Despite these kinds of cases going on for years now, the problem of crazy and/or violent fathers killing their children in custody/visitation situations has not improved or lessened.
Back in 2006, dad GERALD ROBERT WELLS constantly hassled his ex about child custody and child support, though he had never married her. Despite the lack of formal commitment to her or their child, he filed for "joint custody" of their son. And then, just to show how much he valued their time together, he murdered the 23-month-old toddler during a "planned visit." Of course, he then offed himself so he would never have to face up to his actions.
http://www.gazette.net/stories/122006/gaitnew203837_31978.shtml
Medical examiner rules toddler’s death a homicide
Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2006
by Jaime Ciavarra
Staff Writer
A toddler found dead in his father’s Gaithersburg condominium in October was murdered by asphyxiation, the state medical examiner has ruled.
The determination answers questions in the case of Jacob Matthew Dunn, a 23-month-old who was found unresponsive in his father’s bed on Oct. 8 with no apparent physical trauma or sign of struggle, according to police.
His father — Gerald Robert Wells, 39, of the 18300 block of Streamside Drive — had shot and killed himself, police said. Jacob was pronounced dead at an area hospital.
The incident, which occurred while Jacob was on a planned visit with his father, came just months after Wells filed for joint custody of the boy, according to court records.
Police said Jacob’s mother went to Wells’ home in the Rosewood condominium complex off Woodfield Road on Oct. 8 to pick him up when Wells failed to return the child to her house as scheduled.
Jacob lived with his mother in Olney.
When no one answered the door at Wells’ condominium, Jacob’s mother called police. Officers kicked down the door to find Jacob unresponsive and Wells shot dead in the bathroom, police said.
Jacob’s autopsy results took nearly two months to complete, as toxicology and other time-consuming tests were performed.
According to court documents, Wells and Jacob’s mother, Halley Dunn, had been entangled in child support and custody hearings since early 2005.
A court hearing on Wells’ custody request was scheduled for April. Dunn and Wells were never married, court documents show.
Jacob — a blond, curly haired boy who slept with a blue blankie and liked shooting hoops — was remembered by his friends and day-care workers as ‘‘an angel.”
In late October, they held a memorial service for him at his former day-care center in Olney.