Can we do more?'"
After months of research and planning, the Trauma Services department started using an interactive simulation doll to simulate the effect of shaking a baby and the human brain.
The doll has a clear skull which lights up in places when it's shaken. Martin said nurses have seen a significant difference in how parents respond when the doll is used, compared to the traditional teaching methods.
One reason? He said the doll shows how what seems like a little shaking can have devastating results.
"It doesn't have to be violent," Martin said. "It can be a quick, brief, losing it for a second ... whip back and forth, and then the damage is done."
Now, every parent who brings an infant to the ICU sees the demonstration with the doll. Soon, the plan is for parents of every infant who comes through the hospital to see it.
Eventually Cox hopes to take dolls to Branson and Monett, with other hospital systems picking up the plan, if Cox can prove it works.
"That's obviously the most important thing," Martin said. "Will this make a difference? Time will have to tell us that."
Prosecution
While health care professionals try to educate, prosecutors are working hard to incarcerate. They want offenders in prison.
It's not easy.
Greene County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Patterson said all child abuse cases, including abusive head trauma cases, come with challenges.
"Once you have a medical diagnosis of abusive injury, investigators have to work from that to narrow down the time frames to find out who inflicted the injuries," he said. "That's a challenge, frankly, in all physical child abuse cases. It depends on what the injuries are exactly with regard to how complicated that may be."
If the injuries are less severe, the time frame is harder to narrow down, he said.
"We rely on good police work to figure out those issues and find other corroborating evidence to identify the suspect," Patterson said.
"It is a priority in our office. We all know the statistics with regard to the reports of child abuse being higher in Greene County."
Even when officials can develop a case, it doesn't always result in a prosecution. Steven Kleber was charged with child abuse in connection with injuries his daughter suffered. Kleber maintained that he tripped and fell with the girl in his arms and a jury found him not guilty.
In the case of Savannah Wilson, her abuser was convicted and sent to prison.
Ryan Hudson, 28, was found guilty last year of felony child abuse and was sentenced to five years in prison.
Prosecutors say Hudson was taking care of Savannah while Ghesika Wilson was at work when the injuries occurred. Doctors testified that Savannah's injuries were consistent with shaken baby syndrome.
Ghesika Wilson said she will never feel like Hudson was punished harshly enough for what he did, but that she's glad the case was resolved for Savannah.
While Savannah has made nearly a full recovery, health care and law enforcement officials see too many babies who do not. They want to end the suffering, through awareness and education.
Martin said: "We really want parents to walk away understanding that babies cry and there are other ways to help the baby."
Justice for shaken babies
Here are a few examples of cases presented in Greene County court in which defendants were accused of hurting or killing babies by shaking them.
JEAN PHILLIPE JACQUET
Jacquet pleaded guilty to child abuse in 2011 and was sentenced to three years in prison. Prosecutors say Jacquet was a French citizen who was in the U.S. illegally.
Prosecutors say he shook his 3-month-old daughter until she had a seizure. Later he admitted the shaking is what led to her injuries.
At the time, the infant was taken to the intensive care unit and on a ventilator, according to court records.
The infant, Lyla, ended up having what Cox RN Jason Martin called a "miraculous recovery," and is now a healthy 4-year-old.
JOHN DILLEY
Dilley was found guilty of killing 2-year-old Dominic James by shaking him in 2002. Dilley was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Dilley was the foster father of Dominic, who had been placed in the foster care after his parents were involved in a domestic dispute.
Dominic was hospitalized in 2002 and his parents insisted he be taken out of the foster home. Instead, he was sent back to the home and died a few days later.
MATTHEW HANDLANG
Handlang was sentenced to 20 years in prison last summer after he was found guilty of killing his 3-month-old daughter Aubrey by shaking her.
Documents say Handlang shook Aubrey, who was born prematurely, because she wouldn't stop crying and the family's dog wouldn't stop barking.
An autopsy found that Aubrey had brain swelling, severe brain bleeding, bleeding in the spinal cord and acute bleeding in the eyes.
STEVEN KLEBER
Kleber was found not guilty in 2012 of abusing his 7-week-old daughter, Mya.
But this case had a twist.
In 2010, Steven Kleber was confronted and shot by his then-wife Lindsey Kleber, who believed her husband injured their daughter. Two years later, Lindsey Kleber was convicted of kidnapping her husband and shooting him in the back.
On Oct. 7, 2010, Lindsey Kleber forced Steven Kleber to leave the Baptist Bible College campus at gunpoint.
Lindsey Kleber had met with Greene County prosecutors earlier that day, records say, and was afraid Steven Kleber might get probation for the alleged abuse of their daughter Mya. Lindsey Kleber was sentenced to three years in prison.
Family members say Maya suffered permanent brain damage and still suffers from seizures.
About shaken baby syndrome
According to the Centers for Disease Control, shaken baby syndrome occurs when a baby is shaken, resulting in a "whiplash" effect with the head.
The center says the shaking can lead to internal injuries, including bleeding in the brain or in the eyes.
Shaken baby syndrome is a form of a traumatic brain injury — which is simply a bump, blow or jolt to the head that disrupts the normal function of the brain.
Children from birth to 1 year old are most at risk.
http://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2014/10/18/shaken-baby-syndrome-fighting-tragic-epidemic/17524271/
Shaken baby syndrome: Fighting a tragic epidemic
Stephen Herzog | 6:09 a.m. CDT October 19, 2014
Doctors said her baby wouldn't be able to walk. Wouldn't be able to talk. Might be "a vegetable."
Only 4 months old, Savannah Wilson's life was on hold after doctors diagnosed her with shaken baby syndrome.
"My world just collapsed around me," Ghesika Wilson said, imagining her daughter's life and all the things she wouldn't be able to do.
