A year ago today, a jury convicted a man in the death of 17-month-old Caden Blanton, but the man is still free.
Caden Blanton was pronounced dead at Heartland Regional Medical Center on Dec. 12, 2005. The state alleges the death occurred from internal injuries that occurred when the child was repeatedly struck by Christopher Michael Kerns, 27.
A jury found Mr. Kerns guilty of involuntary manslaughter on March 28, 2007. He was sentenced to seven years in the Missouri Department of Corrections but is out on an appeal bond.
“I want to know why the law allows anyone who beats a child to death to be able to have only a seven-year sentence,” said Roxanne Rich, Caden’s maternal grandmother. “Ours and Caden’s sentence is for life.”
Ms. Rich said the family doesn’t fully understand why Mr. Kerns isn’t in jail.
Shortly after Caden’s death in 2005, the Buchanan County Prosecutor’s office charged Mr. Kerns with voluntary manslaughter. About a month later, the charge was changed to second-degree murder. The jury heard the evidence in 2007 and convicted Mr. Kerns of involuntary manslaughter.
Attorney Hugh Kranitz, who served as Mr. Kerns’ attorney, appealed the decision alleging judicial errors in May.
Mr. Kerns obtained his freedom, as he was entitled to, when the court granted a request for release on bond pending the outcome of the appeal. The court set bond at $155,000 and Mr. Kerns arranged to post the necessary funds and was released from the Buchanan County Jail.
The Western District of the Missouri Court of Appeals granted several motions to extend the date for Mr. Kranitz to file a brief stating the defense’s reasoning for an appeal.
Mr. Kranitz filled a 45-page brief in February that alleges five errors that denied Mr. Kerns his constitutional rights to due process and a fair trial.
Presently, the Missouri Attorney General’s office has until May to file its response. Sometime after both briefs are on file, a panel of judges will review the case. No date has been set for judicial review and the state could file motions asking for additional time to file.
Since Mr. Kerns’ conviction, another jury convicted the mother, Heather Rich, of endangering the welfare of her child, a second-degree misdemeanor. A circuit judge sentenced her to 90 days in jail and a fine of $750.
Caden’s father, Joshua Blanton, was tried with Ms. Rich and found innocent by the same jury.
Ms. Rich served her time in jail.
”The Rich-Blanton families have been through enough in the past two years,” Ms. Rich said in a letter published last week in the News-Press. “It is time for our families to grieve privately for the loss of our son, brother, grandson, nephew and cousin.”
Marshall White can be reached
at marshall@npgco.com.
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Oh where do I start on THIS one?! I'm sure the Rich/Blanton family is not the only ones questioning a 7 year sentence for involuntary manslaughter. I am wondering however, how the judge came up with a figure of $155,000 bond when I'm sure he was aware that the Kerns family would most certainly be able to post this bond. And then he (Kerns) was arrested for violating the bond at the SouthSide festival,and then through yet some other legal manuvering he's out again. This man is more visible than street signs! This is what makes me sick! I said this from the very beginning and look.....the mother has served her time, and the man is still running around free.
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Posted by rxyrch on March 28, 2008 at 9:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)We have more questions than that. No one can give us any answers. Not the state, not the prosecutor. Mr. Scroggins told us that chris kerns was a slam dunk case, he would be convicted of 2nd degree murder. my guess is that is why he didn't charge him with child abuse, and child endangerment since his son was in the home when he killed my grandson. We all live in the same general area, it's hard to run into the monster, or see him driving down the street, or working 2 blocks from where i live. Even tho his uncle stated in the paper that he worked on commercial buildings only. i live 3 blocks from a school. so the neighborhood he works in has small children and i know at least one of the houses he worked on, there is small children. DFS dropped the ball once, when another child is hurt, who will scroggins blame then.
Posted by rxyrch on March 28, 2008 at 10:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)another question i have, ,in a news article done by araon bailey on dfs and this whole mess, a spokesperson for DFS admits they new chris had allegations of child abuse as well as sexual abuse against him in 2000, so, if they knew, why wasn't anything done. the reason i have so many questions is because i have now read depositions, records etc. jenny capps changes her story after the police interview the mother of the first child, after they receive the med records on the first child and the doctors report saying chris is a danger. the dfs worker in charge of the first investigation says the report from the doctor was sent to the wrong worker. excuse me, you are all mandatory reporters, what difference did that make. i have contacted 3 of my representatives to speak with them about changing the system, only one responded. and i believe that was only a courtesy response. so, where do we get the answers we want, how can we get things changed?
Posted by rush620 on March 28, 2008 at 11:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)Well I for one have seen how busy Charlie Shields has been, what with trying to get the name of the Belt Highway changed and all. I would dare to say, the way to get things changed is to start with elected officials.
Posted by rxyrch on March 28, 2008 at 1:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)I have written charlie sheilds, rucker, graves. like i said only one responded.
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