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Cops suspect abuse in local boy’s death

By Greg Cima
Pantagraph
4/5/07

BLOOMINGTON -- A boy who flashed his eyes at little girls and loved to play with SpongeBob SquarePants toys may have died because of abuse, authorities said Thursday.

Three-year-old Logan E. Bratton of Bloomington was pronounced dead about 8:40 p.m. Wednesday at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, police said. Peoria County Coroner Johnna Ingersoll said the boy was unresponsive when rescue workers initially took him to BroMenn Regional Medical Center in Normal.

“The indications are that the injuries Logan sustained are non-accidental,” Ingersoll said. She wouldn’t comment on his cause of death or signs of trauma because the case is being investigated as a homicide.

The boy lived with his mother and her boyfriend in Bloomington, Ingersoll said. Ingersoll said the 911 call was made at 12:18 p.m. Wednesday, and fire department logs show an ambulance dispatched at that time went to the 800 block of West Washington Street.

A police squad car sat in that block Thursday afternoon, and a police officer answered the door at an apartment at 818 W. Washington St. when a Pantagraph reporter knocked. An officer remained stationed late Thursday night at the doorway of the apartment.

Bloomington police issued a short statement about the boy’s death about noon Thursday, but could not be reached later in the day and throughout the evening.

Willie Bratton of Peoria, who identified himself as Logan’s father, said he called police late Sunday afternoon after a relative told him the boy was bruised.

Bratton said he hadn’t seen the boy since December. The boy’s mother had custody of the child, he said.

Bratton described Logan as an average 3-year-old who loved dogs and trampolines. Bratton said he was at OSF Saint Francis until late Wednesday, and he commended hospital workers for their compassion.

Logan’s grandmother, Connie Smith of Peoria, said Logan was cheerful but shy. Yet, he liked to pucker his lips and flash his eyes at little girls, she said.

Smith said Logan lived with her on and off for half his life, or “maybe a little more.” She said the boy enjoyed playing with SpongeBob SquarePants and Dragon Ball Z toys, eating chicken strips, playing basketball and watching cartoons.

Her grandson loved hugs and kisses and asked Smith to lift him, she said.

“‘Grandma, I wanna hold you,’ ” Smith quoted Logan as saying. “‘I just want to hold you.’”

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Toddler's death possible homicide

By Jessica Wheeler
WHOI
Thursday, April 05, 2007

Bloomington Police and the department of children and family services are investigating the death of a 3-year-old boy.

Logan Bratton was pronounced dead at 8:30 Wednesday night at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center.

The Peoria County Coroner says they are investigating the death as a homicide.

Bloomington police say it appears Logan died from abuse.

"There's evidence probably from, there's physical evidence from the boy's body and probably some conversations with our detectives and the personal in the coroners office in Peoria that indicates that it's a potential cause of the death," said Duane Moss with the Bloomington Police Department.

We spoke with Logan's father, Willie Bratton, who does not have custody of the toddler, he believes Logan's mother and boyfriend are responsible for the abuse.

Bratton says he was notified by a relative of the child's mother this past weekend that the boy was being abused.

Bratton said he called Bloomington Police on Sunday to report the abuse and nothing was done.

"Saturday my mother was called by the same aunt who said Logan was in town for a birthday party and said that he was bruised on his rear end and he had marks on his face and a he had a piece missing off his tongue where they think he bit his tongue off," said Willie Bratton.

Bratton was then notified on Wednesday afternoon that Logan was in the hospital and had little chance to live.

"When I seen him he was in a coma, he had no brain wave activity what so ever, he wasn't conscious he was on a ventilator - all the scary stuff that you see on TV that you never want for you kid."

Bloomington Police would not say if they were investigating Logan's mother before the incident occurred.

We also called DCFS who said they received a complaint of neglect against Logan's mother on March 26th and investigated it promptly. They would not say what the investigation involved.

No arrests have been made.

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Boy's death under investigation
Bloomington child died of head injuries

BY FITZGERALD M. DOUBET
THE JOURNAL STAR
Friday, April 6, 2007

BLOOMINGTON - The death of a 3-year-old Bloomington boy who suffered head injuries is being investigated as a homicide, Peoria County Coroner Johnna Ingersoll said Thursday.
Logan Bratton was pronounced dead at about 8:40 p.m. Wednesday at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria.

Because of his head injuries, it was "just a matter of hours because he was declared brain dead," Ingersoll said.

Logan lived with his mother, Donetta Ernst, at 818 W. Washington, Apt. A. Paramedics took him to BroMenn Regional Medical Center in Normal after a 911 call from his home shortly before noon Wednesday. He was transferred by LifeFlight helicopter to St. Francis.

In a brief news release Thursday, Bloomington police said the boy's death is believed to have resulted from abuse, but there have been no arrests.

"I don't want revenge. I just want justice," Willie Bratton, 29, Logan's father, said Thursday.

Bratton alleges his son was in an abusive situation with Ernst and her boyfriend, and he had asked officials to investigate.

"Somebody didn't do their job," Bratton said. "I did what I was supposed to do the right way. I called the police. I reported it."

In their news release, Bloomington police said no other information can be released at this time because their investigation is at a early stage.

