Thursday, February 28, 2013

Dad gets probation for nearly killing 5-week-old son (Gillette, Wyoming)

Whatta a deal. Daddy assaults the baby for crying and lies about it. He threatens the baby's older brother not to tell. AND HE STILL GETS A PROBATION.

Dad is identified as JOHN F. LEWIS III.

http://www.gillettenewsrecord.com/stories/Shaken-baby,86784?category_id=93&sub_type=stories,maps

Shaken baby
Father is sentenced in the case Thursday

Nathan Payne, City/Living Editor Posted 2/28/13

Melissa Hicks looked into the eyes of her son, Cody, on Thursday morning and wondered what could have been.

As she cradled his tiny body in her arms, she recalled the moments in late June when he stopped breathing while she was holding his 5-week-old frame.

“He died right there in my arms,” she said as a tear streaked down her cheek, leaving a trail of eye makeup. “I found my baby, blue, lifeless and unresponsive. His life was over before it ever started.”

She revived him while her husband called 911.

That was the moment when Cody’s life ended and a lifetime of what could have been began.

Her husband told her that Cody had a bellyache and was in his crib, but she knew his condition was much worse than that as soon as she scooped him up from his bed. Melissa kept him alive for what seemed like hours as she waited for an ambulance to get to her home southeast of Gillette.

The boy, who now is 9 months old, was only a few weeks old when his father, John F. Lewis III, became frustrated with his crying and shook him. Cody’s tiny brain bounced off of the inside of his scull, causing a subdural hematoma, a brain bleed. He stopped crying, not because he was comforted by his father, but because he was dying.

Days of treatment at Campbell County Memorial Hospital gave Melissa no answers. Eventually, after Cody began to convulse uncontrollably, he was sent by air ambulance to Denver.

She knew something was not right.

In the days and weeks following that night when Melissa came home from work to find her son barely clinging to life, John Lewis refused to admit to anybody that he had shaken his son, she said.

Even after doctors at Children’s Hospital of Colorado told the couple that their newborn son was the victim of severe child abuse, he would not admit what he had done. They told the couple to use their last days with their son wisely. They told them it was time to think about getting a priest to give Cody his last rites.

Melissa had to consider asking a priest to lay hands on her boy and, hopefully, provide a calm end to his short life.

But he didn’t die. Each time doctors told Melissa to expect the worst, Cody surpassed their predictions.

Cody has recovered some ­— a few days ago he crawled a little — but still he is months behind where he should be. Doctors say the extent of the damage done to his brain may not be evident until he is much older.

Today, Melissa clings to the small victories, the little glimmers from her son’s eyes or the occasional coo.

Doctors say that the blood that pooled behind Cody’s eyes may have damaged his eyesight permanently.

That parts of his brain that control motor skills were damaged. That the shaking destroyed most of the frontal lobes of his brain.

Eventually, John Lewis admitted to deputies that he had shaken his infant son until he stopped crying. It was Cody’s 7-year-old half-brother who told deputies what Lewis had done.

The boy had the courage to stand up for his infant brother, even after being threatened by his mother’s new husband, Melissa said.

Lewis was charged with aggravated child abuse, a felony, punishable by up to 25 years in prison.

And, in November, the 35-year-old man changed his plea to guilty in a deal with prosecutors that would recommend he not spend a day in prison. It would be a four- to five-year sentence suspended in favor of probation.

The deal infuriated Melissa.

“You’d spend more time for drugs in prison than you do for harming a child,” she said. “Those children need a voice.”

During the change-of-plea hearing, she protested the deal that she says prosecutors struck without consulting her. She asked District Judge Michael N. “Nick” Deegan for a chance to speak. He asked her to write a victim impact statement.

It is a statement that she planned to read Thursday at the 11 a.m. hearing where Deegan would decide whether to stick to the deal prosecutors struck with John Lewis.

Melissa said she would speak not for herself, but for Cody. She would ask that Deegan depart from the prosecutors’ deal and put Lewis in prison for at least five years. She prefers he be locked up for 10.

It would be a voice for a boy who may never have one of his own.

Dad gets 18 years for killing 8-month-old daughter (Pierce County, Washington)

Yet another daddy who got "frustrated" because his video game was interrupted by a crying baby....and now he has finally pleaded guilty to 2nd-degree murder.

Dad is identified as IVRYEE FLOWERS.

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2013/02/27/2899266/father-gets-18-years-for-shaking.html

Father gets 18 years for shaking his baby girl to death

Published: February 27, 2013 Updated 1 hour ago

The Bellingham Herald
By Adam Lynn — Staff writer

Ivryee Flowers shook his baby daughter so hard on Dec. 7, 2011, she suffered a fatal skull fracture.

Still, in Pierce County Superior Court on Wednesday, he said he never meant to kill her.

“This was an accident,” the 21-year-old man told Judge James Orlando. “I truly loved and still love my daughter.”

Orlando wasn’t buying.

The judge ignored a recommendation worked out between deputy prosecutor Lori Kooiman and defense attorney Mark Quigley for a 15-year sentence and instead ordered Flowers imprisoned for 18 years.

“There’s no degree of remorse that I’ve sensed from you that convinces me that you realize the enormity of what you’ve done,” Orlando told Flowers. “I think this child needs something more than 15 years in prison.”

Minutes before, Flowers pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Leileah Flowers’ death.

Tacoma police detectives said he was upset because the 8-month-old girl was fussy and interrupting his video-game playing. According to court records, he shook her violently after his attempts to calm her were unsuccessful.

Realizing he’d hurt the girl, he called 911, records show, but Leileah later died at a hospital.

Wednesday’s proceedings were tense, with supporters of both Flowers and Leileah filing into court.

At one point, Flowers’ mother was forcibly removed from the courtroom after she got upset when a sheriff’s deputy told her to sit down.

Clearly agitated, she’d gotten out of her seat and moved to another location while Leileah’s maternal grandmother, Jeannie Williamson, was making a victim statement to the court.

“I want to be able to see my son,” she told the deputy.

She sat down when commanded to do so but cursed at the deputy, who then demanded she leave. The woman pulled out of the deputy’s grasp when he grabbed her arm to escort her from the room, and several of her friends and relatives also got upset and left their seats.

Court was interrupted for about 10 minutes as deputies restored order. Flowers’ mother later was booked into jail for investigation of obstructing a law enforcement officer and disorderly conduct.

Steve Harrington, Leileah’s great uncle, addressed the court once things settled down. Harrington said relatives on Leileah’s mother’s side of the family had only one question.

“Why?” Harrington asked Flowers. “You had all the support in the world to help you. The memories of this tragedy will last a lifetime.”

Flowers then got his chance to address the court.

He apologized to his own family and that of his daughter’s mother.

“I am very sorry for the loss,” Flowers said.

Still, he said, he would leave court “with my head held high” because he did not intend to kill Leileah.

“When I come home, I’ll do everything I can to make her proud of me,” Flowers said.

Orlando appeared flabbergasted at Flowers’ comments.

Fathers are supposed to protect their children, not hurt them, the judge said.

“I don’t understand, Mr. Flowers,” Orlando said before imposing the 18-year sentence.

Outside court, Williamson said the loss of her granddaughter still hurts.

“I talk to her like she’s still in the house today,” she said. “This didn’t have to happen. I was only a phone call away.”

Dad charged in death of 8-month-old son (Anderson, South Carolina)

Dad is identified as CHRISTOPHER FOSTER.

http://www2.wspa.com/news/2013/feb/27/4/father-charged-8-month-old-sons-death-ar-5697362/

Father Charged With 8-Month Old Son's Death

By: WSPA Staff | WSPA-TV Published: February 27, 2013 Updated: February 28, 2013 - 1:09 PM

ANDERSON, SC -- Anderson City Police have arrested a man and charged him with the death of his eight-month old son.

Lieutenant Tony Tilley of the Anderson City Police Department said that Christopher Foster, 20, of Anderson, was arrested Wednesday night and charged with the death of his son, Leon Samuel Foster, last June at their home on Edgewood Avenue.

According to Tilley, officers were called to the home in reference to the child being in cardiac arrest. With the assistance of the State Law Enforcement Division, investigators were able to determine that Christopher Foster was responsible for the child's death.

Foster is currently being held at the Anderson City Jail. Bond will be set at a later date.

Dad who was sole suspect in murder of infant son commits suicide (Craven County, North Carolina)

Dad is identified as RODNEY BURTON.

http://www.witn.com/news/crime/headlines/POLICE--Person-Of-Interest-In-Baby-Death-Commits-Suicide-193645611.html

Posted: Wed 4:09 PM, Feb 27, 2013
Updated: Thu 2:20 PM, Feb 28, 2013

Police ID Marine Father In Baby Death Investigation

Jacksonville police have identified the Marine who they say shot himself yesterday as they were about to question him in his baby's death.

Police say 22-year-old Corporal Rodney Burton was stationed at Camp Lejeune.

They say Burton shot himself in his truck which was parked in the driveway of a home in Trent Woods. Police would not say why they believe Burton went to Craven County on Wednesday.

Police say Burton, the baby's father, was a person of interest in the child's death.

Police say the baby boy's airway was blocked by an object and he died later at Onslow Memorial Hospital. The boy's death is a homicide investigation, but police say they have no other suspects.

They say Burton was interviewed Tuesday, but never arrested.

Police say the father of a baby who was found not breathing at a home in Jacksonville yesterday took his own life today in Trent Woods.

Jacksonville police say the 11-month old died at Onslow Memorial Hospital after they got a call shortly before 3:00 p.m. to the home on Banks Street.