Savannah's injury was the result of Ghesika's boyfriend shaking the infant. He has since been sent to prison.
Officials say the syndrome is particularly prevalent in southwest Missouri, where the high number of child abuse reports is well documented. To try to stem the problem through education, a local hospital is trying out some new technology, through an interactive doll.
Savannah spent more than two weeks in the intensive care unit at then-St. John's in Springfield, before she was sent to the St. Louis area for rehab.
It was in St. Louis that Savannah suddenly started to improve. She sat up on her own, and eventually started crawling.
"She's such a competitive girl," Ghesika said. "I think she watched her sister and wanted to be able to do the same things."
Three years later, Savannah is doing great, Ghesika Wilson said. She still has some balance issues and doesn't run as fast as her friends, but she's otherwise a happy, healthy kid, still fighting to keep up with her 5-year-old sister, Addy Mae.
"She's so intelligent," Ghesika Wilson said. "She knows all her numbers, all the months of the year, the days of the week."
But as health care professionals in southwest Missouri know well, not all babies are so lucky.
Deaths, injuries
Nancy Hoeman, nurse coordinator for the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, said a state report shows less than a third of infants who suffer abusive head trauma recover. They're most likely to suffer "significant cognitive or neurological deficits."
"The severity can vary from learning disabilities to seizures, blindness, paralysis or severe neurological injury leading to vegetative state," she said.
The most recent report from the Missouri Child Fatality Review Board says that in 2012, 10 infants across the state died as a result of abusive head trauma. In the five years before that, 78 children died as a result of abusive head trauma, according to the board.
And, according to the board, those deaths only account for about 20 percent of cases.
"The number of fatalities is the tip of the iceberg, so to speak," Hoeman said.
She said infants, because of their proportionally large heads and undeveloped neck and shoulder muscles, are particularly vulnerable to abusive head trauma.
Jason Martin, injury prevention coordinator for CoxHealth, explained that infants have space between their brains and skulls, before their brains eventually grow to fit better. That space allows the brain to move back and forth and collide with the skull if the child is shaken.
Education
Martin said the hospital's staff is well aware of the special problem the region has with child abuse and with shaken baby syndrome specifically.
"Springfield, southwest Missouri, is tops in the state for child abuse and certainly shaken baby," he said.
He said the hospital is working hard to change the trend.
A few years ago, the hospital started to see a rise in cases of babies being shaken, he said.
It hit especially close to home when one of the hospital's employees, Monica Howard, discovered her daughter Lyla had been the victim of shaking when 3 months old. Her father pleaded guilty in the case in 2011.
Doctors were concerned Lyla wouldn't survive, and would at least be disabled. Martin said Lyla made a "miraculous recovery" and is now healthy and perfectly normal.
But that case, along with many others, led officials to question their prevention methods.
"So we said, 'What are we doing?'" he said. "'Can we do more?'"
After months of research and planning, the Trauma Services department started using an interactive simulation doll to simulate the effect of shaking a baby and the human brain.
The doll has a clear skull which lights up in places when it's shaken. Martin said nurses have seen a significant difference in how parents respond when the doll is used, compared to the traditional teaching methods.
One reason? He said the doll shows how what seems like a little shaking can have devastating results.
"It doesn't have to be violent," Martin said. "It can be a quick, brief, losing it for a second ... whip back and forth, and then the damage is done."
Now, every parent who brings an infant to the ICU sees the demonstration with the doll. Soon, the plan is for parents of every infant who comes through the hospital to see it.
Eventually Cox hopes to take dolls to Branson and Monett, with other hospital systems picking up the plan, if Cox can prove it works.
"That's obviously the most important thing," Martin said. "Will this make a difference? Time will have to tell us that."
Prosecution
While health care professionals try to educate, prosecutors are working hard to incarcerate. They want offenders in prison.
It's not easy.
Greene County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Patterson said all child abuse cases, including abusive head trauma cases, come with challenges.
"Once you have a medical diagnosis of abusive injury, investigators have to work from that to narrow down the time frames to find out who inflicted the injuries," he said. "That's a challenge, frankly, in all physical child abuse cases. It depends on what the injuries are exactly with regard to how complicated that may be."
If the injuries are less severe, the time frame is harder to narrow down, he said.
"We rely on good police work to figure out those issues and find other corroborating evidence to identify the suspect," Patterson said.
"It is a priority in our office. We all know the statistics with regard to the reports of child abuse being higher in Greene County."
Even when officials can develop a case, it doesn't always result in a prosecution. Steven Kleber was charged with child abuse in connection with injuries his daughter suffered. Kleber maintained that he tripped and fell with the girl in his arms and a jury found him not guilty.
In the case of Savannah Wilson, her abuser was convicted and sent to prison.
Ryan Hudson, 28, was found guilty last year of felony child abuse and was sentenced to five years in prison.
Prosecutors say Hudson was taking care of Savannah while Ghesika Wilson was at work when the injuries occurred. Doctors testified that Savannah's injuries were consistent with shaken baby syndrome.
Ghesika Wilson said she will never feel like Hudson was punished harshly enough for what he did, but that she's glad the case was resolved for Savannah.
While Savannah has made nearly a full recovery, health care and law enforcement officials see too many babies who do not. They want to end the suffering, through awareness and education.
Martin said: "We really want parents to walk away understanding that babies cry and there are other ways to help the baby."
Justice for shaken babies
Here are a few examples of cases presented in Greene County court in which defendants were accused of hurting or killing babies by shaking them.
JEAN PHILLIPE JACQUET
Jacquet pleaded guilty to child abuse in 2011 and was sentenced to three years in prison. Prosecutors say Jacquet was a French citizen who was in the U.S. illegally.
