How Could You? Hall of Shame-Zayden Lawson 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 Eagan, Minnesota, foster mother Zeporia Fortenberry, 31, “was charged Monday in Dakota County with two counts of second-degree manslaughter in connection with the death of 3-year-old Zayden Lawson, a foster child in her care. The 31-year-old’s next court appearance will be April 25.

Her live-in boyfriend, 27-year-old Charles Homich, was charged last week with three counts of second-degree murder and two counts of first-degree manslaughter for the same crime.

According to the criminal complaint, police and medics were dispatched to a townhome in Eagan on the afternoon of June 7, 2017. There, they found 3-year-old Zayden Lawson lying on his back on the living room floor, unconscious and not breathing.

Medics were unable to revive Lawson. He was transported to St. Paul Children’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The complaint states an autopsy performed the next day showed his death was due to multiple blunt force injuries and was ruled a homicide.

The complaint alleges officers spoke with Fortenberry, who said she lived in the home with her two biological children as well as Lawson and a younger brother. Further investigation reportedly revealed Homich was living in the home as well.

The complaint claims the foster mother said Homich was caring for the children on the evening of June 6, after a friend had babysat Lawson overnight the night before. The foster mother reportedly said that friend had texted her to say that Lawson may have eaten some baking soda.

But, the foster mother said he was behaving and eating normally all day on June 6.

The next day, though, the complaint states the foster mother said Lawson vomited a couple of times during the day and “was acting lazy.”

Eventually, she said Homich told her to call 911 when she noticed the boy wasn’t conscious or breathing.

The complaint alleges the foster mother told police she believed Homich had something to do with Lawson’s death, and that in a conversation after his death he allegedly told her he was going to tell the police “what happened.”

According to the complaint, Homich told investigators he had found Lawson lying on the floor of his room the morning of June 7 with vomit on the floor and on his clothes. He allegedly initially denied he had changed his dirty diaper during the night, but later admitted to it, saying he had forgotten about it in previous interviews.

The friend of the foster mom reportedly said she had been watching Lawson overnight about four times a week because of an incident in which Homich had “whooped” the boy. The complaint alleges she said she heard Lawson tell his foster mom that Homich had hit him in the head because of a dirty diaper.

She reportedly alleged Homich would “loose his cool” if he had to change one of Lawson’s dirty diapers.

The complaint goes on to allege investigators found a text message from Homich to his mother on June 12 in which Homich reportedly said “Mom I’m about to go to prison.” The complaint also alleges there are texts in which investigators claim it appears he is asking his mother to take the blame for Lawson’s death.

One of Homich’s co-workers also is alleged to have told investigators that prior to Lawson’s death he had been on break with Homich who told him he had punched Lawson in his stomach.

Homich also reportedly told a coworker that he had punched Zayden in the stomach and that Zayden became, “really sick and his vomit was black,” according to the complaint.

When the coworker told Homich to bring Zayden to a doctor, charging documents say Homich feared, “the doctor would see his bruises and Lawson is old enough to tell him who gave him the bruises.”

“I think the baby could have been saved but it was adults worried about adults saving their own skin,” said Zayden’s aunt, Semora Murrell. “I blame them both. A child has died and he’s never coming back.”

The complaint states the Ramsey County Medical Examiner analyzed a hemorrhage found in Lawson’s abdomen and their findings “are consistent with the fatal injuries being inflicted in the overnight hours of June 6-7, 2017,” the night Lawson was in Homich’s care.”

Foster Mom and Boyfriend Charged with Manslaughter, Murder in Death of 3-Year-Old in Dakota County

[KTSP 4/16/18]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

 

Update: “A Dakota County grand jury on Friday indicted Charles Wayne Homich, 28, with four counts of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder in the beating death of a 3-year-old Eagan boy he was baby-sitting last year.

The child, Zayden Lawson, was a foster child in the care of Homich’s girlfriend, Zeporia Fortenberry, 31, who was charged in April 2018 with two counts of second-degree manslaughter. Her case is still pending.

