Sunday, January 24, 2016

Nineteen Child Homicides: What Must Change So Children Are Put First in Child Contact Arrangements and the Family Court (United Kingdom)

Important research:

This study reviewed relevant serious case reviews for England and Wales, published between January 2005 and August 2015 (inclusive). It uncovered details of 19 children in 12 families who were killed by perpetrators of domestic abuse. All of the perpetrators were men and fathers to the children that they killed. All of the perpetrators had access to their children through formal or informal child contact arrangements.

https://1q7dqy2unor827bqjls0c4rn-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Child-First-Nineteen-Child-Homicides-Report.pdf

Friday, January 22, 2016

Custodial dad, step go on trial for torture, murder of 5-year-old daughter (Port Huron, Michigan)

We've posted on custodial dad ANDREW MAISON before.

See the Killer Dads and Custody list for Michigan.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3410210/Michigan-couple-accused-starving-girl-5-stand-trial.html

Father and stepmother who 'starved five-year-old daughter to just 25lbs before her death' go on trial accused of murder, torture and child abuse
Mackenzie Maison, five, died weighing just 25 pounds in May last year
She was 'extremely pale' when her 'lifeless' body was taken to hospital
Police officers said the young girl's body was bruised 'from head to toe'
Her father Andrew Maison and stepmother Hilery Maison are on trial
They are accused of murdering and torturing Mackenzie by starving her
Couple are also charged with abusing her and her three-year-old sister

By Ollie Gillman For Dailymail.com
Published: 09:01 EST, 21 January 2016 | Updated: 16:45 EST, 21 January 2016

A father and stepmother who allegedly starved their five-year-old daughter to death have gone on trial accused of murder, torture and child abuse.

Mackenzie Maison weighed just 25 pounds and was 'extremely pale' when her 'lifeless' body was carried out of her home in Port Huron, Michigan, on May 26 last year, a court heard.

Police officers who viewed Mackenzie's body after she died saw that she was bruised 'from head to toe', a jury was told.

Her father, Andrew Maison, and stepmother, Hilery Maison, face charges of child abuse, torture and murder, and are also accused of abusing Mackenzie's younger sister.

Prosecutor Mona Armstrong told a jury on Wednesday that they would hear 'a case about suffering, unimaginable suffering, that two young girls endured at the hands of the defendants'.

Mackenzie weighed 25 pounds on the day of her death, Armstrong said, the same weight she was when she was two years old.

The prosecuting attorney added that the girl's three-year-old sister was just 17 pounds when she was taken to the hospital that day and has since doubled in weight, the Times Herald reported.

Fireman Steven Conard was one of the first on the scene shortly after 8.30pm on the day Mackenzie died.

He told the court that Andrew Maison was attempting to give CPR to Mackenzie on the kitchen floor, but firefighters took her into an ambulance where they tried to revive her.

Conard said the father claimed he was giving his daughter a bath when she became unresponsive.

Paramedics tried to resuscitate Mackenzie in the ambulance but she was pronounced dead after arriving at St. Joseph Mercy Port Huron Hospital.

Detective Brian Kerrigan, who viewed Mackenzie's body after she died, was in court on Thursday and said he saw bruises on her body.

'It was obvious to me that there was a lot of bruising in different stages of healing on her body, basically from head to toe,' he said.

Police officer Andrew Teichow told the court on Wednesday that, after arriving at the hospital, he also spotted bruises on the girl's body.

'She was extremely thin. Her bones were coming out of her skin is what it looked like,' he said.

Fellow police officer James Morgan said cops spoke with the accused parents inside the home after Mackenzie was taken to hospital.

He said Mackenzie's three-year-old sister was one of three children sitting on a couch and that she appeared 'emaciated'.

'She seemed to have very low energy and spoke very quietly,' Morgan said, adding that she pointed to an empty glass and asked for milk.

The two other children in the room were Hilery Maison's biological children.

Andrew Maison's attorney, Frederick Lepley, said his client loved his children and that he was a hard-working father.

Michael Boucher, representing Hilery Maison, said Mackenzie and her three-year-old sister had underlying medical conditions and struggled to eat.

'Even with the biological mother, there were complaints about health problems,' he said.

Mackenzie's mother, Shelby Coffee - who is not standing trial - paid tribute to her daughter last year.

'She was five years old. She was the brightest little girl. Very independent, beautiful... and she was my world,' she told WJBK.

She added: 'Watch out for your kids. No matter what, no matter if you think you can trust each other or not. 'Make sure you watch out for your kids, because one day you can turn around and you'll be getting a phone call just like I did.'

Teen son on trial for killing violent drug-addicted custodial dad (Coeur D'Alene, Idaho)

Notice that the process by which this abusive nutcase of a father gained custody of his two sons, one of which had autism, is kind of glossed over. It didn't just happen. Unless mothers have the full support of the police and the courts, these kinds of fathers routinely get custody because they're scary and obsessed with control.

Dad is identified as ELDON SAMUEL, JR.

http://kval.com/news/local/defense-violent-father-abused-kids-obsessed-over-zombies

Defense: Violent father abused kids, obsessed over zombies

By Associated Press |Thursday, January 21st 2016 

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho (AP) Eldon Samuel Jr. was a violent man who was hooked on prescription drugs, owned numerous weapons and was preparing his sons for a zombie apocalypse, his estranged wife Tina Samuel told the court Wednesday.

The couple's 16-year-old son, Eldon Samuel III, is being tried as an adult for killing his father and his autistic brother, reported the Coeur d'Alene Press.

He was 14 at the time of the March 2014 killings.

Tina Samuel described her husband as controlling and moody. She lives in California and said Eldon Samuel Jr. moved to Idaho with their two boys when the couple separated.

She said younger Eldon Samuel listened to and learned from his father, who had prepared to load a trailer with guns and other weapons, water, and canned food and take the family high into the mountains in the event of a zombie apocalypse.

"He was trained to be ready when the zombies came," said Tina Samuel, who said the father taught his sons to use knives and guns and cut of the heads of rattlesnakes for fun "Shoot them in the head or chop off their head. That's the only way to kill a zombie."

