How Could You? Hall of Shame-Daniel Lindholm-Wilkins case-Child Death UPDATED

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.

From Rantoul, Illinois, foster parent Patrick Kennedy, 35 “for an infant boy has been arrested for the child’s murder.”

“State’s Attorney Julia Rietz said on Thursday she charged Patrick Kennedy, 35,… with the first-degree murder of Daniel Lindholm-Wilkins, 7 weeks. Kennedy was arrested Thursday afternoon at his home.

Daniel was a foster child in the care of Kennedy and his wife and had been with them since his birth, Rietz said.

The child was taken from his biological mother at birth because of her ongoing relationship with a sexual predator, Rietz said.

Daniel died at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana on Wednesday afternoon, where he had been since April 17.

On that day, Kennedy called 911 about 5 p.m. saying that Daniel had been vomiting and was unresponsive.

“Paramedics responded and took the child to Carle Hospital. Doctors determined he had subdural hematomas and broken ribs,” Rietz said.

She said the medical professionals determined that the injuries that caused the bleeding on the brain were not accidental and “required an adult amount of force.”

“The rib fractures were also non-accidental, not caused by the administration of CPR,” she said.

Kennedy had done CPR on the infant while waiting for the ambulance to arrive, getting instruction from a telecommunicator over the phone.

However, Rietz said doctors determined that the rib fractures were on the side of Daniel’s body, not in the area of his chest.

She said Kennedy either shook or struck the baby to cause the injuries. His wife was not present when the baby became unresponsive.

Daniel was declared brain-dead Wednesday.

Rietz said the Kennedys had also been foster parents to the biological 2-year-old sister of Daniel and were planning to adopt her. She has been moved to another foster home, Rietz said. Doctors examined her and found she had not been injured.

Rantoul police have been investigating the injuries to the child since April 17. Police went to the home at the same time as the paramedics, Rietz said.

Rantoul Police Sgt. Justin Bouse said investigators arrested Kennedy at 3:35 p.m. Thursday at his home.

Judge Holly Clemons issued the warrant for Kennedy’s arrest Thursday afternoon. Bond on the warrant was set at $250,000. Kennedy was expected to appear in court today. If convicted, he faces 20 to 60 years in prison.

Bouse said the case remains under investigation by the Rantoul Police Department.”

Foster parent charged in death of 7-week-old child[The News-Gazette 4/24/14 by Mary Schenk]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update: “A judge Tuesday found probable cause to hold a Rantoul man for trial on charges that he murdered his foster son last month.

Judge Tom Difanis assigned Patrick Kennedy’s case to Judge Heidi Ladd and ordered Kennedy to be back in court June 17.

Also Tuesday, State’s Attorney Julia Rietz filed a petition alleging that Kennedy’s biological son is abused and neglected based on being at risk in the family home due to the death of his foster brother. The Department of Children and Family Services was expected to take temporary custody of that child Tuesday evening, Rietz said.

Kennedy, 35,… was charged two weeks ago with the first-degree murder of Daniel Lindholm-Wilkins, 7 weeks, a foster child he and his wife had since his birth. They were also acting as foster parents to Daniel’s biological half-sister, age 2, Rietz said, and were intending to adopt her.

Daniel was declared brain dead at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana on April 23 after having been admitted April 17.

In testimony Tuesday before Difanis, Rantoul police investigator Tim Rivest said Kennedy called paramedics to his home about 5 p.m. April 17, reporting that Daniel was choking on his formula.

Rivest said paramedics and officers found Kennedy in the house with Daniel; Daniel’s 2-year-old half-sister; and the Kennedys’ biological son, age 3. Kennedy’s wife, Theresa Kennedy, was at her job in Champaign, Rivest said.

Rivest said Carle doctors determined that Daniel had suffered traumatic brain injuries and broken ribs.

In an interview with Rivest and fellow detective Sgt. Justin Bouse, Kennedy said he tried to feed Daniel, and the baby began choking on the formula. He said he tried for about an hour to revive the unresponsive child and eventually called 911, performing chest compressions on the baby as instructed by the telecommunicator until help arrived.