The child's father, who police say was a person of interest in the case, was found dead this afternoon in a pickup truck outside a home on Camelia Road in Trent Woods. The Craven County SWAT team was called to the house for assistance.

Trent Woods police would only say the man was a U.S. Marine, but they have not yet released his name.

Jacksonville police say they will hold a news conference this morning at 10:00 a.m. to release more information on this case.

Dad arrested for killing 6-month-old daughter during visitation (Elizabethtown, Kentucky)

Read this carefully, and you will see that the parents were in a custody/visitation situation. How much you want to bet that this dude was never married to the mother? Obviously, this relationship didn't even survive much beyond the pregnancy either. And yet he apparently had "rights" anyway.

We've said it before, and we'll say it again. Unmarried dudes with no prior commitment to the mother or the children do not need or deserve visitation with infants. It's too much upheaval for infants, and in too many cases, these young idiots have no clue how to care for babies. Thus the deadly results that we see again and again...

Dad is identified as BARRY WILLIAMS.

http://www.wave3.com/story/21425970/father-arrested-in-daughters-death

Father arrested in daughter's death

Posted: Feb 28, 2013 12:09 PM EST Updated: Feb 28, 2013 12:13 PM EST

By Sarah Eisenmenger

ELIZABETHTOWN, KY (WAVE) - A 6-month-old girl died after suffering severe internal bleeding in her brain.

According to police, the child's mother went to pick the girl up from her father on Tuesday and noticed something was wrong.

She took the child to Kosair Children's Hospital to try and get help.

Kosair contacted Elizabethtown Police who arrest the child's father Barry Williams, 21.

Williams told police that on Monday he dropped the child while bathing her and then shook her to make her stop crying before putting her to bed.

The child died on Wednesday.

Williams is charged with first degree assault in the child's death. Police said additional charges are pending as they continue to investigate.

Dad who caged 22-month-old daughter ordered to jail (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

Sounds like UNNAMED DAD was one of those druggie deadbeats who was made into a "stay-at-home dad" while Mom supported his worthless @$$.

http://www.okcfox.com/template/inews_wire/wires.regional.ok/2feb64dc-www.okcfox.com.shtml

Tulsa dad accused of child neglect ordered to jail

February 28, 2013 12:17 CST

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- A judge has revoked the suspended sentence of a Tulsa man charged with child neglect after police found his 22-month-old daughter locked in a metal dog cage -- an allegation that violated his parole terms for a prior drug charge.

Prosecutors asked the judge Thursday to revoke the man's 2-year suspended sentence after his arrest on child neglect charges.

The judge ordered the man serve 2 years in prison. The Associated Press is not naming the father to protect the child's identity.

The father was sentenced in August 2012 -- about three months before police found the girl locked in the crate and another child wandering around naked outside.

Court records allege the father admitted taking drugs and drinking beer the day the children were found.

He's pleaded not guilty.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Dad abuses baby for second time while out on bail; infant "unresponsive to stimuli" (Clarksburg, Tennessee)

Lovely example of the double standard. Dads are not charged with leaving babies alone for extended periods with their mothers, but mothers are charged for leaving babies with the father. And if Mom tries to cut an abuser daddy out of the picture, she's charged with "alienation." Can't win for losing....

My question is with the authorities. Why did they let this POS out on bail?

Dad is identified as DAVID MAZZA.

http://www.exponent-telegram.com/article_bca0c514-8073-11e2-ac48-0019bb2963f4.html

Baby allegedly injured by father takes 'turn for the worse'

Posted: Tuesday, February 26, 2013 7:22 pm | Updated: 7:30 pm, Tue Feb 26, 2013

by Matt Harvey, Assistant Managing Editor

CLARKSBURG — A five-month-old baby allegedly injured for the second time in its young life by its father has “taken a turn for the worse,” Harrison Prosecutor Joe Shaffer said late Tuesday afternoon.

The baby, being treated at Ruby Memorial Hospital, “is currently unresponsive to stimuli,” Shaffer said. Shaffer will instruct his assistant, Kurt Hall, to ask Harrison Chief Circuit Judge James A. Matish to revoke defendant David Mazza’s bond in a hearing this afternoon.

Shaffer wants Mazza jailed while his prosecution is pending.

Mazza was free on bail from the first allegation of child abuse resulting in serious injury, dating to when the baby was 28 days old, when the second case of abuse was alleged to have occurred recently.

Suffering a burn to his hand in the first event, the baby this time suffered rib fractures, dehydration and bleeding near the brain, Harrison Deputy C. Diaz has alleged.

Mazza was released on bond this time, as well, but was put back in jail earlier this week after a veteran area bondsman decided he no longer wanted to ensure the defendant’s bail.

The baby’s mother, Sabra Nichole Hardman, 31, of Clarksburg, is charged in the most recent case with two counts of child neglect resulting in serious injury.

Hardman left the boy alone with Mazza for extended periods, and also didn’t seek medical treatment for the baby’s illness, Diaz has alleged.

Hardman, jailed on $200,000 bond, is scheduled for a probable cause hearing this afternoon before Harrison Magistrate Frank DeMarco.

Dad on trial for murdering 2-year-old son (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Dad is identified as ANTRONE SMITH.

http://www.local12.com/news/local/story/Lawyer-Dad-Didnt-Mean-To-Kill-Two-Year-Old-Son/r_bBO92x80---K6RtP4olg.cspx

Lawyer: Dad Didn't Mean To Kill Two Year Old Son

Published: 4:31 pm Updated: 4:35 pm

A father is on trial for murdering his two year old son. Antrone Smith admits to causing his boy's death, but his attorney says he shouldn't die for the crime.

Antrone Smith admits to punching his son, Damarcus, in the stomach in October of 2011, which caused his death. The blow tore a hole in the boy's intestine, causing him to bleed to death. The prosecutor says scars and bruises covered Damarcus' body.

During opening statements, Smith's attorney told jurors those injuries had nothing to do with Damarcus' death and Smith tried to save his son by calling 911 and performing CPR. Smith's attorney called the punch stupid and ignorant, but said Smith didn't mean to kill his toddler.

The first witness was the foster mother who took care of Damarcus and his three brothers in the first two years of Damarcus' life. She didn't want to go on camera. She said he was a happy loving baby.

To help with the transition, she took Damarcus for an afternoon after he spent time in the hospital for a seizure. She says he did not want to go back to his parents. "When I brought him back Damarcus still screaming and hollering and Antrone said 'stop acting like you're never going to see her again, you'll see her,'" says Damarcus' foster mother, "I seen him was at the funeral, that was the last time I seen him."

At the funeral the foster mother said Damarcus didn't look the same and he'd lost weight.

Damarcus' biological mother Latricia Jackson faces a child endangering charge.

Non-custodial dad got young sons drunk, then threw them in pool during visitation (Sunrise, Arizona)

Notice that once again, you have to read through to the very end to find out that dad KRISTOPHER HARVEY was non-custodial, and that he abused these boys during visitation.

Also notice that Mom doesn't have custody--the grandmother does. Whatever happened to Mom isn't explained. We aren't told if she's dead, alive, "missing" or what.

However, I suspect Daddy Dearest must have a documentable history of neglect and/or abuse for Grandma to have custody instead of him.

Can't help but wonder if there is a stupid judge behind this visitation, and that this fiasco was court ordered.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/surprise/articles/20130227surprise-father-sentenced-in-child-abuse-case-abrk.html

Surprise father sentenced in child abuse case

By Cecilia Chan
The Arizona Republic-12 News Breaking News Team

Wed Feb 27, 2013 12:48 PM

A 33-year-old Surprise father who forced his two young sons to drink alcohol and then threw them into a pool to teach them a lesson received three years supervised probation Wednesday for child abuse.

As part of the plea agreement, Kristopher Harvey must take parenting classes and have no contact with his sons without approval from Child Protective Services or the Adult Probation Department, according to a Maricopa County Superior Court document.

Police arrested Harvey in June after officers were alerted to his residence by a neighbor who reported hearing screaming and crying.

According to a police report, officers entered the house and found the boys in their underwear crying and screaming. Both of the boys were intoxicated and vomiting, police said.

Harvey also appeared to be intoxicated and had trouble standing up and speaking clearly, police said.

Officers were told that the two boys, who were then 12 and 13 years old, drank some of their father’s alcohol a week prior and that Harvey was trying to teach them a lesson.

One of the boys told police that Harvey put them in the back yard and forced them to drink shots of hard liquor. Harvey refused to let the boys back into the house until they finished the alcohol, police said.

Police said Harvey then threw the boys into the pool while intoxicated.

The boys were visiting Harvey from California, where they live with their grandmother, police said.

Custodial dad arrested for killing 9-year-old son with hatchet (Sacramento, California)

Notice that you need to read nearly all the way to the end of this article to find out that dad PHILLIP HERNANDEZ was custodial. There is no mention of the murdered boy's mother, what happened to her, or how or why this father got custody.

http://www.kcra.com/news/Update-Dad-killed-9-year-old-son-with-hatchet-police-say/-/11797728/19102826/-/ygr29k/-/index.html

Update: Dad killed 9-year-old son with hatchet, police say

Police: Child was asleep on the couch when attacked

UPDATED 10:21 AM PST Feb 27, 2013

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) —The father of a 9-year-old boy is under arrest on suspicion he attacked and killed his own son with a hatchet while the boy slept on a couch, said Sacramento police.

"Just a horrific case," said Matt Young, a Sacramento Police spokesman.