Prosecutors say he shook his 3-month-old daughter until she had a seizure. Later he admitted the shaking is what led to her injuries.
At the time, the infant was taken to the intensive care unit and on a ventilator, according to court records.
The infant, Lyla, ended up having what Cox RN Jason Martin called a "miraculous recovery," and is now a healthy 4-year-old.
JOHN DILLEY
Dilley was found guilty of killing 2-year-old Dominic James by shaking him in 2002. Dilley was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Dilley was the foster father of Dominic, who had been placed in the foster care after his parents were involved in a domestic dispute.
Dominic was hospitalized in 2002 and his parents insisted he be taken out of the foster home. Instead, he was sent back to the home and died a few days later.
MATTHEW HANDLANG
Handlang was sentenced to 20 years in prison last summer after he was found guilty of killing his 3-month-old daughter Aubrey by shaking her.
Documents say Handlang shook Aubrey, who was born prematurely, because she wouldn't stop crying and the family's dog wouldn't stop barking.
An autopsy found that Aubrey had brain swelling, severe brain bleeding, bleeding in the spinal cord and acute bleeding in the eyes.
STEVEN KLEBER
Kleber was found not guilty in 2012 of abusing his 7-week-old daughter, Mya.
But this case had a twist.
In 2010, Steven Kleber was confronted and shot by his then-wife Lindsey Kleber, who believed her husband injured their daughter. Two years later, Lindsey Kleber was convicted of kidnapping her husband and shooting him in the back.
On Oct. 7, 2010, Lindsey Kleber forced Steven Kleber to leave the Baptist Bible College campus at gunpoint.
Lindsey Kleber had met with Greene County prosecutors earlier that day, records say, and was afraid Steven Kleber might get probation for the alleged abuse of their daughter Mya. Lindsey Kleber was sentenced to three years in prison.
Family members say Maya suffered permanent brain damage and still suffers from seizures.
About shaken baby syndrome
According to the Centers for Disease Control, shaken baby syndrome occurs when a baby is shaken, resulting in a "whiplash" effect with the head.
The center says the shaking can lead to internal injuries, including bleeding in the brain or in the eyes.
Shaken baby syndrome is a form of a traumatic brain injury — which is simply a bump, blow or jolt to the head that disrupts the normal function of the brain.
Children from birth to 1 year old are most at risk.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Dad assaults 4-month-old daughter during her first overnight visit; dad was "estranged" from baby's mother (United Kingdom)
Notice that Daddy didn't just shake the baby. He fractured her skull, causing a brain injury and possible visual/developmental disabilities.
Not clarified here whether this "totally ill equipped" father had overnight visitation by court order or through the mother's discretion. But given that the couple is "estranged" it doesn't appear this was totally out of Mum's free will.
Dad is identified as NATHAN SMITH.
http://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-news/2014/07/29/wolverhampton-father-jailed-for-dropping-baby/
Wolverhampton father jailed for dropping baby
A short-fused father who "recklessly shook" his four-month-old daughter, fracturing her skull and causing a bleed on the brain, has been jailed for 18 months.
Nathan Smith injured the child, who is now likely to be short-sighted and face possible learning difficulties, on the first night he was left alone with her.
The 24 year old had a "short fuse" and was "totally ill equipped to deal with the pressures a baby brings", Wolverhampton Crown Court heard yesterday.
Mr Jonathon Barker, prosecuting, said Smith, from Russell Close, Ashmore Park, dropped the child on her head during feeding while "tired and frustrated" after a sleepless night. He then panicked when the baby appeared lifeless after the fall and shook her both up and down and from side to side for around 30 seconds in a bid to revive her.
The court heard how he lied to doctors treating the little girl in hospital, claiming she had banged her head on a car seat.
Smith also sent a text message to the baby's mother, from whom he is estranged, begging her to take over but she was unable to because she had no transport. The message, which was sent at 6.57am, read: "I can't take the baby no more. I am tired, man. She won't shut up."
Smith admitted causing grievous bodily harm to his daughter on August 15, 2012, and was sent to prison by Judge Robin Onions.
"He was totally ill equipped to deal with the pressures a baby brings," the judge said. "Having children is a great gift but can be demanding. It is clear that the child fell from your arms and struck her head because you were not holding her with sufficient care. She clearly hurt herself badly and, in your panic, you shook her in such a way as to create further injury.
"People cannot treat babies like this and expect not to be sent into custody."
Mr Jon Roe, defending, Smith was taken into care when he was one had lived at more than 100 different addresses during his childhood.
He added: "This was the result of reckless handling of the baby compounded by reckless shaking. He has tried and failed to come to terms with his actions.
"It was the first time the baby had stayed overnight with him. He was tired and having difficulties coping.
"He knows the importance of a father in a child's life and wants to re-establish himself with her although he realises this will be a slow laborious process."
Judge Onions said he was reducing the sentence because of the "unacceptable" delay in bringing the case to court and the part played in the defendant's loss of control by his difficult upbringing.
Not clarified here whether this "totally ill equipped" father had overnight visitation by court order or through the mother's discretion. But given that the couple is "estranged" it doesn't appear this was totally out of Mum's free will.
Dad is identified as NATHAN SMITH.
http://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-news/2014/07/29/wolverhampton-father-jailed-for-dropping-baby/
Wolverhampton father jailed for dropping baby
A short-fused father who "recklessly shook" his four-month-old daughter, fracturing her skull and causing a bleed on the brain, has been jailed for 18 months.
Nathan Smith injured the child, who is now likely to be short-sighted and face possible learning difficulties, on the first night he was left alone with her.
The 24 year old had a "short fuse" and was "totally ill equipped to deal with the pressures a baby brings", Wolverhampton Crown Court heard yesterday.
