202 Minnesota Child Deaths Examined (over half were under three & shaken or beaten to death)

St. Bonifacius toddler’s death is ruled a homicide | StarTribune.com

www.startribune.com/local/west/149310855.html

37 years for mom who killed son / Minnesota doctor, representing …

 www.sfgate.com/…/37-years-for-mom-who-killed-son-Minnes…

Jul 6, 2002 – A Minnesota couple allegedly starved their 8-year-old adopted son so severely that he weighed only 35 pounds when he was taken to a hospital in a cruel case of child abuse, according to Nicollet County prosecutors.

Mona and Russell Hauer, both 44, of North Mankato, Minn., were charged with child endangerment and malicious punishment of a child for allegedly starving the 8-year-old boy, Minnesota Public Radio reported. The Hauers were charged with four other felonies.

The couple allegedly had the adopted boy on a liquid diet and punished him by refusing to provide him with food, according to the news outlet.

 An alarm was allegedly placed on the boy’s door to prevent him from getting food, the Associated Pressreported. The 8-year-old told police that he took rotting food from a compost site to survive….When the boy was examined, doctors found that his bones were protruding, his brain atrophied and he had a slow heartbeat.

Doctors also discovered the boy was vomiting blood and was severely underweight and short for his age, according to CBS Minnesota. The boy was only 3-feet 5-inches tall.   The child’s enamel was wearing off because of vomiting and doctors diagnosed him with anemia and “failure to thrive,” CBS Minnesota reported.   The Hauers have three other children who were allowed to eat regular food, according to Minnesota Public Radio. Prosecutors said the children were homeschooled and rarely saw doctors.

The three other children, who are the biological kids of the Hauers, also claimed to be abused. The children claimed their parents hit them with 2-by-4s or a broom handled, but they said their adopted brother was always punished the worst.

The adopted 8-year-old is being treated for malnutrition and an eating disorder, the news outlet reported.

Cottage Grove: Mother of smothered infant kills herself after ridicule …

 www.twincities.com/…/cottage-grove-mother-charged-babys-d…

Jul 10, 2012 – A Cottage Grove mother has killed herself, a month after being … of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota.

Charges: Man Burned Girlfriend’s Son In Bathtub « CBS Minnesota minnesota.cbslocal.com/…/charges-man-burned-girlfriend’s-so…

Aug 16, 2011 – Sarah in Outstate MN. @jimmy lo, he’s confessed, you dolt. He’s horribly burned a child to the point where his skin was coming off. Besides, no …

Murder of Dennis Jurgens – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Dennis_Jurgens

Dennis Jurgens was born Dennis Craig Puckett in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, the child of teenage Jerry Sherwood (who herself was a ward of the state) and her …

Father of River Falls sisters: ‘I killed the kids‘ – TwinCities.com

 www.twincities.com/…/river-falls-dad-slit-3-girls-throats-charg…

Jul 12, 2012 – Father of River Falls sisters: ‘I killed the kids‘ …. Minnesota Vikings coach Leslie Frazier on lack of new deal: ‘I’ve moved past it’ · St. Paul: Man …

Anoka mother gets 4 years in toddler’s death

• Updated: February 7, 2013 – 9:58 PM

An Anoka woman has been sentenced to four years in prison for her role in the September 2011 death of her 3-year-old son.

Elizabeth Ann Moorman, 41, pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and neglect of a child. Her boyfriend, Anthony William Urban, 26, was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison last August after pleading guilty to second-degree murder.

Three-year-old Devin Drake was admitted on Aug. 30, 2011, to Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids, where he was diagnosed with a right cerebral hemorrhage, two collapsed lungs and retinal hemorrhaging. He was immediately airlifted to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he died Sept. 3.

Prosecutors alleged that the boy’s injuries were the result of child abuse inflicted by Urban.

Authorities claimed that Moorman delayed treatment for her son despite knowing he needed immediate attention.