At 11:52 p.m. Tuesday night, Young said police received two emergency calls from a residence on Atrisco Circle, in the north area of Sacramento.

A 9-year boy was found dead inside the home, the victim of "devastating injuries to his head," Young said.

"It's just awful. I can't imagine a father doing that to his own child," said Monica Roberts, a neighbor.

The father was identified as Phillip Hernandez, 36.

Hernandez broke through a sliding glass door before attacking his son, said a news release from police.

"It's a horrific story. Detectives are having a hard time and more importantly, the family is devastated," Young said.

A neighbor told KCRA3 the victim lived with his father, grandmother and an older brother.

"There is still no explanation for Hernandez's actions," read a news release from the Sacramento Police Department.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Dad sentenced to life for raping, sodomizing 9-year-old daughter (New Delhi, India)

UNNAMED DAD

http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/2013/02/26/363--Worship-not-rape-girl-child-says-court-sentencing-father-.html

Worship, not rape girl child, says court sentencing father

New Delhi,Crime/Disaster/Accident,Immigration/Law/Rights, Tue, 26 Feb 2013

IANS New Delhi, Feb 26 (IANS) Saying a "girl child is to be worshipped and not raped", a fast track court here sentenced a man to life imprisonment for raping and sodomising his minor daughter.

Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Virender Bhat, also slapping a fine of Rs.60,000, held that the crime committed by the convict, being the father of the victim, was intensely grave, serious and barbaric in nature.

The convict would not be entitled to any clemency till he spends at least 20 years in jail, the court ruled.

"There is no crime more heinous and ghastly than the present one and no other crime can be more humiliating and disgraceful for a man than act of seducing his own daughter," the order stated.

"The girl child is considered incarnation of Mata Lakshmi in a household. Hindu religion ordains us to worship the girl child as the manifestation of Goddess Lakshmi. There is a tradition prevalent in the Hindus to worship minor girls on the last day of Navratras which is known as 'Kanjak Puja'."

"The girl child is to be worshipped and not raped. Sexual assault upon a girl child is the most sinful, barbaric and savage atrocity and hence not only highly deplorable but severely punishable. One fails to imagine how a person would think of ravishing a minor, innocent girl and that too when the girl is his own daughter who, in fact, deserves to be worshipped as a form of Goddess Durga."

In September 2012, the mother of the child registered a case against her husband, a resident of Najafgarh, alleging that he had raped and sodomised their minor daughter several times.

She told police that her child was complaining of stomach pain past several days and she had consulted various doctors but there was no relief to the minor. After noticing swelling in the child's body, she again took her to doctor who told her that the child was sexually assaulted.

Police had said that the nine-year-old child then told her mother about her father's act and a case was registered against him.

"The crime committed by the convict depicts extreme form of depravity and brutality on his part. He has ravished his own daughter, who had yet not crossed the single digit age. A father is the protector of the honour and dignity of his daughter and a girl child looks towards her parents for every kind of help and assistance in case of adversity," said the court.

"However, in the present case, the father himself has become the tormentor and has perpetrated the heinous crime of rape upon his own daughter."

Dad admits "head-butting" 7-week-old daughter (Peabody, Massachusetts)

Apart from the Iraq excuses, this is a pretty typical daddy abuse story. Deadbeat Daddy has a few brews, is playing video games/xbox/etc., gets "frustrated" by crying baby/dirty diapers/normal infant behavior--and bashes the baby. Then lies about it.

Dad is identified as RICHARD ELIAS.

http://www.salemnews.com/local/x1837419344/Father-admits-hurting-infant

February 26, 2013

Father admits hurting infant

23-year-old gets 3-4 years in prison, blames PTSD from Iraq war service

BY JULIE MANGANIS STAFF WRITER

PEABODY — A Peabody man who admitted to shaking and “head-butting” his 7-week-old daughter because she would not stop crying while he was trying to play Xbox was sentenced to three to four years in state prison yesterday.

The baby suffered brain damage and may have permanent damage to her vision.

Richard Elias, 23, received the prison term, to be followed by two years of supervised probation, as a result of a plea agreement.

That agreement was negotiated after it became apparent that an important witness in the case — the infant’s mother and Elias’ wife — had dropped her divorce complaint and was no longer interested in testifying against him. In fact, Rachel Elias, 38, sat just a few feet from her husband, chatting with him, prior to the start of yesterday’s hearing and, according to court papers, has taken the baby, Isabella, to see him in jail.

Elias’ lawyer laid blame for the abuse on post-traumatic stress disorder, arising from his service in Iraq with the U.S. Army in 2007. As part of a unit that searched for mines and improvised explosive devices, Elias came upon the scene of a suicide bombing that had killed approximately 15 people, his lawyer said.

The abuse that led to two counts of assault and battery on a child causing serious injury occurred in October 2011, when Elias, 22, was home alone with the baby, prosecutor Kate MacDougall told Salem Superior Court Judge Timothy Feeley.

On Oct. 20, Rachel Elias had gone out to pick up her two older children when her husband found himself changing Isabella’s diaper. He later told investigators that he became frustrated when the infant immediately soiled her new diaper and confessed to shaking the baby and slamming her head into the table.

That shaking triggered a series of seizures in the infant, who was evaluated. But Elias said nothing about what he had done, and doctors sent the baby home, not sure what had caused the seizures.

About two weeks later, on Oct. 29, Rachel Elias went to a Halloween party, her first night out since the birth of the baby. Richard Elias stayed home with the infant, who was fussing as he drank beer and attempted to play Xbox Live with other players online.

Later that night, he called his wife and told her the baby was suffering seizures again, MacDougall told the judge.

What he didn’t tell her was that he had picked up his daughter, squeezed and shook her and then slammed his own head into hers, MacDougall said.

Rachel Elias returned home, but instead of taking the baby to the hospital, the couple waited, Rachel recording the seizures on her cellphone to show doctors later. MacDougall described the recordings as showing the infant in the throes of a seizure, her tiny hands opening and closing.

The next morning, the couple took the baby to a pediatrician, who immediately sent them to North Shore Children’s Hospital. From there, the baby was transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital with injuries that included swelling and bleeding on both sides of her brain and in her retinas. Doctors also discovered that the baby’s ribs had been broken on at least two occasions.

Richard Elias initially tried to convince investigators from the Peabody police and the Department of Children and Families that he had simply handled the infant a little roughly while bouncing her on his knee.

But confronted with additional information about the baby’s injuries, he confessed.

He told investigators that after he head-butted the infant, her skull felt “spongy,” and he became worried enough to ask his fellow Xbox players what to do. They urged him to call 911.

But he didn’t, the prosecutor said.

While Elias could have faced up to 30 years in prison, the recommendation of three to four years was based in part on his willingness to accept responsibility, as well as his underlying mental health issues, which “left him particularly ill-equipped to care for an infant child.”

More than a year and a half later, the baby has made far greater progress than anyone originally expected, MacDougall said, but is expected to suffer some degree of permanent damage to her vision.

Defense lawyer John Apruzzese, in a sentencing memorandum, included information about the baby’s condition now, including mild motor delays but no seizures for the past year.

Elias, meanwhile, has obtained assistance from the Veterans Administration, which will provide in-patient treatment for his PTSD and a substance abuse problem after he completes his prison term, Apruzzese told the judge.

It’s help that Elias, who was briefly hospitalized while still in the service, should have been — but was not — getting after his discharge in the spring of 2011, his lawyer said.

In his sentencing memorandum, Apruzzese said the family was strained by financial problems at the time of the two incidents.

Elias hadn’t worked since his discharge from the service that May, and his wife was earning less because she was working fewer hours after the birth of their child. Weeks earlier, Elias had been involved in a car accident in his wife’s car, but coverage for the damage was denied because he hadn’t been listed as a driver on the insurance policy, the lawyer wrote. They were trying to save money to fix the car and put it back on the road.

Rachel Elias declined to comment outside court yesterday.

In court papers, Apruzzese described how during visits at Middleton Jail, where Elias has been held since his arrest, the baby gives her father “high-fives” through the glass partition.

“I’m terribly sorry for my actions,” Elias told the judge yesterday, his voice breaking slightly. “I wish to become a good father and a good man.”

Monday, February 25, 2013

Dad charged with abusing 13-year-old son (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

Dad is identified as TERRY LANDRUM.

http://www.krmg.com/news/news/local/father-charged-abusing-his-13-year-old-son/nWYMc/

Posted: 1:53 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013

Father charged with abusing his 13-year-old son

By Michael Purdy

Tulsa, Okla. — A man is accused of punching and choking his 13-year-old son.

Tulsa court records show 39-year-old Terry Landrum was charged on Friday with one count of child abuse by injury.

The teen told police he was held down on the floor by his father's knee and punched in the face multiple times. Police say the boy also told officers he was choked.

Officers took the victim to a Tulsa hospital where it was determined he had injuries to his ear. Police say the boy also had marks on his neck and face.

Landrum has posted bail and is no longer in the Tulsa County Jail. No word on his court date is available.

Dad charged after 5-year-old son shoots himself with illegal gun (Bronx, New York)

Dad is identified as DENNY PANTOJA.

http://longisland.news12.com/news/denny-pantoja-charged-after-son-accidentally-shoots-himself-with-his-illegal-gun-1.4702021?firstfree=yes

Denny Pantoja charged after son accidentally shoots himself with his illegal gun

Published: February 24, 2013 1:14 PM

MOTT HAVEN - A Bronx father has been charged after his young son accidentally shot himself at their Mott Haven apartment.