The indictment supersedes lesser murder and manslaughter charges that prosecutors filed against Homich in April 2018.

Around 3 p.m. on June 7, 2017, Eagan police officers were called to a townhouse on a report that a 3-year-old boy was not breathing. The child was found to be cold to the touch and without a pulse. He was transported to Children’s Hospital in St. Paul, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy later revealed he died of multiple blunt-force injuries.

Homich had been baby-sitting Fortenberry’s two foster children on June 6 while she worked the night shift. He told Fortenberry that he had to change Zayden’s diaper during the night. The next morning, Zayden was found lying on the floor of his bedroom with dark-colored vomit on his clothing and floor. Throughout the day he told his foster mother that his stomach hurt.

Fortenberry eventually put him in pajamas and laid him on a mattress next to her bed. While on the phone with Homich, she noticed he wasn’t conscious or breathing and called 911.

“This little boy sustained horrific injuries allegedly at the hands of Charles Homich, injuries he may have survived had the adults in his life sought the necessary medical care he so desperately needed,” said James Backstrom, the Dakota County attorney.

Homich is in custody and will make his first court appearance on the new charges Monday. His bail is set at $1 million.”

Eagan man accused in beating death of girlfriend’s foster child

[Pioneer Press 12/22/18 by Deana Weniger]

Update 2: “A woman charged in connection to the death of a 3-year-old she was babysitting pleaded not guilty in court Monday.

According to court documents, Laronna Bourne pleaded not guilty in Hennepin County to third-degree assault and malicious punishment of a child.

Bourne’s jury trial is set to begin April 1.

According to the criminal complaint, on June 7, 2017, around 3 p.m., Eagan police officers and paramedics responded to a call that a 3-year-old was not breathing. The child was found to be cold to the touch and without a pulse. He was transported to Children’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

An investigation in the case revealed that on June 6, while Zeporia Fortenberry was working the night shift and left her two children, Lawson and his younger brother in the care of Charles Homich, her live-in boyfriend, and babysitter Laronna Bourne. Fortenberry stated to police that Homich told her he checked on the children during the night and had to change Lawson’s diaper.

On the morning of June 7, Lawson was found lying on the floor of his bedroom with dark-colored vomit on his clothing. Throughout the day, Lawson told Fortenberry that his stomach hurt. He vomited “a couple of times” and Fortenberry told law enforcement that he was acting “lazy.” She eventually put him in his pajamas and laid him on a mattress next to her bed. While on the phone with Homich, she noticed he wasn’t conscious or breathing and called 911.

An autopsy revealed his death was due to multiple blunt force injuries.

Homich was indicted for his involvement in the murder Dec. 21. Fortenberry, 31, from Eagan, was charged in April with manslaughter. The case against her is ongoing.”

Babysitter pleads not guilty in connection to foster home death of 3-year-old

[KSTP 1/7/19]

Update 3: “A 28-year-old man pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in connection to the death of a foster child, who was in the care of the man’s girlfriend.

Charles Wayne Homich will be sentenced in August. A judge ordered him to remain in custody.

According to the charges, Homich’s girlfriend, Zeporia Fortenberry, had left the three-year-old boy in Homich’s care. Fortenberry told police the following morning that the boy threw up several times, appeared “lazy” and eventually stopped breathing. Emergency crews took the boy to the hospital, where he later died. An autopsy showed the boy had internal bleeding in his abdomen, diaphragm and bruising throughout his body.

One woman told police Homich “would lose his cool” if he had to change the boy’s diaper.

Fortenberry was charged with two counts of manslaughter. Her case is pending.”

Man pleads guilty to murder of three-year-old boy in foster care

[Fox 9 4/23/19]

Update 4:“An Eagan woman admitted Thursday to manslaughter in connection with allowing her boyfriend to punch her 3-year-old foster child in the stomach for weeks.

Zeporia Fortenberry, 32, pleaded guilty in Dakota County District Court to second-degree manslaughter, a felony count that involves child neglect through permitting a pattern of physical abuse of Zayden Lawson until his death in June 2017. A second manslaughter charge alleging child neglect or endangerment was dismissed.