Eldon Samuel III is accused of shooting his father and shooting, stabbing and hacking at 13-year-old Jonathan Samuel repeatedly with a machete. The teen called 911 that night and officers found him standing out front in bloody clothes.

Officers said the teenager told them he feared his father, who beat him, would kill him.

He told police his dad was high on painkillers, fired a gun outside the house and started talking about zombies, according to court records. Samuel said his dad also started hitting and pushing him. He told police he shot his father and then went after his autistic brother, who was hiding under a bed. Samuel blamed Jonathan's disability for the family's problems, according to the police transcript.

Tina Samuel said her husband's demeanor changed after he became addicted to prescription drugs after some work injuries.

"It got so much worse over the years," she said.

Before the couple broke up for good, they moved 20 times. Tina Samuel said they were evicted "every place we lived at" because Eldon Samuel Jr. didn't pay the rent.

She said her teenage son often missed school and was bullied when he did go.

Teachers from Lakes Magnet Middle School testified that the missed days hurt his development and grades, but that Samuel was quiet, polite and tried to learn when he showed up.

A pediatrician said the teenage Samuel reported that his dad physically abused him and that he lived on one meal per day.

A dentist who treated Samuel after his arrest said his teeth were also in horrible condition from chronic neglect.

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Step pleads guilty to murder in death of 4-year-old boy; custodial dad still out on bond (Clinton County, Missouri)

We've posted on this case before. As often happens, the courts set up wife number #2 as The Evil Step, while dad is cast as clueless and inept. It's bull. It's sometimes the case that mothers are prevented from protecting their children because of death threats or beatings. But not men. Yet battered women are routinely held responsible for "failing to protect" while fathers seldom are despite the typical absence of any factors that would prevent them from doing so.

Dad is identifed as JUSTIN WEBB. See the Killer Dads and Custody list for Missouri.

http://www.clintoncountyleader.com/news/article_5d7e2ea0-c058-11e5-93c8-4f1ab1af2863.html

Webb pleads guilty to murder in child abuse case

Posted: Thursday, January 21, 2016 10:02 am | Updated: 10:08 am, Thu Jan 21, 2016.

By BECKY BLACK | Leader Editor

He would have been eight years old on January 3 – sharing his smile and energy at elementary school, playing in the snow, eating birthday cake. But Lucas Webb’s life was tragically cut short at the age of four because of child abuse and neglect.

The case against Melissa Webb has lingered in Clinton County since 2012 when she and her husband, Justin Webb, were charged with murder and child abuse after the death of Lucas. Justin was Lucas’ father; Melissa was his step-mother. Months became years as friends and loved ones begged for justice in Lucas’ name.

Last Tuesday, January 12, Melissa Webb appeared in Clinton County Circuit Court and pleaded guilty to both counts, just two weeks ahead of the start of her jury trial. In front of the Honorable Judge Brent Elliott, Melissa waived her right to testify and was sentenced to 20 years on Count I – Murder in the Second Degree, and 15 years on Count II – Abuse or Neglect of a Child. According to online court records, the sentencing recommendation stated the sentences would run concurrent, or at the same time. Melissa has been in custody since charged in 2012 and with credit for time served could spend a maximum of 17 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. Assistant Attorney General for the State of Missouri Scott Fox worked the case as a special prosecutor for Clinton County. (The Leader made attempts to contact the Attorney General’s office for explanation of the sentencing, but Mr. Fox was not available for comment prior to press time.)

As the details still unfold surrounding Melissa and Justin’s plea agreements, the facts of the case still remain clear. Emergency responders were dispatched to the Webb home in Holt, Mo., on the afternoon of October 15, 2012, for an unresponsive child. Lucas was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy revealed his death was due to blunt force trauma to the abdomen approximately 12-24 hours before his death. During their investigation, Clinton County officers found Lucas had made a statement to an adult in late August that his stomach hurt after his step-mother had kicked him because she was mad. This finding confirmed what the autopsy revealed. Lucas had sustained fractured ribs six to eight weeks prior to his death.

In 2013, The Kansas City Star reported the release of the Department of Social Services documents surrounding Lucas’ case. Despite multiple hotlines over a handful of years, five days prior to his death, state workers had closed their abuse and neglect case labeling it “sufficient parenting”. Justin and Melissa had an excuse for every concern presented. His cries for help were silenced.

Also in the Star’s 2013 report, Department of Social Services spokesperson Rebecca Woelfel said the case had been reviewed and it was determined that “staff members violated agency policy” and those two employees were no longer working for the agency.

Justin Webb is currently out on bond. He pleaded not guilty to the charges against him in 2014. All hearings for Justin have been canceled and nothing is scheduled. Social media posts on the “R.I.P. Lucas Webb” Facebook page state Melissa agreed to testify on Justin’s behalf as part of her plea.

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Lawmakers Push for Mandatory Minimums in child deaths after custodial dad kills little girl (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)

Another case we've followed over the years. Dad is identified as ZYRIAH SCHLITTER.

See the Killer Dads and Custody list for Iowa.

http://cbs2iowa.com/news/local/lawmakers-push-for-mandatory-minimums-in-child-deaths

Lawmakers Push for Mandatory Minimums in Child Deaths

By Steffi Lee |Monday, January 18th 2016

Cedar Rapids, IA — (CBS2/FOX28) - Jeri King says not a day goes by where she doesn't remember her granddaughter, Kamryn Schlitter.

"I refuse to believe her death would be in vain," King said.

King lives in Arkansas now, but the Iowa native says the sentencing system of her home state still affects her hundreds of miles away.

In Iowa, depending on the ruling of a parole board, those convicted of child endangerment resulting in death may not have to serve the maximum 50 years in prison.

"The reality is, short of a first-degree murder conviction in the state of Iowa, everybody gets out of jail at some point in time," First. Asst. Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks said.

Maybanks was the lead prosecutor in Kamryn's case. She died from blunt force head injuries and months of child abuse in 2010. A jury convicted her father, Zyriah Schlitter, and his ex-girlfriend, Amy Parmer, of involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment resulting in a death.

"Once we do our job here in the courthouse and we obtain convictions against the individuals, what happens to them afterwards is really out of our hands," Maybanks said.