Mr Jonathon Barker, prosecuting, said Smith, from Russell Close, Ashmore Park, dropped the child on her head during feeding while "tired and frustrated" after a sleepless night. He then panicked when the baby appeared lifeless after the fall and shook her both up and down and from side to side for around 30 seconds in a bid to revive her.
The court heard how he lied to doctors treating the little girl in hospital, claiming she had banged her head on a car seat.
Smith also sent a text message to the baby's mother, from whom he is estranged, begging her to take over but she was unable to because she had no transport. The message, which was sent at 6.57am, read: "I can't take the baby no more. I am tired, man. She won't shut up."
Smith admitted causing grievous bodily harm to his daughter on August 15, 2012, and was sent to prison by Judge Robin Onions.
"He was totally ill equipped to deal with the pressures a baby brings," the judge said. "Having children is a great gift but can be demanding. It is clear that the child fell from your arms and struck her head because you were not holding her with sufficient care. She clearly hurt herself badly and, in your panic, you shook her in such a way as to create further injury.
"People cannot treat babies like this and expect not to be sent into custody."
Mr Jon Roe, defending, Smith was taken into care when he was one had lived at more than 100 different addresses during his childhood.
He added: "This was the result of reckless handling of the baby compounded by reckless shaking. He has tried and failed to come to terms with his actions.
"It was the first time the baby had stayed overnight with him. He was tired and having difficulties coping.
"He knows the importance of a father in a child's life and wants to re-establish himself with her although he realises this will be a slow laborious process."
Judge Onions said he was reducing the sentence because of the "unacceptable" delay in bringing the case to court and the part played in the defendant's loss of control by his difficult upbringing.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Dad charged with murder in infant daughter's beating 22 years later (Murfreesboro, Tennessee)
Not real clear here, but it looks like Dad got out of prison for abusing his daughter, only to father another child with another woman and ABUSE THAT CHILD TOO.
Why was ANTHONY SHANNON LANE allowed around any kids again? Especially given the fact of how severely the daughter was abused (bedridden with multiple health problems including severe neurological issues for 22 years.)
http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2014/07/08/rutherford-murfreesboro-child-abuse-death/12388165/
Father charged with daughter's murder 22 years after beating, autopsy show
8:17 p.m. CDT July 8, 2014
MURFREESBORO — A man serving a 25-year sentence for child abuse was charged with first-degree murder after an autopsy revealed the beating he gave his infant daughter led to her death last year, according to a media release.
Anthony Shannon Lane, 41, was convicted of aggravated child abuse in 1992 for attacking and critically injuring his daughter, Amanda Michelle Lane-Woodall, when she was 5 weeks old, according to the release. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and upon his release was charged and convicted of aggravated child abuse of a second child, her half-brother Ryan Lane.
Anthony Shannon Lane, who is serving a 25-year sentence for the second conviction at Hardeman County Correctional Facility, was charged Monday with first-degree murder for Lane-Woodall's death last year, according to the report. An autopsy performed by the state medical examiner's office showed her manner of death was homicide, caused by complications of blunt-force head injury.
Lane-Woodall's case was originally investigated in 1991 by Sheriff's Office Detectives Chuck Thomas and J.D. Driver, resulting in the conviction of Lane and Lane-Woodall's biological mother, Stephanie Pinson, according to the release. Pinson was convicted for accessory after the fact of child abuse. She was sentenced to two years in jail.
Cold Case Detective Sgt. Dan Goodwin and Detective Steve Kohler questioned a number of doctors and other witnesses before presenting the most recent charges against Anthony Shannon Lane to the district attorney's office, according to the release.
Rutherford County foster parent Nancy Woodall-Holmes of La Vergne began caring for Amanda when she was three months old, according to the release.
"She could only do less than a newborn baby," said Nancy Woodall-Holmes said in the release. "She couldn't suck or swallow. She was blind and non-verbal, fed through a tube in the stomach."
Lane-Woodall required daily injections for diabetes, and she also had cerebral palsy, according to the report. She was confined to the same bed for 22 years.
The woman was reunited with her half brother, who was also adopted, during therapy, according to the release, though they were never able to have a conversation.
"She and Ryan had their wheelchairs next to each other, and their hands touched," said Nancy Woodall-Holmes in the release. "It was like they made a connection with each other."
Nancy Woodall-Holmes said in the release that she hopes this case motivates longer sentences for child abusers so they do not have the chance to commit the same crimes again.
Anthony Lane is being held in Rutherford County Adult Detention Center while awaiting a court hearing July 18, according to the release.
Why was ANTHONY SHANNON LANE allowed around any kids again? Especially given the fact of how severely the daughter was abused (bedridden with multiple health problems including severe neurological issues for 22 years.)
http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2014/07/08/rutherford-murfreesboro-child-abuse-death/12388165/
Father charged with daughter's murder 22 years after beating, autopsy show
8:17 p.m. CDT July 8, 2014
MURFREESBORO — A man serving a 25-year sentence for child abuse was charged with first-degree murder after an autopsy revealed the beating he gave his infant daughter led to her death last year, according to a media release.
Anthony Shannon Lane, 41, was convicted of aggravated child abuse in 1992 for attacking and critically injuring his daughter, Amanda Michelle Lane-Woodall, when she was 5 weeks old, according to the release. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and upon his release was charged and convicted of aggravated child abuse of a second child, her half-brother Ryan Lane.
Anthony Shannon Lane, who is serving a 25-year sentence for the second conviction at Hardeman County Correctional Facility, was charged Monday with first-degree murder for Lane-Woodall's death last year, according to the report. An autopsy performed by the state medical examiner's office showed her manner of death was homicide, caused by complications of blunt-force head injury.