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Coroner: 3-year-old likely died from head injuries

By Greg Cima
Pantagraph
April 6. 2007

PEORIA — A 3-year-old Bloomington boy likely died of multiple blunt-force injuries, including some to his head, Peoria County Coroner Johnna Ingersoll said Friday.

Bloomington Police Lt. Joseph Butcher said no one had been arrested in connection with the death of Logan Bratton. Police previously said they suspect abuse led to the death of Logan, who died Wednesday night at a Peoria hospital.

Bloomington Police administrators and spokesmen were not at department headquarters Friday and could not be reached for comment.

Ingersoll released the preliminary cause of Bratton’s death after an autopsy completed Friday afternoon. Her office is investigating what happened to the boy because he died in a Peoria hospital.

Asked if there were indications of prior abuse, Ingersoll said authorities are still determining when the boy’s injuries occurred.

Logan was taken from his home at 818 W. Washington St. to BroMenn Regional Medical Center after a 911 call about 12:18 p.m. Wednesday, Ingersoll and other authorities have said. He was transferred to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, where he was pronounced dead about 8:40 p.m.

The boy was unresponsive when rescuers arrived, Ingersoll said.

Bratton lived with his mother and her boyfriend in Bloomington, Ingersoll said. They have not been identified by authorities.

The boy’s father, Willie Bratton of Peoria, said Thursday he called Bloomington police Sunday after a relative told him the boy had bruises.

Bratton said he didn’t have custody of his son and he hadn’t seen him since December.

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Family speaks out about death of Bloomington boy

By Ian Schwartz
WHOI
April 06, 2007

PEORIA -- Easter this year will be hard for Nancy Pemble.

"I loved his so much and its just breaking my heart," Pemple said thumbing through pictures of 3-year-old Logan Bratton.

Bratton died Wednesday night, police said from abuse.

The boy's father Willie Bratton blames the Logan's mother Denneta and her boyfriend for the death.

But Pemple said her granddaughter never abused Logan.

"I've never seen her lay a hand on him in anger she would make him take a five minute timeout on the couch or in the chair," she said.

She said her granddaughter lived in Bloomington with her boyfriend of one year, Joe Rodriguez.

She said he was watching Logan the day he died while Logan's mother was at work.

Pemple does not know much about Rodriguez but said she never suspected abuse.

"She's never said anything to me about him abusing her or abusing Logan," Pemble said.

She said Logan's death has been hard on everyone.

"I can't sleep because I just want him to come back in my house and give me a hug and say that's my granny, i know it's not going to happen but," she said.

Pemble said she does not understand how anyone could hurt a child.

She wants someone to be held accountable for the death of the boy she said was loved by everyone.

[Admin]

Father: Authorities responsible for son's death
Family says abuse warnings went unchecked by DCFS

BY FITZGERALD M. DOUBET
THE JOURNAL STAR
April 7, 2007

BLOOMINGTON - Bloomington police continue their homicide investigation into the death of 3-year-old Logan Bratton, while members of his family accused authorities of failing to act on warnings the boy had been in an abusive situation.
"That boy was so happy. He loved playing outside, loved the dogs, loved playing on the trampoline. He was a great kid," Ragan McWilliams, mother of one of the boy's siblings, said.

Bratton died Wednesday at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria of "sustained multiple blunt force injuries, which included head injuries," Peoria County Coroner Johnna Ingersoll said Friday, citing preliminary autopsy results.

Logan lived with his mother, Donetta Ernst, at 818 W. Washington, Apt. A. Paramedics took him to BroMenn Regional Medical Center in Normal after a 911 call from his home shortly before noon Wednesday. He was transferred by Life Flight helicopter to St. Francis.

No arrests have been made, and Bloomington police released no new information Friday.

Willie Bratton, Logan's father, alleges his son was in an abusive situation living with his mother, Donetta Ernst, and her boyfriend, at 818 W. Washington, Apt. A.

"Whether DCFS didn't do their job or whether Bloomington police didn't do their job, one of those two are responsible here, and they are just as responsible as the person who did this and all the people who knew about the abuse and didn't do anything. They are all just as responsible," Bratton said.

McWilliams also believes Logan's death could have been avoided had authorities been more responsive to his father's pleas.

"The boyfriend, his mother's boyfriend, kicked him in the mouth, and a call to DCFS was made. They never even went over there and investigated. They got the call, they admitted they got a hotline call, and they never went over and investigated. Nobody did nothing, and this could have been stopped," McWilliams said.

DCFS is investigating allegations of abuse and neglect prompted by a report they received Wednesday, DCFS spokesman Kennall Marlowe said.

"Prior contact with this family includes a pending investigation of an allegation of neglect based on a report received March 26, 2007. It is important to note that that was an allegation of neglect, not abuse," Marlowe said.

Willie Bratton hopes justice will now be done for his son.

"He was a pretty normal 3-year-old kid, you know, liked to play outside, did normal 3-year-old stuff," Willie Bratton said. "But no matter what, nobody deserves what happened. It's sickening and disgusting that nobody cared."

Bratton also said his son's heart has been donated to another child.

"His heart went to a boy in St. Louis," Bratton said. "I think he may have gotten it this morning. We OK'd the organ donation."