Maybanks says that's haunting to the prosecutors and the families involved in the heartbreak.

King says year after year, she's received letters in the mail from the Iowa Board of Parole, causing her entire family to relive the nightmare.

Under state law, both Schlitter and Parmer were immediately eligible for parole as soon as they stepped foot in prison.

"Our heart skips a beat and we hold our breath until we open it up and see the word 'deny' in there," King said.

Other families across the state experience the same worries. That's what sparked Rep. Dave Dawson (D-Sioux City) and Rep. Ken Rizer (R-Marion) to draft a bill requiring a minimum sentence for anyone serving a sentence for a conviction of child endangerment resulting in a death. It would deny parole or work release until the person serves at least 70 percent, or 35 years, of the maximum sentence of 50.

Dawson had a constituent voice their family's concerns, which is how he approached Rizer about putting together this bill. Rizer hopes the bipartisan effort will help it gain traction across the state.

"I was kind of surprised to find out that here in the state of Iowa, if a child is killed by shaking, that the person convicted would be eligible for parole immediately," Rizer said.

Rizer says that's an injustice. King says it takes away from the reason why those convicted enter prison in the first place.

"To me, a prison sentence has lost its value and reason when it becomes more about an incentive to be good while you're in prison, than it does punishment or rehabilitation," King said.

King says nothing will ever take away her family's pain, but not having to worry annually, will give them some closure.

"Peace of heart, for future families that will have to face this, unfortunately," she said.

Rizer and Dawson said once the bill is filed, they will work to get it to Governor Terry Branstad's desk.

Custodial dad gets probation for beating, starvation, imprisonment of 12-year-old son (Detroit, Michigan)

Seriously. how is this not torture? Typical of the kid glove treatment that abusive custodial fathers get in the legal system. We've posted on this case before. Dad is identified as CHARLIE BOTHUELL IV.

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2016/01/19/detroit-dad-pleads-gets-probation-in-case-of-boy-found-in-basement/

Detroit Dad Pleads, Gets Probation In Case Of Boy Found In Basement

January 19, 2016 1:07 PM

DETROIT (WWJ) – A Detroit dad accused of abusing his 12-year-old son and hiding him in the basement of their home has agreed to a plea deal.

Charlie Bothuell IV — father of Charlie Bothuell V, who was missing for 11 days in June, 2014 — pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a reduced charge of fourth degree child abuse.

Judge Margaret Van Houten immediately sentenced him to 18 months probation, although he could have served up to a year in jail.

He was also ordered to take anger management classes and to follow all terms set by the Wayne County Third Circuit Court Family Division and to have no contact with his son. Court costs and restitution will be determined in the future.

Bothuell IV and his wife, Monique Dillard-Bothuell, each were initially charged with second-degree child abuse and torture, but the torture charge was later dropped and Dillard-Bothuell’s case was dismissed.

The story made national headlines before the alleged victim was found hidden behind a heavy drum in the bowels of the townhome where he lived with his dad and stepmother.

The younger Bothuell testified about alleged abuse at the hands of the two, describing strenuous daily workouts, denial of food and beatings with a PVC pipe.

His father was giving an interview to cable TV host Nancy Grace when he learned that Charlie had been found by police. He expressed surprise and said he didn’t know his son was in the basement.

“I thought my son was dead,” Bothuell IV told reporters.

He fought for custody of the boy, now a teen, who was placed in the care of other family members.

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Custodial dad may face murder charge in beating death of 3-month-old baby (Bahrain, United Arab Emirates)

UNNAMED DAD

http://www.gdnonline.com/Details/59012/Father-may-face-murder-charge-for-baby%E2%80%99s-death

Father may face murder charge for baby’s death

Thu, 14 Jan 2016

Noor Zahra

Bahrain: A Bahraini father could be charged with murder after allegedly beating to death his three-month-old child.

The GDN reported on Tuesday that the father and his wife were arrested after the infant died in hospital from severe head injuries.

It has now emerged that the woman, from the UAE, who was not the child’s mother has been released from custody without charge.

However, the 35-year-old father has been remanded in custody while investigations continue. Initial reports suggested the child was four months old, but sources told the GDN yesterday that he was actually three months old.

They added a medical examiner’s report concluded the child suffered a severe fracture to the skull from a blow to the back of the head.

The father is now due to appear at the Public Prosecution on Monday and sources said neighbours would also be summoned to give evidence.

It is understood the man’s wife could testify against him in court if the case goes to trial.

However, the father previously denied the allegations during questioning and claimed he was not present when his son suffered the fatal injury in an accident at his home.

The child, who was staying with his father because his mother was out of the country, was taken to Salmaniya Medical Complex after suffering the injury.

However, he died four days after being admitted.

The father faces a 25-year jail sentence if he is charged and convicted of murder.

Prosecutors: Joint custody dad murdered 3-year-old son to impress teen girlfriend (Camden County, New Jersey)

Lots of crap here. Blame the teenage girlfriend! She was so hostile about kids! How unnatural! Why, her blog posts on the subject where just "unbelievable"! She gave Daddy an ultimatum: me or the kid!

So freaking what.

Dad DAVID "D.J." CREATO JR. is an adult. What the hell was he doing with a teenager? Couldn't find anybody over 18 to date him? So he's dating a high school student? Notice there is no outrage about that. It's all about a kid who just wanted to be a kid.

What she thought or felt is immaterial. It is no crime for a young woman not to like children or prefer to be in a relationship with somebody who does not have children.

It was Daddy's choice to either give up his weekend custody time or stay in a relationship with this teenager. He apparently decided to kill the child instead.

Can't help but wonder whether this father was granted joint custody/visitation time despite a history of abuse and personal irresponsibility.

See the Killer Dads and Custody list for New Jersey.

http://news.yahoo.com/dad-killed-son-3-fear-150100800.html

Dad Killed Son, 3, In Fear of Losing His Girlfriend Who Disliked Children: Prosecutors .

By Inside Edition
23 hours ago

A New Jersey man was charged with murdering his three-year-old son, allegedly killing the child because he feared the boy was getting in the way of his relationship with his teenage girlfriend, prosecutors said.