Lane-Woodall's case was originally investigated in 1991 by Sheriff's Office Detectives Chuck Thomas and J.D. Driver, resulting in the conviction of Lane and Lane-Woodall's biological mother, Stephanie Pinson, according to the release. Pinson was convicted for accessory after the fact of child abuse. She was sentenced to two years in jail.
Cold Case Detective Sgt. Dan Goodwin and Detective Steve Kohler questioned a number of doctors and other witnesses before presenting the most recent charges against Anthony Shannon Lane to the district attorney's office, according to the release.
Rutherford County foster parent Nancy Woodall-Holmes of La Vergne began caring for Amanda when she was three months old, according to the release.
"She could only do less than a newborn baby," said Nancy Woodall-Holmes said in the release. "She couldn't suck or swallow. She was blind and non-verbal, fed through a tube in the stomach."
Lane-Woodall required daily injections for diabetes, and she also had cerebral palsy, according to the report. She was confined to the same bed for 22 years.
The woman was reunited with her half brother, who was also adopted, during therapy, according to the release, though they were never able to have a conversation.
"She and Ryan had their wheelchairs next to each other, and their hands touched," said Nancy Woodall-Holmes in the release. "It was like they made a connection with each other."
Nancy Woodall-Holmes said in the release that she hopes this case motivates longer sentences for child abusers so they do not have the chance to commit the same crimes again.
Anthony Lane is being held in Rutherford County Adult Detention Center while awaiting a court hearing July 18, according to the release.
Friday, May 16, 2014
Dad charged with felony abuse of 5-month-old son; baby has permanent brain damage (Lehi, Utah)
Familiar pattern. Dad had multiple cover stories, and wouldn't call 911 himself.
Dad is identified as PAUL KARDOS.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865603228/Lehi-man-charged-in-child-abuse-investigation.html
Lehi man charged in child abuse investigation
By Pat Reavy, Deseret News
Published: Thursday, May 15 2014 2:55 p.m. MDT
Updated: 21 hours ago LEHI — A Lehi father has been charged with child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury, a second-degree felony, after allegedly shaking his 5-month-old son.
On April 19, Paul and Nicole Kardos got into a heated argument, according to charges filed in 4th District Court. They each left the house at separate times.
Nicole Kardos left the house at 11 a.m. believing her husband would be home from work at 1 p.m., according to court documents. She left her 5-month-old twins in the care of her 9- and 11-year-old sons.
Paul Kardos didn't get home until 6 p.m., however, and then went out to buy Easter candy for the children. He and Nicole Kardos continued fighting through texts and emails, and Nicole Kardos decided to stay the night at a hotel rather than go home, according to court records. Paul Kardos later admitted to police he was frustrated, according to the report.
When Nicole Kardos returned home the next morning, her husband was "in a panic" because their 5-month-old son, Pauly, "appeared dead, was not breathing, was unresponsive, and his limbs were limp," according to court records.
Paul Kardos said he ran the young boy under cold water in an attempt to revive him, but his wife said he seemed "resistant to calling 911," the charges stated.
Nicole Kardos called 911, and paramedics responded and advised the couple that the infant needed to be taken to the hospital immediately, the report stated. The parents said they would take the child themselves rather than have the paramedics do it.
But Nicole Kardos didn't show up at American Fork Hospital until an hour later, according to the charges. Paul Kardos later told police he thought the baby was fine and didn't need to go to the hospital anymore, the charges stated.
Doctors in American Fork found internal head trauma and had Pauly flown to Primary Children's Hospital.
Paul Kardos submitted to a "voice stress lie-detection test" by police but later told his wife that he "messed with the test by pausing before answering each question."
When questioned by investigators, he offered explanations for the baby's injuries ranging from blaming his sons to claiming his wife had snuck back into the house during the night and harmed him, according to court records.
Ultimately, Paul Kardos didn't have an explanation for how the injuries occurred, according to the charges.
Paul Kardos was charged on May 7, the same day Pauly was released from the hospital. But Pauly was readmitted Monday to have fluid drained from around his brain, according to a website set up to raise funds for the infant's hospital bills.
"Pauly has lost the majority of his eyesight and sensory function. He can not swallow without aspirating. He has seizures. He has no head control and has muscle issues on the right side. MRIs show a portion of his brain is permanently damaged," according to the blog.
Dad is identified as PAUL KARDOS.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865603228/Lehi-man-charged-in-child-abuse-investigation.html
Lehi man charged in child abuse investigation
By Pat Reavy, Deseret News
Published: Thursday, May 15 2014 2:55 p.m. MDT
Updated: 21 hours ago LEHI — A Lehi father has been charged with child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury, a second-degree felony, after allegedly shaking his 5-month-old son.
On April 19, Paul and Nicole Kardos got into a heated argument, according to charges filed in 4th District Court. They each left the house at separate times.
Nicole Kardos left the house at 11 a.m. believing her husband would be home from work at 1 p.m., according to court documents. She left her 5-month-old twins in the care of her 9- and 11-year-old sons.
Paul Kardos didn't get home until 6 p.m., however, and then went out to buy Easter candy for the children. He and Nicole Kardos continued fighting through texts and emails, and Nicole Kardos decided to stay the night at a hotel rather than go home, according to court records. Paul Kardos later admitted to police he was frustrated, according to the report.
When Nicole Kardos returned home the next morning, her husband was "in a panic" because their 5-month-old son, Pauly, "appeared dead, was not breathing, was unresponsive, and his limbs were limp," according to court records.
Paul Kardos said he ran the young boy under cold water in an attempt to revive him, but his wife said he seemed "resistant to calling 911," the charges stated.
Nicole Kardos called 911, and paramedics responded and advised the couple that the infant needed to be taken to the hospital immediately, the report stated. The parents said they would take the child themselves rather than have the paramedics do it.
