Killer Dads: Fathers who ended their children's lives in situations involving child custody, visitation, and/or child support
INDIANA
Clark County
Father: CHRISTOPHER BRUCK
Victim: Hayden Dukes (4 years)
Date of Death: January 2015
Boy seriously assaulted during what was reportedly father's first overnight visitation. Boy later died in hospital after being taken off life support.
Decatur County
Father: GREGORY HALL
Victim(s): Tyler Hall (14 years)
Date of Death: February 2014
Non-custodial father shot son to death in murder-suicide. Bodies found after police were informed that boy was "in danger."
Delaware County
*Father: RYAN MCCONNIEL
Victim(s): Lauren McConniel (5 years)
Date of Death: March 2010
Custodial father, step charged with felony child neglect charges. Girl died of severe malnutrition despite CPS investigations. Evidence that child was also sexually abused. Mother lost custody during divorce the year before in Knoxville, Tennessee. In April 2011, father pleaded guilty to neglect in exchange for testimony against step. Mom later files lawsuit. In March 2013 father sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Green County
Father: RONALD A. BOHANNON
Victim(s): Travis Bohannon (14 months)
Date of Death: August 2009
Father separated from wife. Son "accidently" shot during visitation. Father convicted of reckless homicide in January 2010.
Henry County
Father: JOSEPH HORN
Victim(s): Thomas Cordell Horn (5 years), Corinne Nicole Horn (11 years)
Date of Death: August 2015
After "difficult divorce" (presumably code for history of domestic violence), father kills children in murder-suicide. Apparently had joint custody at minimum as murders discovered after school authorities reported children as missing.
Lake County
Father: TERRY BETHEL (aka Terry Noel)
Victim(s): Josiah Shaw (13 months)
Date of Death: January 2008
Father allegedly arranged to have visitation with son, then shot him to death to avoid child support. As of March 2012, no charges had been filed in baby's death. In September 2013, mother began pursuing a civil suit since the police had refused to file criminal charges for 5 1/2 years. Results not reported.
Father: LEON BURNS
Victim(s): Leon Walker (5 years)
Date of Death: April 2010
Boy found bound, tortured and beaten to death in home of custodial father. Death ruled a homicide. Father and girlfriend charged with murder and neglect. Girlfriend pleaded guilty to neglect in October 2012. Father's last reported hearing date was in November 2012; can find no update after that.
Father: RILEY CHOATE
Victim(s): Christian Choate
Date of Death: 2009. Body not found till May 2011.
Boy allegedly tortured, caged, and killed by custodial father. Father gained custody with help of mental health therapist, and retained custody despite ongoing child abuse allegations. As of August 2012, father's murder trial delayed. In December 2012, father pleaded guilty to "felony neglect" and faced up to 80 years in prison.
Father: CORDELL RICHARDSON
Victim(s): Eboni Richardson (19 months)
Date of Death: August 2009
Father shot and killed daughter during visitation because he didn't want child's mother to do a move away. Father also shot himself in the head. In February 2012, it was reported that father survived injury but is permanently disabled and unable to understand any pending criminal proceedings against him.
Madison County
Father: THOMAS ABRAHAM
Victim(s): Kelsey Abraham (5 years)
Date of Death: July 1997
Father shot daughter to death in murder-suicide during his first visitation after divorce.
Marion County
Father: WAYNE BRADSHAW
Victim(s): KaiMya Jelks (17 months)
Date of Death: August 2013
Father accused of killing daughter during what was apparently non-court ordered visitation. Has pleaded not guilty. In April 2014, father convicted and sentenced to 45 years in prison.
Father: DAVID BROWN
Victim(s): Harley Brown (15 years), Ashley Brown (13 years) wounded
Date of Death: September 2005
Custodial dad pleaded guilty to murder and attempted murder charges in July 2006. Mother was seeking custody at the time of crime.
Father: JOSHWA CARLISLE
Victim(s): Ex-girlfriend Tracie Shannon (22 years), Juliana (9 months)
Date of Death: September 2010
Father arrested in arson murder of ex-girlfriend, infant daughter. Father allegedly wanted to avoid paying child support. Though there are no other suspects, father found not guilty in June 2012 due to the reported lack of physical evidence.
Father: ALLEN DUNN
Victim(s): Skyler Dunn (2 years)
Date of Death: May 2012
Mother repeatedly contacted CPS regarding son's abuse during father's visitation time, but was ignored. Step now charged with aggravated battery.
Father: CHRISTOPHER STORBAKKEN
Victim(s): Harper Fowler (1 year)
Date of Death: October 2014
Father with weekend visitation arrested on murder charge for daughter's beating death.
St. Joseph County
Father: TERRY STURGIS
Victim(s): Tramelle Sturgis (10 years)
Date of Death: November 2011
Custodial father charged with murder in son’s beating death. Also facing battery charges involving two other sons. Previous CPS investigations had found children “well nurtured” and safe, with no signs of abuse. Convicted of murder in June 2012.
Tippecanoe County
*Father: CHRISTIAN GAUVIN
Victim(s): Aiyana Gauvin (4 years)
Date of Death: March 2005
Child beaten to death after months of abuse and neglect. Custodial father sentenced to 50 years in prison. In June 2011, state settled lawsuit filed by mother’s family.