Little Brendan Creato was found dead on October 13, less than a mile from his dad’s apartment, where he had been dropped off a day earlier.

His father, David “D.J.” Creato, Jr., reported the toddler missing around 6 a.m., telling a 911 operator that he had woken up to find his son was missing.

“I just woke up and he wasn’t in my apartment,” Creato, 22, said. “I don’t know if he wandered out or what happened. I don’t know where he is.

“The door was locked. I guess he unlocked it and left,” he continued.

Brendan’s body was found by a K-9 unit partially submerged in water in a wooded area off South Park Drive about 9 a.m., officials said.

He was still wearing his pajamas.

The child’s cause of death is still undetermined, but medical examiners reportedly found he died of “homicidal violence,” prosecutors said.

Brendan’s brain showed a lack of oxygen before his death, indicating causes such as drowning, smothering or asphyxiation, WPVI reported.

He also had a fresh bruise near his collarbone, investigators said.

Investigators reportedly did not believe that Brenden went to that area on his own, as the boy’s socks were clean despite the muddy surroundings.

The area is very steep at one point and difficult to navigate, authorities said.

He was also known to be afraid of the dark, so it was unlikely he would have gone into the wooded area before it was daylight, prosecutors said.

There were no signs of forced entry at the home, where Brendan slept on a love seat nine feet from his dad’s bedroom, she continued.

“Never once had he left the apartment or his mother’s house or his grandparents’ by himself,” Shah said.

The boy’s father was arrested on Monday and charged with first-degree murder and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, officials said.

Prosecutors allege that Creato killed his own son after his 17-year-old girlfriend had told him she disliked children and “issued an ultimatum to him,” saying it was either her or him.

She told Creato that he would have to give up taking custody of Brendan every other weekend to be with her, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

The pair had begun dating in June 2015 after meeting on the app Tinder, remaining together despite the girl’s open “dislike” of children, prosecutors said.

She had written a series of “unbelievable” blogs in which she described her “strong dislike of children,” Camden County Assistant Prosecutor Christine Shah said at Creato’s arraignment on Tuesday.

After the girl went away to college, she repeatedly threatened to break up with Creato, who had allegedly become jealous of a boy that she was talking to at school.

Creato reportedly logged into her social media accounts and at one point posed as the girl and told the boy to leave her alone.

Creato did not confess to killing his son, but allegedly told investigators that he felt “jealous and anxious” in the hours before he noticed his son was missing, and that he had been worried that the woman he loved had found someone else, the Inquirer wrote.

Shah said that on the night that Brendan was killed, Creato allegedly called his girlfriend eight times and that he noticed from her Snapchat account—a picture and video-sharing app—that she was with the “guy he was jealous of,” the paper reported.

Creato and the girl had visited the spot where Brendan’s body was found about 30 times, and he told investigators that it was his “favorite place… and he referred to it as spiritual to him,” Shah said.

The pair is still reportedly communicating.

If convicted of murder, Creato faces a minimum of 30 years in prison without parole and a maximum term of life in prison with at least 67 years without parole.

His bail was set at $750,000.

If he posts bail, Creato is not allowed to leave the state or make any contact with Brendan’s mother, Samantha Denoto, or her family.

Creato’s attorney, Richard Fuschino Jr., said his client had cooperated fully and truthfully with investigators.

“He spent an entire day answering questions of investigators,” Fuschino said, saying that the prosecutor’s version of what happened was improbable, the Inquirer wrote.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Bureaucrats defend social workers after sexually abusive father gets unsupervised access (British Columbia, Canada)

Very typical of the way fathers rights ideology as taken over. Mothers are labeled vindictive crazy liars no matter what.

UNNAMED DAD.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/judge-bc-sexual-abuse-errors-b-j-province-1.3401088

B.C. defends social workers after abusive father gets unsupervised access

Ministry of Children and Families appeals ruling that blamed officials for allowing child to be abused

By Natalie Clancy, CBC News

Posted: Jan 13, 2016 9:07 AM PT| Last Updated: Jan 13, 2016 3:02 PM PT

The family members can't be identified to protect the children, three of whom a B.C. Supreme Court justice determined were sexually abused by their father.

Natalie Clancy Investigative Reporter | CBC News Vancouver

Natalie Clancy is an award-winning journalist with a 25 year track record for breaking stories. Her investigations have exposed how Canadian girls are recruited by ISIS, sexual harassment in the RCMP, and forced the B.C. government to improve safety for nurses.

B.C.'s Children's Ministry is defending its actions in a case that involved a father who a judge ruled in a civil case sexually abused a child while the toddler was in the care of the ministry.

A B.C. Supreme Court judge ruled earlier in 2015 that the province's child protection service was negligent when it gave the father unsupervised access to his children after the three eldest made disclosures of sexual abuse.

The Ministry of Children and Family Development filed its reasons for appealing the decision this week.

The factum, submitted to the B.C. Court of Appeal, says that social workers relied on several experts including a pediatrician, psychologist and an expert on parenting when granting the unsupervised visits.

Allegations about the father were investigated by Vancouver police in this case, who concluded there was "no evidence to support J.P's allegations that B.G. molested their children." As a result no criminal charges were laid in this case.

The document says the judge who ruled in the case made errors in law and ignored key evidence when he condemned the ministry's actions.

Stop 'keeping secrets for Daddy'

The factum paints an ugly picture of the mother referred to only as J.P., citing an incident when she pepper-sprayed her ex-husband, brother and sister-in-law in the home where the children were staying.

As a result the children were moved to a foster home.

Social workers were also concerned about her repeated attempts to interview the children about their father's abuse.

The document says during a supervised visit she "forcibly held (her daughter) in her lap while telling her that (she) needed to tell the truth and cannot keep secrets. J.P. stated that (her daughter) was 'keeping secrets for daddy,' and that her actions were 'ruining our lives.'"

The government says J.P. refused to meet with social workers to talk about the "traumatizing effect that J.P.'s behaviour would have on a five-year-old child."

Mother's lawyer responds

J.P.'s lawyer Jack Hittrich says he will file a full response to the province's appeal in April. In the meantime he highlighted his concerns to CBC News.