Denny Pantoja, 33, has been charged with criminal possession of a weapon and endangering his child. His 5-year-old son was injured when he shot himself in the shoulder while playing with Pantoja's illegal gun.

The boy remains in stable condition at Lincoln Hospital.

Custodial dad to stand trial for starving, torturing teenage daughter (Madison, Wisconsin)


Previous accounts have made it clear that UNNAMED DAD was custodial, and that the wife is a step. Notice that this is no longer made clear....maybe because it's politically incorrect? And we don't want raise "unnecessary" questions about how this POS got custody, or who gave it to him. Do we?

http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20130225/APC0101/302250215/Father-set-stand-trial-abuse-case

Father set to stand trial in abuse case

Feb. 24, 2013 10:08 PM, | Written by Post-Crescent Media

MADISON — A trial is set to begin this week for a Madison man accused of starving and torturing his teenage daughter.

The man and his wife are accused of locking the girl in the basement and denying her food until she wasted away to 68 pounds. They each face six felonies, including child abuse and neglect. The girl’s stepbrother has been accused of sexually assaulting her.

The Associated Press isn’t naming any of the defendants to protect the girl’s identity.

The father’s trial is scheduled to begin with jury selection on Monday.

Dad forces kids to eat feces (St. Catherine, Jamaica)

No mention of a mother in the home. UNNAMED DAD.

http://jamaica-star.com/thestar/20130225/news/news1.html

Father forces kids to eat faeces

Rasbert Turner, Star Writer

A St Catherine man who is accused of forcing his children to eat faeces is now in police custody, charged with cruelty to children.

The incident occurred in the parish last Thursday, police told THE STAR.

Reports are that last Wednesday night, the man was at home with the children, ages 7, 9 and 12 years. Police said one of the children wanted to defecate but was afraid to go outside and use the pit latrine.

The child reportedly defecated in a closet and left it there.

Police said the following day the faeces was reportedly found by the father who inquired of the children who had carried out such an act. All the children denied it.

The man, the police said, became angry and reportedly forced all three to eat the mess.

Residents became aware of the incident and contacted the police.

Following investigations, the children were given medical examinations. Further investigations resulted in the arrest of the father.

Dad indicted on charge of carving pentagram on son's back (Tarrant County, Texas)

Dad BRENT TROY BARTEL has been indicted on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/02/25/4642179/father-charged-with-carving-pentagram.html

Richland Hills father indicted on charge of carving pentagram on son's back

Posted Monday, Feb. 25, 20135

By Domingo Ramirez Jr.

FORT WORTH -- A Tarrant County grand jury has indicted a Richland Hills father on a charge that he carved a pentagram on the back of his young son with a box cutter.

Jurors returned the indictment last week against Brent Troy Bartel, 39, who remained in Tarrant County Jail Monday with bail set at $500,000.

The indictment charged Bartel with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

If convicted, Bartel faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. Bartel was arrested Dec. 12 at his home in the 3700 block of Ruth Road in Richland Hills after he called 911 and told a dispatcher that "I shed some innocent blood."

When asked why he did it, Bartel said because "it's a holy day," according to the 911 recording. When officers arrived, police found Bartel and his son -- wearing only pajama bottoms -- in the home. Police found that a pentagram had been carved on the back of a boy who was later identified as Bartel's son.

The child was taken to Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth where he was treated and released a few hours after the attack.

Investigators also believe that Bartel got some of his son's blood and smeared the door frame of the family's home in the 3700 block of Ruth Road in Richland Hills.

The boy's mother had fled to a neighbor's home where she had that neighbor call 911.

Bartel's mother, Lori Ponce, told the Star-Telegram in a December interview that her son had no history of mental illness, but he had been under tremendous stress because of marital and financial problems.

Dad who left 2-year-old daughter in truck at strip club faces court date (Los Angeles County, California)

Of course, no one asks the most natural question of all: Why wasn't this 2-year-old girl at home with her mother instead of out "carousing" with Daddy?

Dad is identified as SANTOS BARILLAS.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2013/02/van-nuys-strip-club-dad-toddler.html

Man who allegedly left child in truck at strip club faces court date
February 25, 2013 | 1:12pm

A father accused of leaving his 2-year-old daughter in a pickup truck while he drank inside a Van Nuys strip club is awaiting a March court date after his release from jail over the weekend.

Santos Barillas, 24, of Canoga Park was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment and other charges shortly after midnight on Saturday, KTLA reported. He was held on $15,000 bail, but online jail records indicated he was released Saturday afternoon.

Barillas had not yet been charged as of Monday afternoon, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office. Online jail records showed he was scheduled to appear in court March 20.

Police were called to the 7557 Club on Woodley Avenue after 911 dispatchers got a call that the toddler was locked in a truck parked outside, KTLA reported. There, officers found Barillas asleep at the wheel, with the girl in the back seat.

Barillas was taken into custody and representatives of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services were called to assist with the care of the child, officials said.

Investigators interviewed several bar patrons and workers who confirmed the man was inside the club without the child, police said. The suspect was allegedly intoxicated at the time of his arrest, officials said.

Officials said the temperature in the truck was about 45 degrees.

Boy, 4, kills himself with Dad's stolen gun (Houston, Texas)

Dad is identified as MARQUIEZ DESHON PRATT.

http://www.ktxs.com/news/Boy-4-kills-himself-with-father-s-stolen-gun/-/14769632/19076846/-/3nrf91/-/index.html

Boy, 4, kills himself with father's stolen gun

POSTED: 38 mins

HOUSTON (AP) - A suspected drug dealer has been arrested for the death of his 4-year-old son who Houston authorities say picked up his father's gun and shot himself.

Police determined the gun had been stolen in a burglary two years ago.

Twenty-year-old Marquiez Deshon Pratt is being held Monday under $50,000 bond on charges of injury to a child by omission and possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. A court appearance is set for Tuesday.

Investigators said Pratt was asleep Sunday when his son, Jaiden, picked up the .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol that was nearby and shot himself in the stomach.

Pratt was outside his apartment when police arrived, handed the boy to officers and ran back inside. Police who chased him found marijuana, crack cocaine, scales and other items.

Police: Drunk dad fell on 2-month-old daughter and killed her (Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Dad is identified as EDWARD J. DOYLE.

http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-montgomery-county-baby-killed-father-charged-20130225,0,5062073.story

Police: Dad who "drank too much" falls with baby in arms, killing her

By Manuel Gamiz Jr., Of The Morning Call
2:44 p.m. EST, February 25, 2013

A heavily intoxicated man fell on top of his 2-month-old baby girl early Sunday in Montgomery County, then put her in her baby swing to sleep where she later died, authorities said.

Edward J. Doyle, 28, of Upper Moreland Township, was charged Monday with child endangerment and was sent to Montgomery County Correctional Facility on $1 million bail.

According to a criminal complaint:

Upper Moreland Township police were dispatched at 9:33 a.m. to an apartment in the 2500 block of Horsham Road to investigate an unresponsive 2-month-old baby. The baby was located on the bed in the master bedroom and had red swelling on her forehead and bruises and cuts to the bridge of her nose. She was taken to the hospital, but was pronounced dead.

Police spoke to the baby's parents, Doyle and Nicole Lavelle, 30. The two have two daughters, one 15-months old and the other 2-months old.

Doyle told police he came home from work at 11 p.m. Saturday and went to the America Legion to celebrate a friend's birthday. He said he had about six beers and came home around 2:45 a.m. or 3 a.m., playing cards with friends when he returned. He said his wife went next door to get a DVD and he made something to eat, turned off the lights and fell asleep in the living room.

He said his daughter was on the swing set in the living room. He said when he woke up, he found her "white as a ghost" and limp and called police.

He later changed his story, telling police after returning from the American Legion, he and his wife went to their neighbor's apartment where they got into an argument about their tax return and finances. He said he returned home and the baby was crying in her baby swing.

He said he removed her from the swing and cradled her in his arms, but he tripped on the swing set and he fell on top of the baby. He said he checked to see if the baby was still breathing and put her back in the swing. He said he checked on her again at 7:15 a.m. and gave her a "binky." He said he believed she grabbed the pacifier, but he was groggy, so he wasn't sure.

Doyle said he called 911 when he found her unresponsive. Doyle told a detective he shouldn't have been caring for the baby since he "drank too much."

Dad charged with inflicting critiical head injuries on 5-month-old son (Hanahan, South Carolina)

There is no mention of a mother in this home at all. Was there one?

Dad is identified as DEREK ALLAN STILSON.

http://www.abcnews4.com/story/21325163/police-5-month-old-treated-for-critical-head-injuries-father-charged

Police: Baby, 5 months, treated for critical head injuries, father charged

Posted: Feb 25, 2013 10:28 AM EST Updated: Feb 25, 2013 3:46 PM EST

HANAHAN, S.C. (WCIV) -- According to Hanahan Police, an infant was taken to Medical University Hospital with head injuries and now his father is facing charges.

The father, 23-year-old Derek Allan Stilson, is charged with infliction of great bodily injury upon a child.

Police said on Thursday, Feb. 21, Stilson's 5-month-old son was transported to MUSC on Thursday evening by EMS and found to have a skull fracture as well as bleeding and swelling on the brain.

According to the affidavit, Stilson is accused of throwing the baby down on the floor "in anger" because he was crying.

The affidavit also states the boy was injured on Feb. 19 but wasn't taken to MUSC until two days later when the father noticed the child "was not acting normal." The affidavit says the infant suffered "a right skull fracture, bleeding behind the retinas as well as bleeding on the brain."