But Nicole Kardos didn't show up at American Fork Hospital until an hour later, according to the charges. Paul Kardos later told police he thought the baby was fine and didn't need to go to the hospital anymore, the charges stated.
Doctors in American Fork found internal head trauma and had Pauly flown to Primary Children's Hospital.
Paul Kardos submitted to a "voice stress lie-detection test" by police but later told his wife that he "messed with the test by pausing before answering each question."
When questioned by investigators, he offered explanations for the baby's injuries ranging from blaming his sons to claiming his wife had snuck back into the house during the night and harmed him, according to court records.
Ultimately, Paul Kardos didn't have an explanation for how the injuries occurred, according to the charges.
Paul Kardos was charged on May 7, the same day Pauly was released from the hospital. But Pauly was readmitted Monday to have fluid drained from around his brain, according to a website set up to raise funds for the infant's hospital bills.
"Pauly has lost the majority of his eyesight and sensory function. He can not swallow without aspirating. He has seizures. He has no head control and has muscle issues on the right side. MRIs show a portion of his brain is permanently damaged," according to the blog.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Dad "allegedly" beats 4-month-old son to death; mom speaks out (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Dad is identified as ZACHARY RICH.
http://www.8newsnow.com/story/25385724/father-arrested-for-killing-four-month-old-son
Mother speaks about child's beating death
Posted: Apr 30, 2014 12:54 AM EDT
Updated: Apr 30, 2014 7:39 AM EDT
By Joe Bartels
LAS VEGAS -- A 4-month-old baby boy is dead, and police believe he died at the hands of his own father. The boy's mother spoke exclusively with 8 News NOW about the beating death.
Metro’s Abuse/Neglect detectives paint a dark picture of what happened inside a home near Buffalo Drive and Tropicana Avenue late last month. Court records show 25-year-old Zachary Rich beat his son Draven so severely, the boy stopped breathing. Rich was supposed to be caring for his son.
The boy's mother, 24-year-old Cassie Kierstead, said she left Draven while she went out with friends. When a flurry of text messages came from Rich, she knew something was wrong.
"I ran upstairs, and my son was lying on the bed, dead. My son was dead,” Kierstead said. "I think my son was crying to the point where Zachary couldn't take it and shook him, you know. That's what I think happened."
According to the arrest report, Rich told Kierstead through a text message the baby was unresponsive, but he left him on the bathroom floor. In another message, he told her she could deal with him when she came home.
Almost an hour after the text to Kierstead that the baby was in trouble, Rich told his roommate to call 911.
Draven was taken to the hospital. Doctors said he had internal injuries and severe brain damage along with several strokes. Doctors say the boy went blind and wouldn't survive.
"I decided to take him off life support the day after Easter,” Kierstead said. “I wanted at least one holiday with my son."
Kierstead said she had to make the most difficult decision of her life, saying goodbye to her baby she called her “little monkey man.”
"It hurts not having my son. He was a very happy baby,” Kierstead added.
A Child Protective Services complaint of substance abuse was filed against the family a few weeks before Draven's beating, but CPS closed the case, because workers couldn't locate the family.
In the police report, a friend of Kierstead told police Rich was not happy about her going out and leaving the baby with him.
Kierstead said she wants to know the truth about what happened that night and hopes for justice for her and late son.
Draven was cremated Tuesday.
http://www.8newsnow.com/story/25385724/father-arrested-for-killing-four-month-old-son
Mother speaks about child's beating death
Posted: Apr 30, 2014 12:54 AM EDT
Updated: Apr 30, 2014 7:39 AM EDT
By Joe Bartels
LAS VEGAS -- A 4-month-old baby boy is dead, and police believe he died at the hands of his own father. The boy's mother spoke exclusively with 8 News NOW about the beating death.
Metro’s Abuse/Neglect detectives paint a dark picture of what happened inside a home near Buffalo Drive and Tropicana Avenue late last month. Court records show 25-year-old Zachary Rich beat his son Draven so severely, the boy stopped breathing. Rich was supposed to be caring for his son.
The boy's mother, 24-year-old Cassie Kierstead, said she left Draven while she went out with friends. When a flurry of text messages came from Rich, she knew something was wrong.
"I ran upstairs, and my son was lying on the bed, dead. My son was dead,” Kierstead said. "I think my son was crying to the point where Zachary couldn't take it and shook him, you know. That's what I think happened."
According to the arrest report, Rich told Kierstead through a text message the baby was unresponsive, but he left him on the bathroom floor. In another message, he told her she could deal with him when she came home.
Almost an hour after the text to Kierstead that the baby was in trouble, Rich told his roommate to call 911.
Draven was taken to the hospital. Doctors said he had internal injuries and severe brain damage along with several strokes. Doctors say the boy went blind and wouldn't survive.
"I decided to take him off life support the day after Easter,” Kierstead said. “I wanted at least one holiday with my son."
Kierstead said she had to make the most difficult decision of her life, saying goodbye to her baby she called her “little monkey man.”
"It hurts not having my son. He was a very happy baby,” Kierstead added.
A Child Protective Services complaint of substance abuse was filed against the family a few weeks before Draven's beating, but CPS closed the case, because workers couldn't locate the family.
In the police report, a friend of Kierstead told police Rich was not happy about her going out and leaving the baby with him.
Kierstead said she wants to know the truth about what happened that night and hopes for justice for her and late son.
Draven was cremated Tuesday.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Dad charged with abusing infant son; baby now blind and on ventilator (Laurinburg, North Carolina)
Dad is identified as ANDREW MICHAEL OETZEL.
http://robesonian.com/news/news/4549603/Child-faces-hard-future-after-abuse
Child faces hard future after abuse
By Rachel McAuley
1 days 6 hours ago
LAURINBURG — During his first days of life, Charlie Oetzel was like any other normal, healthy baby. He ate, slept and cried. He needed constant attention.