Judge David Knutson immediately sentenced Fortenberry to a term of slightly less than 3½ years and ordered her to pay restitution and a $500 fine. With credit for time in jail since her arrest, Fortenberry will serve the first 2¼ years in prison and the balance on supervised release.

Charles W. Homich, 28, pleaded guilty in April to second-degree murder and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 13.

“We are pleased to have held Zeporia Fortenberry responsible for her role in this tragic case that claimed the life of this little boy,” said County Attorney James Backstrom.

According to criminal complaints against the two:

Police and paramedics were summoned to Fortenberry’s home in the 1600 block of Oak Ridge Circle on the afternoon of June 7, 2017, after she said the boy had stopped breathing. She found Zayden that morning on the floor with vomit on the walls and his clothes, she said. The boy had complained throughout the day that his stomach hurt, she said.

Zayden had no pulse when paramedics arrived and was taken to Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis, where he was pronounced dead.

Fortenberry said she lived with her two biological children and two foster children, including Zayden and his younger brother.

She said she knew that Homich was punching Zayden for weeks before he died and that the little boy was “really scared” of her boyfriend, the complaints said.”

Prison for Eagan woman who allowed boyfriend to abuse her foster child, 3, killing boy

[Star Tribune 6/20/19 by Paul Walsh]

Update 5:“An Eagan man accused of fatally beating his girlfriend’s foster child after having to change the boy’s diaper was sentenced Tuesday to 25 years in prison.

Charles Wayne Homich, 28, was sentenced by Dakota County District Judge Christopher Lehmann in connection with the 2017 death of 3-year-old Zayden Lawson. Zayden was a foster child in the care of Homich’s girlfriend, Zeporia Dionn Fortenberry of Eagan.

A Dakota County grand jury in December indicted Homich on four counts of first-degree murder and two counts second-degree murder. In April, he pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder (commission of a felony-malicious punishment of a child).

“We are pleased to have brought Charles Homich to justice in connection with this tragic case that claimed the life of this little boy,” Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said in a statement Tuesday.

In June, Fortenberry, 32, pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and was sentenced to three years and five months in prison.

On the afternoon of June 7, 2017, police officers and paramedics responded to a report of an unresponsive child at the Eagan townhome that Homich and Fortenberry shared with Fortenberry’s two biological children and her two foster children — Lawson and his younger brother.

First responders found Lawson lying on his back on the living room floor, cold to the touch and without a pulse, according to court documents. Lawson was taken to Children’s Hospital in St. Paul, where he was pronounced dead.

An autopsy the next day revealed evidence of blunt-force trauma injuries.

Fortenberry’s babysitter, who is identified in the charges as “LB,” told investigators that Fortenberry regularly asked LB to care for the kids while she was at work because “she did not trust Homich with Lawson,” and that “Homich would ‘lose his cool’ if he had to change Lawson’s dirty diaper,” according to the criminal complaint against Homich.

A friend and co-worker of Homich’s, identified in court documents as “DW,” told police that — prior to Lawson’s death — Homich said he had “punched the f– out of Zayden in his stomach,” the complaint said.

Investigators also searched the mobile phones of Fortenberry and Homich, and found a series of text messages they exchanged three days before Lawson’s death, according to a criminal complaint against Fortenberry. The conversation begins with Homich telling Fortenberry that Lawson had urinated in his diaper, to which Fortenberry allegedly replied: “O wow.. I’m so sick of him did u whoop his a-? I just don’t know what else to do with that kid.”

Homich then texted that he “Beat the s– out of them feet,” the complaint said.
“Good.. lil f—,” Fortenberry replied, according to the complaint.

Homich told investigators that he changed Lawson’s soiled diaper the night before the boy died, according to the complaint.”

Eagan man sentenced to 25 years in beating death of girlfriend’s foster child
[Twin Cities 8/13/19 by Nick Ferraro]