"What is astounding about this factum is that the central findings of fact are completely ignored," said Hittrich.

"They chose to align themselves fully with the (father)," says Hittrich, but the ministry denies that.

"In this case mom does everything she can to protect these children. The more she cries the more she's labelled as crazy!"

Concerns mother would harm children

The factum argues the judge was wrong to rule social workers acted in bad faith, suggesting the evidence shows they properly assessed the risks posed to the children, and made decisions based on the information available at the time.

They feared the children were endangered by their mother, and at one point concern was raised by a police investigator that the mother might even kill the children.

The ministry's appeal argues that at that time experts advised it was unlikely the children had been sexually abused, and that their mother needed mental health intervention before she could safely regain custody.

Social workers had no way of knowing a judge would later rule that the father had abused the children and the mother had no mental health issues.

The province says the actions of social workers were unfairly judged in hindsight.

By June of 2011 the director of child welfare was aware the three eldest children had made disclosures of sexual abuse, but their statements were inconsistent, and Vancouver police had found no physical evidence to support charges.

Ministry relied on expert findings

The judge ruled social workers did not properly assess the risk to the children, but the document says the ministry relied on several reports, including:

■Pediatrician found no physical evidence of sexual abuse.
■Child psychologist found low probability that sexual abuse occurred.
■Parental capacity expert concluded sexual abuse was unlikely.
■Child psychologist concluded sexual abuse was unlikely.
■Parental capacity expert recommended father get custody.
■Child psychologist recommended father get custody.
■Parental capacity expert said mother required mental health intervention.
■Child psychologist found mother required psychiatric assessment.

The document says the mother refused to go for a recommended psychiatric assessment while the father followed orders to work with a parenting coach, who wrote positive reviews.

The trial judge ruled the VPD investigation was flawed and the experts the ministry relied on were not reliable, and social workers ought to have known that.

The ruling found one ministry employee's pervasive distrust of J.P. influenced others, and his failure to include sexual abuse allegations in a key document amount to misfeasance.

But the province says the evidence does not support such a serious finding.

The document says the plaintiff's view that a "multi-institutional conspiracy" led social workers to make a decision that ultimately allowed a father to molest his toddler in the ministry's care is simply not supported by evidence.

Being wrong does not mean negligence

But the factum does not dispute that sexual abuse occurred after the father was granted unsupervised access.

"Whether the sexual abuse in fact occurred is a much different question from whether social workers reasonably and in good faith" says the document.

"The fact that the trial judge eventually concluded … that the director was 'wrong' in her assessment of risk does not render all actions of the director that preceded … negligent and malicious."

The province declined to comment on the appeal because it is still before the courts.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Prosecutors seek to deprive abusive custodial father of parental rights (Seoul, Korea)

A very typical crime story, in that the father's obvious custodial status is not explicitly identified. Nor is it ever explained how this girl's mother got eliminated from the picture. Given that this father was consistently violent and physically abusive, the odds are very high that the mother got the same treatment. Notice that Dad had complete "ownership" of this child even though he admits that he didn't want her. Very typical power/control impulse found in abusers.

UNNAMED DAD

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2016/01/116_195162.html

Prosecutors seek to deprive abusive father of parental rights

By Chung Ah-young

Prosecutors said Monday that they asked a court to terminate the parental rights of a father who allegedly abused his daughter for more than three years.

The prosecution has indicted the 32-year-old father and two accomplices ― his girlfriend and another friend ― on charges of child abuse and demanded the court strip him of his parental rights. They allegedly confined the 11-year-old girl at home in Incheon and a motel in Seoul for three years and four months since 2012.

They habitually beat the girl, breaking her ribs, and didn't provide enough food for her.

Prosecutors said that he and his girlfriend habitually beat his daughter.

The abuse was brought to light after the girl escaped from home on Dec. 12. She tried to steal bread at a nearby supermarket but the owner caught her. Seeing that she was barefoot and wearing just shorts and a T-shirt, he called the police.

The father told police that he abused her because he doesn't like her.

Early in the investigation, police found that they had been abusing her since moving to Incheon from Bucheon in 2013. But prosecutors discovered additional evidence that she has been mistreated since 2012.

"We confirmed that she had been abused even before 2013 when they lived in Seoul," a prosecutor said.

Right after the incident in December, the Incheon District Court temporarily suspended the father's parental rights and designated an official at a child protection center as her guardian.

The relevant law requires prosecutors to ask the court for termination of parental rights when parents' abuse causes serious injuries to children or they habitually beat them for an extended period.

The law was enacted in 2014 following a case where a seven-year-old girl in Ulsan died after her stepmother beat her for about an hour in 2013.

Dad charged with murdering 3-year-old son during custody time (Camden County, New Jersey)

Notice that you have to get to the very end of the article to find out that the father in question was separated and/or divorced from the mother. And that some sort of access/custody arrangement was in place. Of course, as we so often see, whether the father had full custody, joint custody, or just periodic visitation is not explained. And of course we also have no idea WHO granted this father his "rights" and whether he had a past history that should have raised questions.

Dad is identified as DAVID CREATO JR.

See the Killer Dads and Custody list for New Jersey.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/jersey-dad-charged-murder-year-boys-death-36223286

New Jersey Dad Charged With Murder in 3-Year-Old Boy's Death

By The Associated Press

CAMDEN, N.J. — Jan 11, 2016, 4:40 PM

The father of a 3-year-old boy found dead in a park last year has been charged with his murder, prosecutors announced Monday.

David Creato Jr., 22, also faces a child endangerment charge in the death of his son, Brendan. The child's body was found Oct. 13 in Cooper River Park about three hours after Creato reported him missing from his Haddon Township home.

When Creato called 911, he said he had woken up around 6 a.m. and soon realized the boy was gone.

"I don't know if he wandered out or what happened," Creato told the operator. "I don't know where he is. The door was locked. I guess he unlocked it and left."

The 911 call prompted a townwide search until the boy's body was found.

Creato was arrested Monday in Washington Township, Camden County prosecutors said. He's due to be arraigned Tuesday, and his bail has not yet been set.