Mother and Daughter Sentenced for Toddler’s Death – Raduenz Nicole

blog.lib.umn.edu/…/mother-and-daughter-sentenced-for-toddl…

Jan 31, 2010 – A mother and daughter were sentenced on Thursday in a Hennepin County court for the death of a toddler at their home-ran day care.

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Toddler’s Death in Brooklyn Park, MN, Being Investigated | WDAZ …

www.wdaz.com/event/article/id/8434/

May 10, 2011 – The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office says 15–month–old Dragon Stuart Larson died instantly when he was run over by a vehicle in his … (AP),  Police in Brooklyn Park are investigating the death of a toddler.

Toddler’s death in Brooklyn Park investigated – Topix

www.topix.com/…/brooklyn–park-mn/TA7Q795OD8ECF7SD…

2 posts – 2 authors – May 10, 2011

Police in Brooklyn Park are investigating the death of a toddler. The Hennepin County medical examiner’s office says 15–month–old Dragon Stuart Larson diedinstantly when he was run over by a vehicle in his family’s driveway. Share … 2. They named their child “Dragon“. Dragon Stuart Larson. Dragon.

Mom Backs Over, Kills Toddler in Brooklyn Park – KMSP-TV

www.myfoxtwincities.com/…/mom-backs-over-kills-toddler-in…Share

May 10, 2011 – Mom Backs Over, Kills Toddler in Brooklyn Park – KMSP-TV …Police in Brooklyn Park are investigating the death of a 15–month–old boy …Dragon Stuart Larson died instantly when he was run over. The toddler suffered blunt force head injuries, according to the Hennepin County medical examiner’s report.

Wisconsin man charged in toddler’s death | kare11.com

www.kare11.com/…/Wisconsin-man-charged-in-toddlers–deat…

Feb 17, 2012 – Wisconsin man charged in toddler’s death … Sheboygan CountyDistrict Attorney Joe DeCecco tells the Sheboygan Press that Keenan was a …

Northfield woman pleads guity in death of toddler son | kare11.com

www.kare11.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=966565

Mar 9, 2012 – … Friday, admitting that her inaction led to the death of her toddler son.… said Dakota County Attorney Jim Backstrom in a written statement, …

Kid Shootings: 2 year old Minnesota toddler shot to death by 4 year …

kidshootings.blogspot.com/…/2-year-old-minnesota-toddler-sh…

Dec 5, 2012 – A two year old Minneapolis boy was shot to death when his four year …the findings will be turned over to the Hennepin County attorney’s office.

Man Pleads Guilty In Toddler’s Death « CBS Minnesota

minnesota.cbslocal.com/…/man-pleads-guilty-in-toddlers–deat…

Mar 8, 2011 – Lake claimed the toddler hit her head while jumping on the bed. He later added that he … Lake faces 10 years in prison when he sentenced April 15 in GoodhueCounty District Court. … Hennepin’s 2013-2014 Season. News …

Man Charged In Death Of Boy, 3; Apartment Burns « CBS Minnesota

minnesota.cbslocal.com/…/man-charged-with-murder-after-3-…

Sep 6, 2011 – Authorities say the toddler died on Sunday after being put on life support at Hennepin County Medical Center with little chance for survival.

Mom Charged With Manslaughter In 3-Year-Old’s Death « CBS …

minnesota.cbslocal.com/…/anoka-mom-charged-with-manslau…

Sep 7, 2011 – The toddler died on Sunday after being put on life support at Hennepin County Medical Center, with little chance for survival. Urban said that he …

Family, Friends Flying Red Balloons in Honor of Deceased Toddler …

edina.patch.com/…/family-friends-flying-red-balloons-in-hon…

Mar 16, 2011 – The Hennepin County Medical Examiner ruled an accidental freshwater drowning as the cause of death, with the Edina Police Department and …

Boyfriend of Mother Sees Manslaughter Conviction in St. Paul …

blog.aacriminallaw.com/…/boyfriend-mother-sees-m…

Minneapolis mother sentenced in tub death of 2-year-old daughter …

www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/184509071.html

Dec 21, 2012 – … 10 years in prison for drowning her toddler in her apartment bathtub while drunk … Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Cheri Townsend asked that … not taken full responsibility for her daughter’s death, instead referring to it …

Of the fifty children in my child protection caseload as a Hennepin County guardian ad-Litem, every one of them had been sexually abused, subject to violent beatings or extended exposure to violence and deprivation. All of them suffered for long periods of time – 2 to 4 years on average.