Stilson was given a $250,000 Surety bond on Saturday and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.

Police report the child remains in critical condition at MUSC and has been placed in protective custody.

Friday, February 22, 2013

Dad found guilty of raping daughter, stepdaughter (United Kingdom)

Notice that through all of this, there is no mention of a mother--or stepmother--in the home when all of this was taking place. Was there an adult woman living with this pedophile? Or is this a single dad?

UNNAMED DAD.

http://www.enfieldindependent.co.uk/news/10247404.Guilty__father_raped_stepdaughter_and_sexually_abused_daughter/

Enfield father found guilty of raping stepdaughter and sexually abusing daughter in the 1980s 4:26pm Friday 22nd February 2013

By Hermione Wright.

A father has been found guilty today of sexually abusing his daughter and raping his stepdaughter in Edmonton in the 1980s.

Members of the jury were unanimous in convicting the Enfield man of all nine counts of sexual abuse and rape against the girls, who were both under 13 at the time of the abuse.

The man’s wife - who is not the mother of the victims - ran out of court in tears once she heard the jury call out the guilty verdicts following his week-long trial at Wood Green Crown Court in Lordship Lane.

He remained silent as he was led from the dock minutes after the guilty verdicts were read to the court.

Despite protesting his innocence, the paedophile was found guilty of two counts of sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13, one count of rape, two counts of indecency with a child and four counts of indecently assaulting a woman.

He had sex with his stepdaughter when his younger daughter was watching television in the same room.

The court heard testimonies from his daughter and stepdaughter, who said he started molesting his stepdaughter as soon as she hit puberty.

When she escaped to live with relatives, the paedophile started to sexually abuse his own daughter in their family home.

His stepdaughter reported the suspect in November 2011, and his daughter also agreed to testify against him during the trial, which started on Monday.

Although no attempt was made for bail, Judge Rosa Dean ordered the criminal to be remanded in custody as there were “substantial grounds” to believe he would fail to attend his sentencing now he has been found guilty.

Because he is a convicted paedophile, she also said bail would not be appropriate due to the risk of him committing further offences.

The man cannot be named to protect the anonymity of his victims.

Judge Dean told the criminal to expect a “very lengthy” custodial sentence when he reappears at the court on March 8.

She decided not to sentence him immediately to allow the victims a chance to attend.

The court heard the man was fined £150 last year for breaching a non-molestation order against a child and was also fined £150 for theft in 1981.

The man’s mother-in-law, who must remain anonymous to protect the victims, said she was “overjoyed” with the verdict reached by the jury.

His father-in-law said: “justice has been done for the victims”.

Custodial dad charged after son found wandering outside a bar (Coeur D'Alene, Idaho)

Previous news accounts mention that this meth head daddy had custody of this child, but refused to elaborate on how or why he got custody, or what officials granted him custody. Typical....

http://dastardlydads.blogspot.com/2013/02/custodial-dad-left-2-year-old-son-at.html

Daddy is identified as JESSE W. EDWARDS.

http://www.krem.com/news/Father-charged-after-son-wanders-near-traffic-192549771.html

CDA father charged after son wanders near traffic

by Associated Press
KREM.com

Posted on February 22, 2013 at 11:55 AM

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho (AP) -- A 36-year-old man who was arrested after his son was found wandering outside a Coeur d'Alene bar is charged with injury to a child.

The Coeur d'Alene Press reports Jesse W. Edwards is scheduled to be arraigned on March 5. He is currently free after posting $300 bail.

Edwards was arrested at the Walmart in Hayden on Feb. 10 after his son was found wandering close to traffic. The boy was brought into a bar and employees called police.

The boy didn't know where his father was.

Edwards told an Idaho State Trooper he usually takes his son to his parents' house in Athol and he thought he had done so. Court records say Edwards also acknowledged ingesting methamphetamine within 48 hours of his arrest.

Dad charged with assaulting 7-week-old son (Portland, Maine)

Dad is identified as NORMAN BROWN, JR.

http://www.koinlocal6.com/mostpopular/story/Portland-father-arrested-for-violently-shaking-7-w/7P6rGqoSg0-Y2FkYRdJJEw.cspx

Portland father accused of violently shaking infant son

Reported by: Brent Weisberg

Published: 11:29 am

PORTLAND, Ore. -- A 22-year-old father is accused of violently shaking his infant son earlier this month.

Child abuse detectives with Multnomah County said Norman Brown Jr. faces assault charges after they learned he likely shook the child on Feb. 12, when the boy was taken to a local hospital. Portland police said Brown's seven-week-old son is expected to survive, but may suffer permanent partial vision loss.

Officials said the boy's parents called 911 to report their son acting differently. Paramedics responded to the family’s home in the 10300 block of North Allegheny Avenue and transported the child to a hospital. Doctors performed a CT scan which revealed the child had an old and new brain bleed.

Hospital staff told police that the child had extensive retinal hemorrhaging in both eyes. The CT scan also showed signs of a brain bleed from approximately one month earlier, Portland police said.

Detectives were alerted because doctors felt the injuries were consistent with abuse, court documents reveal. A doctor, speaking to detectives, said the injuries were consistent with a baby being shaken or receiving a forcible impact into a soft surface.

Brown admitted to shaking his son, court documents show. The child's mother also admitted to seeing Brown shake the baby in January.

Brown has been charged with first-degree assault, two counts of third-degree assault and one count of first-degree criminal mischief. He will be arraigned in Multnomah County Court Friday afternoon.

Dad beats 7-month-old baby; infant now in intensive care (Turkey)

Dad is only identified as OSMAN G.

http://www.todayszaman.com/news-307877-violent-father-lands-7-month-old-baby-in-hospital.html

Violent father lands 7-month-old baby in hospital

22 February 2013 /TODAY'S ZAMAN, Ä°STANBUL

A 7-month-old baby was taken to a hospital after she was beaten by her father during a fight with his wife in the Central Anatolian province of Yozgat on Thursday.

According to news reports, Osman G. and Münevver G., who got married two years ago, started quarreling for an unknown reason. During their fight Osman G. lost his temper and started to beat the baby, which was in his arms, and the baby fainted as a result of the severe slaps. The man also threw the baby to the ground.

After their fight the couple took the baby to the hospital. The baby was placed in an intensive care unit. Münevver G. filed a criminal complaint against her husband at a police station but Osman G. was released shortly thereafter. Münevver G. told reporters that she often suffered from domestic violence at the hands of her husband. “In the second month of our marriage my husband broke my nose. I can't understand why the police released him. I call on the family and social policy minister to help us,” said Münevver G.

Gender-based violence, which is among the serious problems many women face in Turkey, has doubled in four years, according to a parliamentary report released in March. The report, prepared by a sub-commission of the parliamentary Human Rights Commission, revealed that, according to gendarmerie and police statistics, Turkey witnessed 48,264 gender-based incidents of violence in 2008, 62,587 incidents in 2009, a total of 72,257 incidents in 2010 and 80,398 incidents in 2011. Therefore, between 2008 and 2011, Turkey saw a total of 263,506 cases of domestic abuse and violence against women.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Dad, gal pal arrested for beating 13-year-old daughter (Murfreesboro, Tennessee)

Is UNNAMED DAD custodial? Or did this whack job merely have liberal visitation rights? I'm thinking he was custodial since the incident took place on a Monday night.

So who gave this control freak idiot custody? Someone who flips out over eyeliner? Who was the judge? Let's see names.

Hopefully, this poor girl will be able to stay with her mother from now on--but don't count on it. The FR people don't like mothers regaining custody....

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130221/NEWS03/130221019/Police-Murfreesboro-father-girlfriend-beat-13-year-old-for-using-makeup

Police: Murfreesboro father, girlfriend beat 13-year-old for using makeup

Feb. 21, 2013 3:21 PM, | Written by Mark Bell

MURFREESBORO — A Murfreesboro father and his girlfriend are charged with beating his daughter early Tuesday morning after the girlfriend confronted the 13-year-old over the use of her makeup.

Both the girlfriend and father were charged with child abuse Tuesday by Murfreesboro Police Detective Tommy Roberts, who investigated the case referred to him by the Department of Children’s Services.

The detective wrote in arrest reports that his investigation showed that “(The girlfriend) had been out drinking with some friends,” Monday night into Tuesday morning.

She came home shortly before 3 a.m. Tuesday to discover her eyeliner had been tampered with, and got into an altercation with her boyfriend, according to Roberts’ reports.

Both the girlfriend and father woke the girl up around 3 a.m. to confront her about using the makeup without permission.

“Investigation further showed that the girlfriend struck the victim in the face multiple times,” Roberts reported. “Investigation showed that ... the father of the victim, failed to protect his daughter and even participated in the abuse, causing injury to her arms and kicking her in the leg and buttocks.”

The Tennessean is not naming the suspects to protect the identity of the victim, who is a minor.

The girlfriend and father were interviewed by Roberts at MPD headquarters, while the victim was interviewed at a DCS facility.

Following his investigation, both were booked around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday into the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center.

Both made their $2,000 bond in less than two hours, jail records show.

DCS investigator April Dalton completed a child safety plan on the daughter, and the teen was placed into the custody of her biological mother, who resides in another county.

The girlfriend and father are scheduled to appear in court April 18. Neither could be reached for comment on this story.

Dad beats 9-year-old son because he rooted for the "wrong" football team (Perkins, Oklahoma)

What a freaking nitwit.