Prosecutors declined to comment further on the charges, the investigation or what led them to consider as a Creato a suspect, citing court rules that they say prevent them from making statements outside of the courtroom that might prejudice the defendant's right to a fair trial.

Authorities have said that the boy's autopsy results were inconclusive and that a cause of death could not be determined. Creato's attorney, Richard Fuschino Jr., told The Philadelphia Inquirer that he would "vigorously defend this case."

Fuschino claimed that authorities pointed to Creato because pressure was mounting from the public to identify a suspect, and because there were no other obvious clues in the case. He said he worried that the indictment "is the result of just not having any other answers."

In the days after the body was found, Fuschino had said investigators told him his client was not a suspect. He also said Creato spoke to investigators without a lawyer present and had been told police had no suspects.

The indictment accuses Creato of purposely or knowingly causing the child's death or causing serious bodily injury that caused the death, but it did not provide further details on those allegations.

Brendan's father and his mother, Samantha Denoto, do not live together. She has not spoken publicly about her son's death since a vigil held the day the child's body was found.

Monday, January 11, 2016

Police searching for custodial father of baby "believed to be dead" (Jacksonville, Florida)

I fail to see how Daddy was the best choice for custody of a newborn, given that he was homeless and had a criminal history. This is what happens when fathers rights are supreme over the best interests of a baby.

Dad is identified as DWAYNE WEEDON.

See the Killer Dads and Custody list for Florida.

http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/news/local/jso-hold-news-briefing-sunday-evening-current-inve/np2pD/

Posted: 5:01 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016

Jacksonville baby believed to be dead, police searching for father

Police believe Nehemiah is dead and have been unable to locate his father Dwayne Weedon, who claims he gave the baby to out-of-state relatives.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Police believe a missing Jacksonville baby is dead and are searching for the father.

Dwayne Weedon, 29, got custody of a newborn and two other children while their mother was in jail in 2014.

JSO said Weedon claims he gave custody of newborn Nehemiah Weedon to family members out of state in Oct. 2014.

Police have not been able to locate Nehemiah and believe he is dead.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office released information about the case at a press conference Sunday.

Officials said Kristen Branch gave Weedon custody of their two other children, 2 and 4, when she was jailed for forgery, fraud and narcotics charges in March 2014.

Weedon was homeless and lived at Sulzbacher Center with their two children, according to police.

Branch gave birth to Nehemiah at UF Health while in custody in Aug. 2014. Weedon took custody of Nehemiah a few days after he was born and returned to Sulzbacher Center with all three children, according to police.

Branch was sentenced in Sept. 2014 and began to serve time at Florida State Prison.

According to authorities, Weedon told a Sulzbacher caseworker in Oct. 2014 that he was having trouble taking care of Nehemiah and decided to give an out-of-state relative custody of the child.

Weedon was asked to leave the Sulzbacher Center in Dec. 2014 due to behavioral issues, authorities said. He took his two children to 'places unknown,' according to police.

When Branch was released from prison in Nov. 2015, police said Weedon gave Branch the two children. Police said Branch did not question Weedon when he told her Nehemiah was with family that live out of state.

Branch went to live with family in St. Johns County after her release. Her family became concerned about the circumstances surrounding the transfer of custody of Nehemiah and contacted St. Johns County deputies.

The case was turned over to JSO and they began to investigate on Jan. 1, 2016.

Officers have not been able to get in contact with Weedon. Branch said she last talked with Weedon on Dec. 21, 2015.

They've contacted many of Weedon's out-of-state family members, who live in various states from the East Coast to the Central United States, and have been unable to locate anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Nehemiah.

Police said they believe Nehemiah has been dead since Weedon claimed he was handed over to family in Oct. 2014.

JSO is seeking any information regarding the whereabouts of Nehemiah and Dwayne Weedon.

Police said Weedon may be in the Jacksonville area. Weedon frequented the Baymeadows, Southside and Springfield areas in Jacksonville.

Police are asking anyone who may have seen him and Nehemiah to contact authorities at 904-630-0500.

Weedon has unrelated warrants for credit card fraud and dealing in stolen property, according to JSO.

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Custodial dad to be sentenced in death of 2-year-old son (Danielson, Connecticut)

Dad is identified as DAVID MAHAN. We've posted on this case before. Still no explanation as to how this neglectful dad and his drug-addicted girlfriend got custody.

See the Killer Dads and Custody list for the state of Connecticut.

http://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/20160108/putnam-father-to-be-sentenced-to-two-years-in-toddler-sons-death

Putnam father to be sentenced to two years in toddler son's death

By John Penney

Posted Jan. 8, 2016 at 11:36 AM Updated Jan 8, 2016 at 12:59 PM

DANIELSON — A Putnam man will be sentenced in March to spend two years in prison for his role in the 2014 choking death of his 2-year-old son.

David Mahan, 31, on Tuesday pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and risk of injury to a child, according to prosecutors in the Danielson Superior Court’s state’s attorney’s office. Under a plea agreement, Mahan on March 1 is scheduled to be sentenced to seven years in prison, suspended after two years, and five years of probation.

Mahan and his former girlfriend, Renee Peterson, 33, were arrested nearly two years ago in connection with the death of Mahan’s son inside the couple’s apartment at 129 Mechanics St.

According to court documents, Peterson on March 26, 2014, left the boy and his 1-year-old sibling alone in a locked bedroom for hours on the day of the incident with bowls of dry cereal while she dropped one of her two children off at school and later drove to a Willimantic methadone clinic for treatment.

Mahan, an electrician with the Mercier Electrical Co. in Auburn, Mass., was reportedly at work when Peterson came home and found the boy not breathing and unresponsive in the bedroom.

After Peterson called 911 and began CPR, emergency personnel arrived and took the child to DayKimball Hospital in Putnam, where he was pronounced dead. An emergency room doctor observed what appeared to be food in the victim’s airway, police said. According to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the child’s cause of death was by choking on a bolus, or mass of chewed food. The manner of death was determined to be homicide.

Peterson told police she had routinely left Mahan’s children alone several hours a day since mid-March of 2014, when Mahan returned to work after a layoff of five months, according to an arrest warrant. In a statement to police, Peterson said Mahan was aware she was leaving his children alone and told her to “just lock the children in the bedroom while she went to the clinic,” until other day care arrangements could be made, according to the warrant.