Most of these children were three and four years old when the abuse began. A number of them were sexually and violently abused for over four years before the child protection system did anything to help them.

Two of my first cases were horrifically abused children that to this day lead lives completely defined by what happened to them when they were four years old. The boy (now 22) leads a very dysfunctional life & has AIDS – the girl had more sex partners by the time she was 11 than anyone I’ve ever known.

There are three big reasons that the issues of abused and neglected children are misunderstood and ignored;

1) Social workers are trained to not speak of their work (even in general terms) outside of their peer group.

2) News organizations no longer have the funding to put journalists on community stories that don’t sell newspapers (while articles are written, there are no longer reporters assigned to these stories & we only read about the most horrific cases today),

3) No one wants to talk about the abuse of children. It is an uncomfortable subject that we would prefer to ignore.

When I wrote the book* INVISIBLE CHILDREN* in 2005, there were less than a thousand reported cases of child sex abuse in my home state. If that were true, I knew of fifty cases personally, and I was only one of five hundred guardian ad-Litems in MN at the time.

When there is no discussion, people remain unaware of the problems. The lack of awareness insures a less than adequate public response to the needs of the weakest and most vulnerable people in our community. Half the children I worked with were four years old or younger when the abuse began.

Today, otherwise decent people are questioning the necessity of providing services to abused and neglected children. There is not a religion on this planet that abandons the weakest and most vulnerable among us.

This lack of compassion makes me certain that children’s issues need more discussion and more understanding.

We simply can’t be a civilized people and continue to ruin our schools & communities and fill prisons and jails with children that could have been rescued with a little help when they were young enough to save.

I have come to know these children & they all want to be normal. We have the resources and knowledge of what needs

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Star Tribune Article;

Male caregivers linked to two-thirds of child deaths, injuries
JEREMY OLSON, Star Tribune Updated: May 2, 2011 – 9:12 PM

Statewide study of more than 200 deaths or near-deaths of children examined the years between 2005 and 2009.

A troubling new report on child mortality in Minnesota has found that male caregivers were responsible for two-thirds of child deaths and near-fatal injuries from 2005 to 2009.

While advocates suggested this might be an economic indicator, that parents who can’t afford child care are leaving kids with unfit caregivers, a state human services official said the problem is not new.

“Even before the economy went in a downward spiral, we saw deaths of children at the hands of male caregivers who were not equipped to care for infants,” said Erin Sullivan Sutton, an assistant commissioner with the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

Released last week, the report by the Minnesota Child Mortality Review Panel examined 202 deaths or near-deaths from 2005 through 2009. Incidents included drownings and other preventable accidents in the home, suicides, unexplained infant injuries and homicides.

Two-thirds of the 71 inflicted injuries or homicides involved male perpetrators, some with histories of drug abuse or violence.

Most of the cases involved children under age 3 who were shaken or who suffered blows to their heads.

“The strategies [for reducing these deaths] are making sure that moms have information about child-care options,” Sullivan Sutton said, “and also thinking about what questions they should ask themselves before leaving their babies in the care of anybody.” Caring for infants, she said, “is hard work.”

Still, the male-female disparity in child homicides and injuries is a “striking finding,” said Marcie Jefferys of the Children’s Defense Fund-Minnesota. Expanding child-care options and referrals is only part of the equation, she said.

“I had been noticing that in the paper for the last few years,” Jefferys said. “There are so many babies being killed by boyfriends or husbands while the mother is off to work.”

While abusive deaths and injuries were commonly committed by men, the review found more female caretakers at fault in cases of neglect.

Sullivan Sutton said both trends mirror data from the child welfare system on abuse and neglect complaints.

Jeremy Olson • 612-673-7744