Dad is identified as GANNON MENDEZ.

http://dailycaller.com/2013/02/20/father-allegedly-abused-son-after-rooting-for-ok-state-over-oklahoma/

Father allegedly abused son after rooting for OK-State over Oklahoma

6:25 PM 02/20/2013
 
KFOR Oklahoma City

PERKINS, Okla. – Police in Perkins investigate a disturbing case of child abuse.

A 41-year-old father in Perkins, right outside of Stillwater, is accused of repeatedly beating his son because the boy liked OU better than OSU.

The suspect has been charged with one count of child abuse in Payne county.

According to police, after a 9-year-old boy told a classmate in school that he roots for OU not OSU, the boy’s father, Gannon Mendez, then allegedly beat the boy at home with a wooden paddle.

Does accused killer dad weep for dead baby - or for himself? (Dallas, Texas)

Excellent piece by Jacquielynn Floyd. Blunt talk about child abuse is a welcome change. Too often we just see a lot of hand wringing and moaning about "tragedy."

We've reported on dad TOMMY JAMES WHITE JR. before--who apparently had some sort of visitation, as the mother was reportedly married to someone else.

 http://www.dallasnews.com/news/columnists/jacquielynn-floyd/20130220-does-accused-father-weep-for-dead-baby--or-for-himself.ece

Does accused father weep for dead baby — or for himself?

Jacquielynn Floyd

Published: 20 February 2013 10:13 PM

Tommy James White Jr. must have partied hard last Thursday night. By his own admission, he woke up early Friday with a hangover and a skull-busting headache.

The baby was crying.

What happened next, said the 20-year-old White — in a series of blubbering, self-pitying jailhouse interviews this week — was that he “held” and “rocked” and “bounced” his 5-week-old daughter, trying to calm her down.

“I’ve never hurt anyone,” he sobbed. “I was just rocking her, holding her.”

Babies, of course, don’t die from being rocked and held. They do die from being choked, punched or shaken so violently that their brains scramble like eggs inside their fragile skulls.

Police think something along those lines happened to Spencer Claire White, who was unconscious and not breathing when other family members came home after leaving her for only a half-hour in her father’s care.

Garland police say White’s girlfriend and another relative went to a store about 5 a.m. Friday to buy the baby a pacifier. When they returned, Spencer — who, at five weeks, was about the age at which many babies exhibit their first toothless smile — was still and unresponsive.

She died Friday night at Children’s Medical Center Dallas.

Perhaps White, now in the Dallas County Jail on a capital murder charge, really was “just rocking her,” as he demonstrated for the television cameras, miming a person carefully supporting a watermelon.

Or maybe he just accidentally “squeezed her too tight,” as he indicated by mimicking a wide receiver cradling a football to his chest.

Then there’s the possibility that he couldn’t hold his temper for 30 minutes of routine child care and throttled the baby to stop her crying.

If that’s what happened, White is an intemperate monster, but he’s a monster with a lot of company.

During its first year of life, an infant in the U.S. runs a higher risk of being a homicide victim than at any other childhood age under 17.

Documented statistics show that more than one-fifth of all injury-related deaths of young babies are deliberate homicides.

Experts believe that that number may be seriously underreported, with homicides often mistaken as accidents or sudden infant death syndrome.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an infant killed in its first week of life is most likely to be the victim of his or her mother. Researchers speculate the motive may often be “a mother trying to hide the pregnancy and birth.”

After its first week of life and until its first birthday, an infant is more likely to be killed by an adult male — usually a father or stepfather.

A CDC report says this secondary spike in homicide risk occurs at about six to eight weeks, which “may reflect the peak in the daily duration of crying among normal infants.”

Babies cry. Why in the world do immature adults who lack the patience and self-control to cope with that irrefutable reality become parents?

It puzzles me to no end that people don’t picket the jailhouse and burn up the phone lines in their outrage over cases like this.

I can’t understand why they’re not down at the state Legislature right now, demanding better child-welfare and public-education and birth-control programs.

We’ll have to wait for a definitive medical examiner’s report to determine exactly what killed Spencer White, but court documents filed by Garland police say her father “admitted to numerous assaults on the child.”

If whatever killed her was not only a beating, but the last in a series of beatings, then this child’s short life was an unimaginable torment.

White, of course, is entitled to his version of events. As he piteously wailed to the TV stations, “They’ll give me the death penalty, and I’m innocent.”

Even if he’s guilty, he might as well dry his tears and calm down. If his case ever comes to that, it will be at the end of an exhaustive legal process that takes years to complete.

It’ll be a lot longer than five weeks.

Custodial dad sentenced to 50 years in death of 17-month-old daughter (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)

Here at Dastardly Dads, we've been following this case since it first broke. True to what we have observed many times before, earlier articles clarified that now convicted killer dad ZYRIAH SCHLITTER had custody of this child--though that fact is (deliberately?) made fuzzy now. Not once have we seen any explanation as to how or why this father got custody of this little girl, or who gave it to him. Unfortunately, this is more generally the case than not. Very few reporters dig into the cesspool backstory of how these abusers gained control over these kids, and what "experts" paved the way.

http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Father-Sentenced-to-50-Years-in-Death-of-17-month-old-Daughter-192142881.html

Father Sentenced to 50 Years in Death of 17-month-old Daughter

By Trish Mehaffey, Reporter Story

Created: Feb 20, 2013 at 5:41 PM CST
Story Updated: Feb 20, 2013 at 5:43 PM CST

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Zyriah Schlitter was sentenced to 50 years in prison Wednesday in the death of his 17 — month-old daughter Kamryn, who died of severe head injuries caused by a shaking or slamming in 2010.

Zyriah Schlitter, 25, of Cedar Rapids, was found guilty by a jury of voluntary manslaughter and child endangerment resulting in death following a two week trial in December. The child endangerment resulting in death is a mandatory 50-year sentence with possibility for parole, so the five year manslaughter sentence merges with the greater offense.

“I’m sorry everything had to happen this way,” Schlitter said before the judge sentenced him. “I miss my daughter.”

Schlitter also said he knew “it’s not over” and he was grateful to his family and friends for their support.

His mother and other family members told him they loved him and that “we know the truth,” as Schlitter was taken out of the courtroom after sentencing.

Nicole King, Kamryn’s mother, who now lives in Arkansas, didn’t attend the sentencing, but some of her family members were at the hearing.

6th Judicial District Marsha Beckelman said she wasn’t making a recommendation of how long Schlitter should have to serve before being eligible for parole, which is her discretion with the child endangerment sentence. She will leave that up to the parole board.

First Assistant Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks asked the judge to recommend 30 years based on the repeated abuse of Kamryn, the extent of her injuries, and his “callousness” toward Kamryn’s injuries and her death.

Tom Gaul, Schlitter’s attorney, said Schlitter has no previous criminal history and asked the court to leave it up to the parole board.

Schlitter also was ordered to pay $150,000 in victim restitution to King for Kamryn’s estate.

Gaul, before sentencing, argued for a new trial and arrest of judgment but the judge denied both motions.

Maybanks said after sentencing that this day belongs to Kamryn and the verdict “brings justice to her story and her life.”

According to trial testimony, Schlitter maintained his innocence, saying he didn’t inflict Kamryn’s fatal injuries, and he never admitted to knowing that ex-girlfriend Amy Parmer, 29, of Hiawatha, hurt his daughter. Parmer is also charged in this case with first-degree murder and child endangerment causing death. Her trial is set Aug. 19.

In the first week of testimony, King testified that she initially thought Parmer was to blame for the abuse Kamryn suffered, but after seeing scratch-like marks on her daughter in the hospital she thought Schlitter may have been responsible for those.

The state claimed Schlitter and Parmer, either individually or jointly, inflicted the fatal injuries to Kamryn, knowingly permitted the other co-defendant to abuse her and/or failed to protect the child from the other co-defendant.

Medical experts testified Kamryn would have never recovered from the blunt force head injuries, which likely occurred within hours or days of the 911 call made by Parmer, who was taking care of Kamryn that night.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Dad charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault for beating of 26-month-old daughter: girl left disabled, blind (Chester, Pennsylvania)

Another case where Dad was "babysitting" while Mom was working....

Dad is identified as HECTOR CHARLES GARCIA. 

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Father-Beats-2-Year-Old-Daughter-Into-Blindness-Cops-192130951.html

Young Girl Blind Due to Beating From Father: Cops

Hector Charles Garcia, 23 is charged with criminal attempt to commit murder, aggravated assault, and endangering the welfare of children.

By David Chang | Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 | Updated 8:02 PM EST

A Chester man was arrested for allegedly assaulting his young daughter, causing her to eventually lose her eyesight and ability to walk.

On March 17, 2010, the Reading Fire Department were dispatched to a home on the 1000 block of Spring Street in Reading for a choking and unresponsive child. When they arrived, they found an injured 26-month-old girl and transferred her to the Reading Hospital and Medical Center. She was then transferred to the Penn State Hershey Medical Center.

 On December 21, 2012, detectives met with doctors at Hershey and learned that the child suffered a massive brain injury. Doctors say there was a skull fracture and a tear in the vein underneath the dura in her head and that she almost died in the operating room. Doctors also told investigators there was ligament twisting in her neck indicating she had been thrown against something. Finally doctors say, the girl suffered eight rib fractures and a tear across her pancreas. The child is currently blind and will never be able to walk due to her injuries.

Doctors told police they did not believe the girl’s injuries were accidental and that the child was likely shaken or slammed against something. Detectives began to investigate and learned that the girl was home alone with her father, Hector Charles Garcia, 23, the day of the incident, according to investigators. Police say Garcia was babysitting the girl while her mother was at work. The girl suffered her injuries while in the custody and care of Garcia, according to police.