Shortly after the boy’s death, Mahan was arrested by Massachusetts state police on fugitive from justice charges.

In August, Peterson was sentenced to serve five years of a seven-year sentence, along with five years of probation. She pleaded guilty on June 5 to second-degree manslaughter and risk of injury charges in the child’s death.

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Custodial dad's "reign of terror" killed 17-year-old daughter, jury at "suitcase" murder trial hears (Toronto, Canada)

We've posted on dad EVERTON BIDDERSINGH before.

See the Killer Dads and Custody list for Canada.

http://www.680news.com/2016/01/04/dads-reign-terror-killed-daughter-jury-suitcase-murder-trial-hears/

Dad's 'reign of terror' killed daughter, jury at 'suitcase' murder trial hears

Local National by Diana Mehta, The Canadian Press
Posted Jan 4, 2016 8:22 am EST Last Updated Jan 5, 2016 at 5:39 am EST

A father’s “reign of terror” reduced his daughter from a happy, healthy child to a starved, emotionally broken teen, ultimately killing her, a Crown prosecutor told a Toronto court Monday as he urged the jury to find the man guilty of first-degree murder.

Everton Biddersingh has pleaded not guilty in the death of 17-year-old Melonie, whose charred body was found in a burning suitcase 21 years ago.

“His reign of terror over Melonie ultimately resulted in her death,” Crown prosecutor Mary Humphrey said in closing arguments. “But for his actions or his omissions, Melonie would have been alive today. She would have been 38 years old.”

The case has taken two decades to get to trial because police weren’t able to identify Melonie’s remains until they received a tip that eventually led to the arrest of Biddersingh and his wife in March 2012.

The trial has heard that Melonie came to Canada from Jamaica with two brothers in 1991, when she was 13, to live with her father and stepmother.

Jurors have heard that the girl – who hoped to one day become a nurse – was not sent to school and suffered brutal beatings, food deprivation and gut-wrenching abuse at the hands of her father.

Melonie was treated like a slave, Humphrey said, and was “withering away” before her father’s eyes but he did not stop mistreating her.

“Everton took away everything from Melonie,” she said. “He took away her will to live.”

Biddersingh viewed his daughter as a “traitor” after he believed she once took her stepmother’s side during a marital dispute, Humphrey said.

He also used the girl as a free housekeeper, a caregiver for his other young children and an outlet for his anger towards his wife, Humphrey said.

Over the course of many months, Melonie was confined for hours in a tiny closet, had her head placed in a toilet that was flushed, was chained to the furniture at times, was denied food and was kicked, punched and thrown against walls by her father, the trial has heard.

“The evidence was clear that Everton had a real dislike for his daughter,” Humphrey said. “He told (Melonie’s older brother) Cleon he wished he had dropped her on the head as a baby.”

Melonie wasn’t taken to the hospital as her health deteriorated – despite her obviously frail body and the fact that she had trouble moving – because Biddersingh didn’t want anyone to detect that the girl had been abused, Humphrey said.

“He dominated her and he exploited her until her very last breath,” she said. “When she was no longer of any use to him he killed her or he caused her to die when she was unlawfully confined.”

While the exact cause of Melonie’s death is debatable – there are suggestions she may have drowned or merely starved to death – Humphrey told the jury there was no doubt that Biddersingh’s “planned and deliberate” actions caused his daughter to die.

“Melonie was a helpless 17-year-old girl who was starved, beaten, drowned or nearly drowned, stuffed into a suitcase and then set on fire by her father,” she said. “This was a cold, calculated, deliberate first-degree murder.”

 After Melonie’s death, Humphrey told the jury, Biddersingh crammed his daughter into a suitcase, drove her to a remote area and set her on fire.

 “He attempted to eliminate any evidence that she ever existed,” she said. “Burning her body shows a high degree of malice.”

The jury has heard that Biddersingh told friends and family, including Melonie’s brother and her biological mother, that the girl had run away from home. The jury was told that Melonie died on Sept. 1, 1994 and weighed only about 50 pounds at the time.

Expert evidence indicated Melonie was “grossly underweight” and had 21 “healing fractures” in her ribs, spine, pelvis, right knee and left ankle that were caused three weeks to six months before her death.

It also indicated that Melonie had inhaled water shortly before her death.

Custodial dad with outstanding criminal warrants charged with aggravated manslaughter for suffocation death of 6-year-old son (Englewood, Florida)

Still no explanation (surprise!) as to how a father with a history of abuse (animal cruelty) and other criminal behavior managed to get custody of a young child, much less who gave it to him. What happened to this boy's mother? Why has she been erased from the story?

Very typical news story concerning an obviously custodial father (who is not openly identified as such, but clearly is) along with lots of airbrushing and erasure of key points as to how this apparent killer managed to secure access to his victim.

Dad is identified as JAMES DEARMAN.

See the Killer Dads and Custody list for Florida.

http://www.fox13news.com/news/local-news/69627562-story

Dad, girlfriend arrested in son's Christmas Eve death

Shayla Reaves reports       

Posted:Jan 06 2016 05:27AM EST Updated:Jan 06 2016 10:29AM EST

ENGLEWOOD (FOX 13) - A man and his girlfriend are behind bars following the death of a 6-year-old boy this past Christmas Eve.

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office says it happened at a home in Englewood, where 31-year-old James Dearman and his girlfriend, 22-year-old Ashley Cole, were playing video games that night.

According deputies, Dearman’s 6-year-old son and his 7-year-old sibling were in the room, and had been told to stand with their faces to the wall. But things turned violent when the youngest turned around to look at the television.  

Investigators say Dearman got angry and forced his son to lie on the couch, on his side with the cushions covering his mouth.

"He then pinned his son against that part of the couch using his body weight and pressed against him. The child repeatedly told him he couldn't breathe and eventually became unconscious," said Captain John Walsh of the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies say after his son passed out, Dearman and Cole went to smoke a cigarette in the garage before they called for help.

Dearman reportedly told first responders that his son was unconscious and had stopped breathing. The boy was pronounced dead at the hospital, where they also spotted bruising on his back.

