Thanks, Tom.
Posted on 09/19/2003 11:41:36 AM PDT by oldoverholt
Boy, 13, accused in death of sister Suspect used pillow to stop infant's crying at a motel, police say; parents had gone out.
By Kevin O'Neal kevin.oneal@indystar.com September 19, 2003
A 13-year-old boy left to care for his 4-month-old sister apparently smothered her with a pillow to stop her crying, Beech Grove police said Thursday night.
The boy is in the Marion County Juvenile Center on preliminary charges of reckless homicide, making him the youngest person accused in a Marion County killing in at least five years. He lived in a motel room with his two sisters, his mom and her boyfriend. His surviving 11-year-old sister is in the custody of the county Youth Emergency Services program.
"He's not what I would describe as a monster," said Beech Grove Deputy Police Chief Rich Witmer. "I can only describe the whole thing as real sad."
Police are trying to find why the mother and her boyfriend left the children alone for at least six hours Wednesday night. The couple returned early Thursday to find the infant dead. Those adults have not been arrested, but they are under investigation, said Witmer.
The events that led to the baby's death unfolded between about 9 p.m. Wednesday and 3 a.m. Thursday, police said. Questions remain about the motel room where the five people lived, and the whereabouts of the adults when they left the children alone.
Police said the children lived with the adults in a room at the Motel 6, 5151 Elmwood Ave. The motel is just north of the I-465 interchange with Emerson Avenue.
A room at the motel typically costs $34-40 per night, according to the Motel 6 Web site. Police were not certain why the five people were living in the motel room.
The adults who lived in the room were Ruth E. Wicks, 34, the mother of the three children, and Randy H. Sparks, 41, described by police as Wicks' boyfriend. Witmer said Sparks was not the children's father. Police were not sure of his job, but they said that Wicks worked at a Beech Grove grocery store.
Witmer said the older children attended Beech Grove schools.
Police said they were trying to confirm where Wicks and Sparks had been when they left the children alone. Witmer said the adults had visited several places that night.
When the adults returned to the motel room, they found the baby was unresponsive and called for help.
Witmer said Wicks' baby had started crying during the night, and "the 13-year-old took steps to try to stop the crying, which unfortunately included putting a pillow over her face and smothering her to death."
Any decision on formal charges in the case may not come for several days. Indiana law says reckless homicide takes place when "a person recklessly kills another human being," and it does not specify whether that death is deliberate or not. Police would not say whether they were investigating the adults specifically for neglect, a potential felony charge.
For the time being, the 13-year-old boy is being handled through the Marion County juvenile justice system, and Witmer said that he would probably not be charged as an adult.
In January, a 14-year-old boy was arrested in the shooting death of 14-year-old William Boicourt. The suspect, Keith Munden, is scheduled to be tried as an adult next month.
Call Star reporter Kevin O'Neal at 1-317-444-2760.
Drug binge.
That pretty much says it all.
The 13-year-old got frustrated, no doubt, and had no way to stop the baby from crying. I'm not excusing what he did. The mom should have been there.
Given the fact that his folks felt no compunction at abandoning him to his own devices at 3 a.m., I'm guessing this 13 year old has an emotional age of about five.
And what is she doing with a man who is not the father when she has a four-month old around? Sheesh!
I'll never understand these kinds of cases.
The boy will be in juvenile hall until he's 18 or so; the baby is dead; the sister is probably traumatized because she's been taken away from her siblings; and the mother and boyfriend will probably walk away for it all.
And the dad.
They might have an extended family such as grandparents. What they must be going through now.
Yup. I have my own five-month old at home to prove the rule.
I don't need to check the clock to see if it's time for her bottle - within five minutes of the appointed time she transforms from sweet, playful little girl to a little ball of rage.
It's a survival thing.
Thanks, Tom.
That's why I feel sorry for this young boy. He probably couldn't take the crying any longer. It's still no excuse. He was old enough to babysit. But what if there was no food there? And no money and no place to buy formula if there was some money. They also scream if their pants need to be changed.
He had a whole lot on his young hands.
You did well. You should be proud of yourself for being there when you could be.
Why on earth not??
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