On Tuesday, Garcia was arrested by the District Attorney’s Crime Unit. He was arraigned Tuesday night with bail set at $200,000. He is charged with criminal attempt to commit murder, aggravated assault, and endangering the welfare of children. He was committed to Berks County Prison in lieu of the bail.

Dad arrested for assaulting 2-year-old daughter (Paso Robles, California)

Dad is identified as HERBERT BROWN III. The baby is not expected to survive....and no mention of the mother.

http://crimevoice.com/father-arrested-for-child-abuse-23182/

Wednesday, February 20th, 2013 at 12:04 pm

Daughter suffered head, body injuries

The Paso Robles Police arrested a man on Monday after he allegedly abused his child.

According to PRPD, officers and members of the Paso Robles Fire Department were dispatched at approximately 5 a.m. to the 200 block of Santa Ysabel Avenue regarding a two-year-old female who was not breathing.

The child had visible head and body injuries and was subsequently transported via ambulance to Twin Cities Hospital for treatment.

Police say it appeared the child was the victim of child abuse.

A subsequent investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident resulted in the arrest of the child’s father, Herbert Brown III, 29, of Paso Robles.

Brown was booked into the SLO County Jail on charges of child abuse likely to result in death. The victim has been transferred to a bay area hospital for continued treatment.

The investigation is ongoing with the assistance of the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office, The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office and San Luis Obispo County Child Welfare Services.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Dad kills infant daughter within 30 minutes of his visitation; had "hangover" and past history of DV (Garland, Texas)

It's not clear here whether dad TOMMY JAMES WHITE JR. had court-ordered visitation or not, but it really doesn't matter. If it wasn't court-ordered, he easily could have made it court-ordered if Mom didn't "cooperate"--even though he has a history of domestic violence. As we know, fathers with a history of DV tend to have the abusive personalities that insist on their "rights" so they are usually successful in getting their way. 

So no surprise here really. Within 30 minutes of his visitation with the baby, this POS gets "frustrated" and kills a newborn. No better than a freaking animal, really. . 

ttp://www.khou.com/news/texas-news/191805121.html

Garland man accused of killing baby had 'hangover'

by REBECCA LOPEZ and Associated Press reports

WFAA and Associated Press reports

Posted on February 19, 2013 at 7:38 AM

GARLAND, Texas -— A Garland man is facing murder charges in the death of his five-week-old daughter, who was critically injured while home alone with him.

Tommy James White Jr., 20, is charged with capital murder of a person under six years of age in the death of his daughter, Spencer Claire White.

"We believe the baby was crying, and that's why the injuries occurred," said Garland police spokesman Joe Harn.

According to court documents obtained by News 8, White told police the baby was crying, so he picked her up and placed his hand around the back of her neck and squeezed her too tight. He told investigators he was frustrated because he had a hangover and a severe headache.

Spencer Claire White was alone with her father Friday morning for about 30 minutes while the child's mother and her stepfather left to buy a new pacifier. Police said the girl wasn't breathing when the relatives returned.

The infant was transported to Children's Medical Center Dallas and died Friday night. Doctors said the girl suffered multiple injuries.

Last summer, White was arrested for allegedly assaulting another family member in the same home.

Bond was set at $1 million for White, who was being held Monday in the Dallas County Jail. No information was immediately available on an attorney.

Dad confesses to repeated rapes of teen daughter (Jakarta, Indonesia)

The rapist dad is only identified as D.P. 

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/father-confesses-to-raping-teenage-daughter-60-times-over-five-years/572559

Father Confesses to Raping Teenage Daughter 60 Times Over Five Years

SP/Fana Fadzikrillahi | February 19, 2013

A father has confessed to raping his 13-year-old daughter at least 60 times over the past five years, after the teenager finally found the courage to report him to the East Jakarta Police on Monday.

The young victim only discovered that she was pregnant after she reported the crime when a medical examination was carried out.

The teenager told the police that she had previously not reported her father, identified as D.P., because he had threatened to destroy the house.

She said the first rape happened in 2008 in their house in Ciracas, East Jakarta, when her mother was not at home. The teenager said she was asleep in her mother's room with her two sisters when her father came into the room and raped her.

“I was surprised and fought back. He covered my mouth and raped me,” she said.

D.P. allegedly continued to rape his daughter when her mother and siblings were asleep. He told the police on Monday night that he got aroused when he saw his daughter's body and he did not think about the consequences.

“It was only lust,” said D.P., who works as a car salesman.

Adj. Comr. Endang, the East Jakarta Police Women and Children's Protection Unit chief, said that the girl finally decided to tell her grandfather because she could no longer stand it.

“She's grown up and she could no longer accept her father's erred deed,” Endang said. “So finally she reported his father to her grandfather.”

The father has been charged with multiple articles from the Law on Child Protection and the Criminal Code that carries a maximum sentence of up to 15 years.

Monday, February 18, 2013

Dad convicted of 1st-degree homicide in arson deaths of three sons (Darlington, Wisconsin)

Dad is identified as ARMIN WAND III.

http://www.marshfieldnewsherald.com/viewart/20130215/WDH01/302150441/

Father convicted of killing sons

Feb 15, 2013

Armin Wand III, 32, the father of three children killed in a house fire in southwestern Wisconsin last Friday, left, and his 18-year-old brother, Jeremy Wand are shown in mug shots. Wand pleaded guilty today in a deal with prosecutors to four counts of first-degree intentional homicide, one felony murder through arson of a building and one count of arson of a building.

Written by The Associated Press

DARLINGTON, Wis.— An Argyle man has been convicted of killing his sons and his unborn child in a house fire.

Thirty-three-year-old Armin Wand pleaded guilty today in a deal with prosecutors to four counts of first-degree intentional homicide, one felony murder through arson of a building and one count of arson of a building. Prosecutors dropped two counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide.

Wand faces life in prison when he’s sentenced on April 17.

Authorities say he set his rented house on fire in September in hopes of killing his family and collecting insurance money. His three sons died in the fire. His wife and his 2-year-old daughter escaped, but the fetus his wife was carrying died.

Wand’s 18-year-old brother faces similar charges and is set for a separate trial.

Dad denied bond in death of 6-week-old daughter (Marion County, Florida)

Hmm. Can't help but wonder if this was a custody/visitation situation. Notice that Daddy was alone with the baby, and it was Daddy's mother who came home from work at called 911. Notice that Daddy has contradictory cover stories, and that there is past evidence of abuse. This is typical of violent abusers.

 Dad is identified as JEREMY JAMES MURRAY.

http://www.ocala.com/article/20130216/ARTICLES/130219743/1005/sports01?p=1&tc=pg

Dad denied bond in death of 6-week-old daughter

By Austin L. Miller Staff writer

Published: Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 6:58 p.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 6:58 p.m.

A judge denied bond Saturday morning for a 29-year-old father accused of murder and aggravated child abuse in the Feb. 1 death of his 6-week-old daughter, Ember.

At Jeremy James Murray’s first appearance at the Marion County Jail, a public defender asked Judge Robert Hodges if he would consider a bond for Murray, who an assistant state attorney said has no criminal convictions. Hodges denied the request for bond.

After conferring with Murray, the public defender loudly stated that her client would not be talking to the press so the press could leave. The only press that was present in the courtroom was the Star-Banner.

Murray, who sat in the front row at his brief hearing, crying softly and mostly keeping to himself, declined to be interviewed by a Star-Banner reporter.

A woman who answered the phone at Murray’s home said the child’s mother, Jordan Whaley, was unavailable for comment, and the woman, who didn’t identify herself, said she had no comment.

Murray, meantime, has been placed on suicide watch, officials said.

Sheriff’s deputies arrested Murray at his Silver Springs Shores residence late Friday morning and transported him to the jail for booking.

In a report, Detectives Stacey Skinner and Cliff Whiteside said they had interviewed Murray on Jan. 30, and he told them he was in bed with Ember when she began kicking.

He said he picked her up and was going to put her in the bassinet when he tripped over a weight bench and crashed into the bassinet. He was alone in the home at the time the incident occurred, and didn’t call 911 because he was trying to figure out what was wrong with the infant.

Ember’s grandmother, Colleen Buelow, called 911 when she arrived home from work. The woman said she and Murray both performed CPR on the child until the ambulance arrived.

In their investigation, detectives were told that the child had suffered massive skull fractures and there were possible signs of past injuries.

The injuries detected by a medical examiner were consistent with what Murray told detectives, authorities said.

Murray was then re-interviewed by the detectives, and they said he changed his story, saying that when he tripped, his daughter was on his right shoulder. He added that he fell over the bassinet and into the wall, detectives said. Murray said he then fell into the bassinet.

Again, the medical examiner was told about the explanation, which the official didn’t believe would cause the injuries that Ember had suffered.

After a discussion between the State Attorney’s Office, detectives and other officials, a decision was made to charge Murray.

Police: Dad abandoned 2-year-old son in moving car after 100 mph chase (Kansas City, Missouri)

UNNAMED DAD. Notice that the child has been turned over to CPS. What happened to the mother of this child?

http://www.kansascity.com/2013/02/18/4072880/police-say-dad-abandoned-toddler.html

Police say dad abandoned toddler in moving car after 100 mph chase

February 18

A father who led police on a 100 mph chase through Grandview abandoned his 2-year-old son in a moving car unrestrained, police said.