Investigators arrested Dearman the following Monday, December 28, for outstanding animal cruelty and damage to property warrants out of Georgia. He was later charged with aggravated child abuse, which was then upgraded to aggravated manslaughter of a child on New Year’s Eve.

Deputies arrested Dearman’s girlfriend, Cole, on Monday, January 4, after investigators learned she may have helped hold the boy down during the incident. She’s been charged with principal to aggravated manslaughter of a child.

Monday, January 4, 2016

Dad in "custody battle" kills two daughters in murder-suicide (Pima County, Arizona)

Yet another abusive, control-freak father who never should have been allowed access after the marital separation. Dad is identified as LEVI PARKER.

See the Killer Dads and Custody list for Arizona.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/arizona-dad-shot-killed-daughters-died-article-1.2476773

Arizona dad who fatally shot two young daughters two days before Christmas has died

BY Keri Blakinger / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS / Friday, December 25, 2015, 10:53 AM

The Arizona dad and National Guard member who killed his two young daughters in cold blood has died, officials said.

Levi Parker, 37, murdered the children, MacKenzie Lee Parker, 8, and Haylee Parker, 5, in the midst of a custody battle with his estranged wife, according to a report.

Deputies were called to the Parker home at Veranda at Ventana Condominiums around 7 p.m. on Wednesday, after the girls’ mother received a threatening phone call.

"He made statements to her that basically led her to believe this was her last chance to talk to the kids alive," Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said, according to KNXV-TV.

When they arrived on scene five minutes later, deputies “attempted to talk to a male inside the residence from outside the front door,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement. “Soon after, deputies heard one gun shot and they forced entry into the home. Inside, they found the father and two daughters, all with gun shot wounds.”

MacKenzie died at the scene, while Haylee died at a local hospital and Parker was on life support until he died Thursday at Banner University Medical Center, according to KOLD-TV.

Nanos said that Parker and his wife were having legal problems and that on the day of the shooting the girls were visiting their father. They’d been separated for three months and were involved in a divorce case.

The girls’ aunt, Joan Parker, told the Arizona Daily Star that Parker was trying to get custody and that he was unhappy his wife had a new boyfriend.

“He did not want another man with his girls,” she said. “I personally think he’s been through so much in the military, almost 15 years. He could have developed PTSD or some kind of mental condition.”

Just a month before the killing, Parker posted on Facebook MacKenzie’s Christmas list, which included everything from a horse to chocolate to a guitar.

"This is tough," Nanos said. "It's a couple hours before what's supposed to be the best day in the world for little kids... our community lost two little ones."

A neighbor told KOLD that the incident has been “the talk of the community” while another said, “It completely blindsided us. Like we were home and it sounded like someone pounding a nail on a board."

The girls’ family released a statement on Thursday.

“Please keep our family in your hearts and prayers in our unimaginable grief,” they said.

Dad kills 2-year-old daughter in murder-suicide; is this a custodial situation? (Cudahy, Wisconsin)

The family structure isn't explained here, but notice that there is no mention of a wife/mother in the home or anywhere else. Just various "relatives." Also notice that the little girl had a different last name, which is fairly rare in a married situation. So it sounds very likely that Daddy had some kind of access/custody.

Dad is identified as BRETT HARMON.

http://www.wisn.com/news/murdersuicide-reported-in-cudahy-overnight/37222788

Family reacts to father, toddler killed in Cudahy murder-suicide

Relatives cope with news that father, 27, killed his two-year-old daughter

UPDATED 9:00 AM CST Jan 01, 2016

CUDAHY, Wis. —UPDATE: The Cudahy Police Department has released the names of family members involved in the killing.

While responding to a family member's 911 call, officers found Brett Harmon, 27, dead at 3723 Whittaker Avenue residence. The child, Skylan Hartman, was also found and transported to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.

A GoFundMe page is now up to raise money for Skylar's unexpected funeral costs.

Cudahy police say father shot and killed his 2-year-old daughter before turning the gun on himself overnight. Now, relatives of the toddler are coping with the news of her death.

Police got the call around 1:40 a.m. from a woman in a home near Whittaker and Kirkwood avenues.

When they arrived, the father, 27, was already dead.

The child was later pronounced dead at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.

"We're all just shocked and really sad," said Kaitlin Monroe, cousin of the toddler who was killed. She doesn’t understand what would have lead the father to commit such a heartbreaking act, so close to the child’s birthday, no less.

“Her birthday party was in two days, and we're all just really upset because she was gonna be three, and we just don't get why he would take her life too,” Monroe said.

Cudahy police and the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office are still investigating.

Dad with custody/visitation rights charged with suffocating, killing 6-year-old son (Englewood, Florida)

Typical example of the way the media erases father custody/visitation "rights" from a child abuse story. Clearly the "girlfriend" is not the mother, or she would have been identified as the mother. Ergo, the mother is elsewhere. So it is obvious that this violent, video-addicted POS had some sort of child access--whether it was court-ordered or not is not specified. But that is also typical. Mustn't let the public know that the family courts either ordered this child into Daddy's "care" and/or pressured the mother into being "cooperative" and providing access "voluntarily."

Dad is identified as JAMES DEARMAN.

See the Killer Dads and Custody list for Florida.

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/man-charged-suffocating-son-against-couch?ref=yfp

Man charged with suffocating son against couch

By the Associated Press | January 3, 2016 | 2:55 AM EST

ENGLEWOOD, Fla. (AP) — Authorities say a 6-year-old Florida boy is dead after his father pinned him against a couch while the man and his girlfriend played video games Christmas Eve.

Local media outlets report that 31-year-old James Dearman was charged Thursday with aggravated manslaughter of a child.

A Sarasota County Sheriff's Office report says Dearman and his live-in girlfriend told the victim and his 7-year-old brother to go to bed but the boys continue to run around. Dearman's girlfriend told deputies that the father eventually became angry and used his full body weight to pin his younger son to the couch.

The report says the couple eventually realized the child wasn't breathing, so Dearman called 911 and began performing CPR. The boy was later pronounced dead at Englewood Hospital.

Dearman was being held on $1 million bail.

Jail records didn't list an attorney.