Rivest said Kennedy initially offered no explanation as to how the infant may have suffered the injuries.

Later, he described the baby as “colicky” and “fussy” and said a week earlier, the two older children had knocked over Daniel’s bassinet.

Kennedy also said that his 3-year-old son had hit the baby in the head with a metal toy truck the day before Daniel was taken to the hospital but Kennedy said he did not see that happen.

Rivest said that Carle doctors told him and Bouse that the injuries to Daniel “required an adult amount of force,” could not have been caused by the toy truck, and happened no more than two hours prior to the call to 911.

Kennedy was released from the county jail Saturday after his wife posted $25,000 in cash. He had been there since his arrest April 24.

The couple were both in court for Tuesday’s preliminary hearing. Kennedy is represented by Urbana attorney Baku Patel.

A shelter care hearing in the case of the biological child is set for today.

Rietz said earlier that both of the older children were examined in the wake of Daniel’s death.

Neither had suffered any physical injuries.”

Foster dad ordered to stand trial for murder[News Gazette 5/6/14 by Mary Schenk]

Update 2: A search of the Champaign County court records reveals that on 8/12/14 he had a continuance.

Update 3: A search of the Champaign County court records reveals that on 4/17/15 he tried to plea guilty to “AGG BTRY/CHILD <13/PERM DISABL” and “MURDER/STRONG PROB KILL/INJURE” would be dismissed.

“A Champaign County judge Friday rejected as too light a proposed plea agreement for a Rantoul man accused of the murder of an infant foster child in his care.

Patrick Kennedy, 36, of the …, appeared before Judge Heidi Ladd with his attorney, Baku Patel of Urbana, and tried to plead guilty to a reduced charge of aggravated battery to a child for the death a year ago of Daniel Lindholm-Wilkins, 7 weeks.

The proposed sentence was 15 years in prison. Kennedy would have had to serve 85 percent, or just under 13 years, in prison.

State’s Attorney Julia Rietz was prepared to dismiss the first-degree murder charge.

Rietz presented Ladd with the following facts:

On April 17, 2014, Daniel was a foster child in the home of Kennedy, who was also the primary caretaker for another 2-year-old foster child and his own 3-year-old child.

On that morning, the infant had a visit with his biological mother, but about 5 p.m., Kennedy called paramedics to his home, reporting Daniel was choking on his formula. The baby was taken to Carle Foundation Hospital because he was not breathing and had been vomiting.

Doctors found Daniel had suffered fractured ribs and bleeding in the brain, Rietz said.

“The injuries were found to be non-accidental, caused by an adult level of force,” she told Ladd. Doctors also said the injuries appeared to be about two hours old.

Kennedy admitted he was the sole caretaker of Daniel two hours earlier. Rietz said the explanation he gave for the child’s condition was inconsistent with the baby’s injuries.

Daniel was declared brain dead April 23.

After hearing the brief summary of facts, Ladd looked at the attorneys and said, “I won’t accept this plea.”

“I don’t believe this is an appropriate resolution,” she said calmly. “I simply cannot go along with the agreement as proposed.”

Ladd was a prosecutor for 17 years before taking the bench in 1999 and spent several years in abuse and neglect court prosecuting adults for child abuse.

Rietz said after the hearing that she understood the judge’s concerns and would continue to negotiate with Patel or try the case.

She declined to comment on the strength of the evidence. However, all the children were taken from Kennedy in a separate abuse and neglect proceeding in juvenile court.

Were a jury to reject first-degree murder for Kennedy, who has no prior criminal record, a conviction for reckless homicide might be an alternative. However, the penalties for that offense are less than those for aggravated battery to a child.

Reckless homicide, a Class 2 felony, carries a sentence ranging from probation to three to 14 years in prison at 50 percent time. Aggravated battery to a child carries penalties of six to 30 years in prison at 85 percent time.

Ladd continued Kennedy’s case to May 12. He remains free on bond.”

Judge rejects plea agreement in child’s death[Rantoul Press 4/17/15 by Mary Schenk]