How Could You? Hall of Shame-missed Ukrainian Adoptee Murder from 2011-Andrew Arthur Butler case UPDATED

By on 2-22-2013 in Andrew Arthur Butler, How could you? Hall of Shame, International Adoption, Russia, Ukraine, West VIrginia, William Allan Butler

How Could You? Hall of Shame-missed Ukrainian Adoptee Murder from 2011-Andrew Arthur Butler case UPDATED

Hat tip to Russian Media for exposing this case. Apparently the Ukrainians were just informed of this in the past 24 hours since there is no mechanism for reporting these things at all, let alone to nonHague countries. DOS is in it deep again today…

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

Ukrainian adoptee Andrew Arthur Butler, 13, of Hedgesville, West Virginia died Saturday, June 18, 2011 from a gunshot wound to the head by his adoptive father, William Allan Butler, aged 73 at the time.

The shooting was reported to the police at 6:30PM that day. William gave two different accounts of the incident to Deputy 1st Class C.H. Cobern, who obtained the  warrant for the man’s arrest, and another officer at the scene  of the shooting.

Journal-News said “When Cobern arrived, the elder Butler was sitting on the front porch, and it was clear that the 13-year-old was deceased as a  result of a gunshot wound to the head, records show.

The scene was secured and the West Virginia State Police Crime  Scene Unit was dispatched. Cobern spoke with William Butler’s  12-year-old daughter, who said she was inside the residence on a  computer when she heard a gunshot.

The girl knew that the defendant and the victim were both behind the house with weapons, and told police she at first didn’t think anything of the situation.

“About 10 seconds later she states she heard another shot, and looked outside to see her brother lying on the ground with blood  coming from his head,” records state.

Cobern read the elder Butler his Miranda rights, and he told the officer he was willing to speak to the police.

He told police that his son had never handled a firearm, and he  felt it was a good time for him to learn.”

“The man allegedly went down to a woodpile and told  the boy, who’d never handled a gun before, where to shoot.”

“The man said he was standing about 5 feet in front of his son,  with his back turned, showing the teen where to shoot.

“The defendant stated that he heard a gunshot and just knew his son was shooting at him, so he turned and immediately shot his son in the head,” records state.

He told police he couldn’t remember which weapon he used.  Police at the scene found two different weapons beside the victim, a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and .38-caliber revolver.

“Police are not aware of any evidence that the elder Butler was under the influence of any drugs or alcohol at the time of  shooting. Link also said there is no history of prior   domestic-related complaints associated with the residence.”

Morgan Messenger says “Butler’s wife Roberta, the boy’s mother, was not home   at the time of the shooting.

[Chief Deputy Tony] Link said there were no witnesses to the shooting.

“We are unsure who was holding which weapon because the  weapons had been moved and put in the house,” Link said.
Butler told police he couldn’t remember what weapon he  was using.
Asked if both weapons had been fired, Link said, “Yes.”
Fingerprint evidence was collected from the guns and was   sent to Charleston to determine who handled which gun.
“The 13-year-old boy had never fired a weapon before. I think that is important,” Link said.
Police said Butler was cooperative. “We had no problems  with him,” Cobern said.

According to the criminal complaint, Butler told police  that his son was “always in trouble” and defied his  mother.

Butler was charged with murder and arraigned before Magistrate Greg Miller at the Morgan County Courthouse.   He was transported to Eastern Regional Jail. No bail was  set.

An autopsy on Monday afternoon by the State Medical Examiner in Charleston revealed the victim was shot at  intermediate range between five and eight feet, Link said.

No bullet was found by the medical examiner. Link said the bullet passed through the victim’s head but police did not find a bullet at the scene.

The call came into Morgan County 911 at 6:30 p.m. on  Saturday evening and Cobern arrived at the Butler home at 7:03 p.m. Butler was sitting on his front porch when  police arrived.”

In September 2011, Morgan County Grand Jury indicted him on murder charges.

On Monday March 19, 2012, William pled guilty to child neglect resulting in death. “Judge Frye sentenced Butler to 3-to-15 years in prison under a plea agreement.