Police said they spotted the red 2003 Dodge Stratus speeding south on the West Frontage Road south of Blue Ridge Boulevard about 4:30 a.m. Sunday.

When the officer attempted to stop the car, the driver took the ramp to southbound Interstate 49 and accelerated to more than 100 mph.

The driver exited at East 140th Street and continued speeding down the Frontage Road. Police said they stopped chasing the car when it ran a red light at 140th Street.

The officer found the red Dodge Stratus still rolling in the 14400 block of the Frontage Road.

The car rolled to a stop and the officer found the 2-year-old boy inside. The toddler was not in a car seat and was unrestrained, police said.

Kansas City police helped Grandview officers search for the driver.

Police said they found the toddler’s father hiding in waist-deep water of a nearby creek. Police said they believe he was under the influence of drugs, and he was taken to a hospital for treatment of hypothermia.

The child was turned over to the Missouri Division of Family Services.

Dad in "custody battle" crashes car at 130 miles per hour with 5-year-old son in backseat (Indianola, Iowa)

The reaction of Daddy's family is very typical for abusers. Blame Mom for everything in the universe, but don't hold Dad responsible for everything.

I'm inclined to think that courts got it right in this instance. Any father who engages in juvenile police chases at 130 miles an hour with a frightened 5-year-old child in the car is too freaking immature, at best, to have any custodial rights.

Dad, who managed to kill himself in this crash, is identified as JEREMIAH ELDON JOHNSON.

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/D2/20130218/NEWS01/130217017/High-speed-crash-killed-fugitive-father-still-under-investigation

High-speed crash that killed fugitive father still under investigation

Feb. 17, 2013 10:57 PM

Written by The Des Moines Register

Law enforcement officials continue to investigate the crash that killed a man and sent his son to the hospital after a high-speed chase early Friday morning.

Johnnathen Eldon Johnson, 5, was in the back seat of a car driven by his father, Jeremiah Eldon Johnson, 33, when it struck a parked police car in Indianola at an estimated 130 mph. Johnnathen Johnson was found crying on the floor of the car behind the driver’s seat after the crash. His father was pronounced dead at the scene.

“All we’re involved in now is the technical investigation after he hit the squad car,” said Sgt. Scott Bright of the Iowa State Patrol on Sunday.

As of Saturday, Johnnathen Johnson was listed in stable condition. An update on his medical condition was not available Sunday.

Bright said the crash investigation could take up to three or four weeks to complete.

The chase took place after a series of domestic incidents and a custody battle that both authorities and family members said left Jeremiah Johnson on the run with his child. It started near Clive and ended in Indianola.

Some of Jeremiah Johnson’s family on Saturday said he was deeply concerned about the welfare of his child, particularly after his ex-wife April Lozano had been granted full custody of the child in July. Jeremiah Johnson believed a man Lozano had been seeing was an ex-convict, they said.

Dad fed bleach to 2-month-old daughter (Ocala, Florida)

If this excuse is true, dumb @$$ doesn't even begin to describe this father.

Daddy is identified as CARRON HERMAN WASHINGTON.

http://www.parentdish.co.uk/2013/02/18/father-fed-baby-bleach-from-bottle-to-help-her-chronic-congestion/

Father fed baby bleach from bottle 'to help her chronic congestion'

By Keith Kendrick, Feb 18, 2013

A two-month-old baby is being treated in hospital after her father gave her bleach to drink – because he thought it would help her congested chest.

Carron Herman Washington, 20, of Ocala, Florida, was arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse after he confessed to pouring bleach into the child's baby bottle and feeding it to the child.

Police Lt. Scott Fosler said Washington had told investigators that he didn't mean to harm the child - he just hoped the bleach would help with the child's chronic congestion problems.

Police were called early on Sunday when emergency workers contacted investigators about the suspicious condition of the baby.

The child's mother, Therese Roberts, 20, told police that her daughter's loud crying woke her up at 2 a.m. and she got up to investigate.

She found Washington feeding the baby from her baby bottle. The mum took the child from her father and held her, patting her back. The baby then vomited and the mother told police she could smell bleach in the fluid from the baby's stomach.

She told police she also smelled bleach from the bottle.

'We owe' changes in child custody cases (Graham, Washington)

The "authorities" are still doing a lot of flim flamming on the JOSH POWELL case. No, you couldn't have "predicted" that this father would kill these boys. But you certainly could have "anticipated" that this was a distinct possibility, and reacted accordingly. These were entirely preventable murders with tons of red flags--all of which were ignored or minimized in favor of Daddy's "rights."

http://www.dispatchnews.com/?p=1910

‘We owe’ changes in child custody cases

One year after the deaths, the murders of two young boys by their father in Graham were the subject during a hearing in Olympia on legislation aimed at trying to “prevent tragedies like this” from happening.

State Sen. Randi Becker, whose Second District includes the Graham and Eatonville areas, was among those testifying in support of the legislation she introduced to implement the recommendations of the state-appointed Child Fatality Review Team that investigated the way the state handled the custody cases of Charlie Powell, 7, and Braden Powell, 5. The brothers were killed by their father, Josh Powell, at his Graham-area home Feb. 5, 2012.

Senate Bill 5315 calls for new safeguards for child dependency situations. It would require the state Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) to consult with law enforcement officials before allowing visitation of children by a parent when there is an active criminal investigation. The proposed legislation also specifies that DSHS must reassess visitation policies if a psychosexual evaluation has been ordered for a parent, and requires caseworkers in child services to receive ongoing domestic violence training.

A public hearing on the bill was held Feb. 4 by the Senate Committee on Human Services and Corrections.

“Nothing we can do will bring the Powell boys back, and we will never be able to account for every situation,” Becker said. “But we owe it to our citizens to make sure the state is doing everything in its power to prevent tragedies like this, and this bill is one step forward.”

Becker was a member of the review panel that concluded social workers should have talked to police and taken other steps before allowing the Powell boys to visit their father at his residence. In a report issued last August, the panel said a police investigation of Josh Powell in connection with the disappearance and suspected murder of his wife was enough to raise concerns about the potential for domestic violence in the Powell family.

But the committee also concluded that all agencies and individuals involved with the boys’ case demonstrated sufficient concern for the children’s safety and welfare, and that nobody could have anticipated the killings.

Authorities say Josh Powell locked a social worker out of the house, then attacked his sons with a hatchet and started a fast-burning fire that killed all three of them during a scheduled, state-approved visit. Children’s Administration, a division of DSHS, is required by law to conduct a review when children in the agency’s system die or suffer near-fatal injuries as the result of abuse or neglect.

The Powell boys. under a Pierce County Superior Court order, were in the foster care of their Puyallup-area grandparents, Chuck and Judy Cox, while courts were deciding whether the siblings could be returned to their father.

Josh Powell and the boys moved from Utah to Pierce County following the disappearance in 2009 in Utah of Susan Powell, the mother of the boys. Authorities believe she was murdered, though her body hasn’t been found. Suspicion focused increasingly on Josh Powell, who refused to cooperate with police in their investigation. Susan Powell was the daughter of Chuck and Judy Cox.

Josh Powell, who was ordered by a judge to undergo a psychological evaluation, tried to regain custody of the children. Several days before the deaths, the court ordered him to undergo a psycho-sexual evaluation and kept the children in their grandparents’ custody, with supervised visits still allowed.

The committee noted that even though Children’s Administration wasn’t required to – and didn’t – consult with police about moving supervised visits to Powell’s home, such discussions can be “beneficial” in a case such as this in which the parent who’s involved is also the subject of “an open criminal investigation.” Police could provide information “that might affect decisions” about the length and location of visits and the need for supervision, the committee stated. Detectives involved in the criminal investigation of Powell told the committee that they weren’t aware that supervised visits had moved to his home. If the detectives had known, they would have had “concerns,” although they believe decisions about visitation are up to Children’s Administration and courts, the committee reported.

Before living in the house in Graham, Josh Powell and his sons lived with his father, Steven Powell, in the latter’s home near Puyallup. Josh Powell and the boys moved after Steven Powell was arrested and later convicted on voyeurism charges. Evidence against the elder Powell included photographs of neighbor girls that were taken without their knowledge while they were in various stages of undress in their home next door to Steven Powell’s residence.

The review panel, whose members included representatives of DSHS and the criminal justice system, interviewed seven people who worked on the Powell boys’ case and reviewed more than 2,700 pages of documents.

Dad charged in murder of 5-week-old daughter (Garland, Texas)

Dad is identified as TOMMY JAMES WHITE, JR.

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/21233115/garland-father-charged-with-murder-of-newborn-daughter

Garland father charged with murder of infant daughter

Posted: Feb 18, 2013 12:46 PM EST
Updated: Feb 18, 2013 1:52 PM EST

GARLAND - A Garland father is charged with capital murder for the death of his infant daughter.

Tommy James White, Jr. is in the Dallas County Jail on a $1 million bond.

Police and EMS crews were called out to the family's home in the 1300 block of Elmhurst Drive early Friday morning. When officers arrived, police said CPR was being performed on 5-week-old Spencer Claire White. The child was rushed to Baylor Medical Center in Garland before being flown by helicopter to Children's Medical Center in Dallas.

The child died Friday evening from what police described as multiple injuries.

Police have not provided details yet on the exact cause death. Police said White was alone with the child during the time she suffered her injuries. Police said other families went to a store to buy a new pacifier, and when they returned Spencer was unconscious and not breathing.

Under state law, the murder charge in this case is a capital offense because the victim was under six years of age.

The family of Spencer Claire White is currently making funeral arrangements.