When Audrey Blades noticed that her son had developed a lazy eye and wouldn’t eat, she rushed him to a doctor — and then, for a brain scan.
“The doctor came in and told me had been shaken,” Blades said.
Now, at 4 months old, Charlie requires a ventilator. He is blind and his brain has trouble regulating his body’s temperature.
“It’s life-changing,” Blades said. “Even if he makes a miraculous improvement, my son won’t be the same. His sister won’t be able to play with him the way I played with my brother. We don’t know what he’s going to be capable of — it’s playing the waiting game.”
According to dontshake.org, Shaken Baby Syndrome occurs when an infant or small child hits their head or is violently shaken. Symptoms include irritability, decreased appetite, difficulty breathing, seizures, and an inability for an infant to lift their head or focus their eyes.
Blades hopes her son’s case will inspire others who suspect child abuse to come forward. In 2011, 106 Scotland County children were abused or neglected, according to ncchild.org
“You could save a baby’s life — like Charlie’s — just by speaking up,” Blades said.
Laurinburg police have charged Charlie’s father with felonious child abuse. Andrew Michael Oetzel, 24, was arrested on Feb. 6 and jailed under a $100,000 bond.
“Be very aware,” Blades said. “Very aware. … If you see anything, hear anything — you don’t have to be directly involved, but don’t just sit back.”
Blades has been told that Charlie had been shaken at least twice, but doesn’t know exactly when. She now wishes she had paid more attention to “the little things,” like hearing Oetzel “raise his voice” at Charlie or talk to him “like he was an adult.”
“He wasn’t soft-spoken with the baby or soothing,” Blades said.
A child with Shaken Baby Syndrome can suffer learning, physical, visual, hearing, behavioral and speech impairments. It can lead to cerebral palsy, a loss of motor activity and muscle control, seizures and death.
“I’m glad he’s home because I had to see him every day (at the hospital),” said Pamela Scott, Charlie’s grandmother. “I get upset sometimes because it never should have happened, but as far as Charlie … I’m glad he’s still here.”
Charlie’s hypothalamus, a part of the brain that regulates chemicals and hormones, is injured. Scott said she and Blades had to keep Charlie bundled in hats and blankets to keep him warm.
http://robesonian.com/news/news/4549603/Child-faces-hard-future-after-abuse
Child faces hard future after abuse
By Rachel McAuley
1 days 6 hours ago
LAURINBURG — During his first days of life, Charlie Oetzel was like any other normal, healthy baby. He ate, slept and cried. He needed constant attention.
When Audrey Blades noticed that her son had developed a lazy eye and wouldn’t eat, she rushed him to a doctor — and then, for a brain scan.
“The doctor came in and told me had been shaken,” Blades said.
Now, at 4 months old, Charlie requires a ventilator. He is blind and his brain has trouble regulating his body’s temperature.
“It’s life-changing,” Blades said. “Even if he makes a miraculous improvement, my son won’t be the same. His sister won’t be able to play with him the way I played with my brother. We don’t know what he’s going to be capable of — it’s playing the waiting game.”
According to dontshake.org, Shaken Baby Syndrome occurs when an infant or small child hits their head or is violently shaken. Symptoms include irritability, decreased appetite, difficulty breathing, seizures, and an inability for an infant to lift their head or focus their eyes.
Blades hopes her son’s case will inspire others who suspect child abuse to come forward. In 2011, 106 Scotland County children were abused or neglected, according to ncchild.org
“You could save a baby’s life — like Charlie’s — just by speaking up,” Blades said.
Laurinburg police have charged Charlie’s father with felonious child abuse. Andrew Michael Oetzel, 24, was arrested on Feb. 6 and jailed under a $100,000 bond.
“Be very aware,” Blades said. “Very aware. … If you see anything, hear anything — you don’t have to be directly involved, but don’t just sit back.”
Blades has been told that Charlie had been shaken at least twice, but doesn’t know exactly when. She now wishes she had paid more attention to “the little things,” like hearing Oetzel “raise his voice” at Charlie or talk to him “like he was an adult.”
“He wasn’t soft-spoken with the baby or soothing,” Blades said.
A child with Shaken Baby Syndrome can suffer learning, physical, visual, hearing, behavioral and speech impairments. It can lead to cerebral palsy, a loss of motor activity and muscle control, seizures and death.
“I’m glad he’s home because I had to see him every day (at the hospital),” said Pamela Scott, Charlie’s grandmother. “I get upset sometimes because it never should have happened, but as far as Charlie … I’m glad he’s still here.”
Charlie’s hypothalamus, a part of the brain that regulates chemicals and hormones, is injured. Scott said she and Blades had to keep Charlie bundled in hats and blankets to keep him warm.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Dad gets 20 years for assaulting 8-week-old son; baby has life-long disabilities (Cobb County, Georgia)
Dad is identified as JOSEPH RUCKER MCFALL.
http://marietta.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/cobb-father-to-serve-20-years-in-babys-battery
Cobb Father to Serve 20 Years in Baby’s Battery
Joseph Rucker McFall admitted that in October 2012 he inflicted blunt-force injuries to the child’s head, fractured bones in both of the baby’s arms, and also fractured a rib.
Posted by Hunt Archbold (Editor) , April 21, 2014 at 04:45 PM
Cobb District Attorney Vic Reynolds announced Monday that a Cobb father will spend 20 years in prison for life-long injuries he inflicted on his 8-week-old son.
Joseph Rucker McFall, 31, of Austell, pleaded guilty on April 17 to five counts of aggravated battery against the child. He admitted that in October 2012 he inflicted blunt-force injuries to the child’s head, fractured bones in both of the baby’s arms, and also fractured a rib.