Butler will get credit against the sentence for the  time he has already served in jail. He has been in jail  since June 2011.

During the brief plea hearing, Butler gave no  accounting of the events leading up to the shooting of his 13-year-old adopted son, Andrew Arthur Butler.”

Prosecutor Debra McLaughlin, appearing on behalf of the  state in the case against Butler, indicated that he was guilty of child neglect because he put a loaded gun into his son’s hands, and the boy had no training or  experience with firearms.”

Sources:

Journal-News Obituary

Father still in custody

[Journal News 6/21/11 by Edward Marshall]

Father faces indictment in Morgan shooting case

[Journal News 6/23/11 by Edward Marshall]

Father charged with murder in son’s shooting

[Morgan Messenger 6/24/11 by David Abner]

Butler pleads guilty to child neglect

[Morgan Messenger 3/23/12]

This story has another facet in that Russia has reported this news on February 22, 2013. It was mentioned at
Russian Embassy Revives Interest in 2011 Adoptee Death  [Voice of Russia 2/22/13 by Crystal Park} and several other Russian news sources. Apparently Russia first thought this was a Russian adoptee.

Only now do the Ukrainians know of this case. Ukrainians outraged as US dad shoots adopted Ukrainian boy [Voice of Russia 2/22/13 ]. You guessed it…DOS was the last to know. This is not surprising since as we have stated dozens of times, there are no mechanisms to report abuse and death of international adoptees.

“Following an inquiry Russian diplomats determined  that the victim was actually adopted from the Ukrainian city of Donetsk. Now the Ukrainian Embassy and the US Department of  State have been informed about this incident right away.”

We expect several updates on this over the next week…

REFORM Puzzle Pieces

 Update: “The Morgan County man accused of murdering his adopted son with a handgun last June 2011 pled guilty to child neglect resulting in death during a hearing before Circuit Court Judge Andrew Frye on Monday, March 19. William Allan Butler, 73, of Fulton Road, Hedgesville, was indicted by a Morgan County Grand Jury on murder charges last September.

On Monday, he pled to the lesser charge of child neglect resulting in death. Judge Frye sentenced Butler to 3-to-15 years in prison under a plea agreement.

Butler will get credit against the sentence for the time he has already served in jail. He has been in jail since June 2011.

During the brief plea hearing, Butler gave no accounting of the events leading up to the shooting of his 13-year-old adopted son, Andrew Arthur Butler.

Prosecutor Debra McLaughlin, appearing on behalf of the state in the case against Butler, indicated that he was guilty of child neglect because he put a loaded gun into his son’s hands, and the boy had no training or experience with firearms.

The two were outside at their home firing handguns on Saturday evening, June 18.
At the time, Butler told police that he was standing five feet in front of his son, showing him where to fire the gun.

Butler said he heard a shot from behind him, and believed it was directed at him. Butler spun around and fired at his son, striking him in the right eye, and killing him, according to the original criminal complaint.”

Source: Morgan Messenger 3/23/13

2 Comments

  1. You know, the state department should just admit that it doesn’t keep tabs on international adoptees. After they enter the country, they’re simply naturalized American citizens. Any crimes committed against them by their parents will be dealt with by local authorities, just as it occurs with native born children.

    Or– in this case– NOT dealt with. They took the AP’s word for it that he shot his child in self-defense, without looking for corroborating evidence? The father “just knew” without looking that his troubled 13 year old and “immediately” shot him in the head? And the best the local DA could come up with is “child neglect”? In what alternative universe does THAT make sense?

  2. This whole situation makes me so angry. Mr butler is LYING. I was their neighbor. I saw those kids when they first arrived. I played with them until I grew up. And even then I would see them playing outside occasionally. Arthur was NOT a bad or difficult child. The butlers were ODD to say the least. Most people get a sports car or have an affair for mid life crisis. These people adopted 3 ukranian children for theirs. They made the children clean all the time. They were very strict on the children. But natasha and Arthur ALWAYS listened to their mother and father. When they were outside, they came inside IMMEDIATELY when told and were ALWAYS obedient. We never heard any yelling or anything from their home. It’s quite disturbing.

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