“By pleading guilty, Mr. McFall is taking responsibility for actions that were not isolated to a single incident on a single day,” Susan Treadaway, the assistant district attorney prosecuting the case, said in a release.
The child’s mother, who has filed for divorce from McFall, spoke during last Thursday’s hearing, and gave an emotional description of the injuries to the child that are believed to be life-long and the struggle she has every day in caring for the child.
The boy is now 20 months old. He is legally blind, and it is believed that he will never be able to walk, talk or behave normally.
McFall spoke briefly during the hearing and maintained that the child’s injuries were accidental.
But Cobb Superior Court Judge James G. Bodiford told McFall his actions were “unspeakable.”
“It’s not an accident. What you’ve done is give a life sentence to your son, and to your son’s mother,” Judge Bodiford said, before sentencing him to the state’s recommendation of 30 years, with 20 years to serve in custody.
McFall, who has remained in custody since his arrest Oct. 30, 2012, had been scheduled to go to trial on April 28.
http://marietta.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/cobb-father-to-serve-20-years-in-babys-battery
Cobb Father to Serve 20 Years in Baby’s Battery
Joseph Rucker McFall admitted that in October 2012 he inflicted blunt-force injuries to the child’s head, fractured bones in both of the baby’s arms, and also fractured a rib.
Posted by Hunt Archbold (Editor) , April 21, 2014 at 04:45 PM
Cobb District Attorney Vic Reynolds announced Monday that a Cobb father will spend 20 years in prison for life-long injuries he inflicted on his 8-week-old son.
Joseph Rucker McFall, 31, of Austell, pleaded guilty on April 17 to five counts of aggravated battery against the child. He admitted that in October 2012 he inflicted blunt-force injuries to the child’s head, fractured bones in both of the baby’s arms, and also fractured a rib.
“By pleading guilty, Mr. McFall is taking responsibility for actions that were not isolated to a single incident on a single day,” Susan Treadaway, the assistant district attorney prosecuting the case, said in a release.
The child’s mother, who has filed for divorce from McFall, spoke during last Thursday’s hearing, and gave an emotional description of the injuries to the child that are believed to be life-long and the struggle she has every day in caring for the child.
The boy is now 20 months old. He is legally blind, and it is believed that he will never be able to walk, talk or behave normally.
McFall spoke briefly during the hearing and maintained that the child’s injuries were accidental.
But Cobb Superior Court Judge James G. Bodiford told McFall his actions were “unspeakable.”
“It’s not an accident. What you’ve done is give a life sentence to your son, and to your son’s mother,” Judge Bodiford said, before sentencing him to the state’s recommendation of 30 years, with 20 years to serve in custody.
McFall, who has remained in custody since his arrest Oct. 30, 2012, had been scheduled to go to trial on April 28.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Dad to stand trial for murder for 2005 assault of 6-week-old son (San Diego, California)
Hmm. Notice what is missing in this account. We're told that the baby was living "with the defendant" at the time of the assault, when the victim was only 6-weeks old. Then the baby was put up for adoption.
So what happened to the person who gave birth to this baby, commonly known as the mother? Totally erased from the story as if she had never existed. Was BILLY JOE STRINGFIELD a single dad? Why and how? And what happened to Mom?
http://www.10news.com/news/ramona-father-to-stand-trial-in-sons-murder
Father to stand trial in Ramona son's murder
Posted: Apr 18, 2014 Updated: 23 hours ago
SAN DIEGO - The biological father of a Ramona boy who suffered serious brain injuries as an infant and died as a blind and bedridden 6-year-old must stand trial on charges of murder and involuntary manslaughter, a judge ruled today.
Billy Joe Stringfield, also known as Billy Joe Springfield, is accused in the death of Samuel Dahlke. The child died at his adoptive family's home in Ramona in November 2011.
An autopsy determined Samuel died from the aftereffects of a head injury he suffered when he was about 6 weeks old, authorities said.
Stringfield was convicted of misdemeanor child abuse in 2006. The then 23-year-old defendant was sentenced to four years’ probation.
Authorities said Samuel was violently shaken in 2005 while living with the defendant in San Diego's Golden Hill neighborhood. The child's name was changed to Dahlke following his adoption.
Following a preliminary hearing today, Judge Joan Weber found that enough evidence was presented for Stringfield to stand trial. A status conference was set for July 1.
So what happened to the person who gave birth to this baby, commonly known as the mother? Totally erased from the story as if she had never existed. Was BILLY JOE STRINGFIELD a single dad? Why and how? And what happened to Mom?
http://www.10news.com/news/ramona-father-to-stand-trial-in-sons-murder
Father to stand trial in Ramona son's murder
Posted: Apr 18, 2014 Updated: 23 hours ago
SAN DIEGO - The biological father of a Ramona boy who suffered serious brain injuries as an infant and died as a blind and bedridden 6-year-old must stand trial on charges of murder and involuntary manslaughter, a judge ruled today.
Billy Joe Stringfield, also known as Billy Joe Springfield, is accused in the death of Samuel Dahlke. The child died at his adoptive family's home in Ramona in November 2011.
An autopsy determined Samuel died from the aftereffects of a head injury he suffered when he was about 6 weeks old, authorities said.
Stringfield was convicted of misdemeanor child abuse in 2006. The then 23-year-old defendant was sentenced to four years’ probation.
Authorities said Samuel was violently shaken in 2005 while living with the defendant in San Diego's Golden Hill neighborhood. The child's name was changed to Dahlke following his adoption.
Following a preliminary hearing today, Judge Joan Weber found that enough evidence was presented for Stringfield to stand trial. A status conference was set for July 1.
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