Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The alleged abuse that killed Donald Rathman was not a one-time occurrence, according to Buchanan County prosecutors.
Ronny Rathman, the father of Donald, appeared in Buchanan County Circuit Court on Monday. Mr. Rathman, 52, was arrested Oct. 8 and charged with second-degree murder after his 7-week-old son, Donald, died that evening.
According to court documents, the victim's father allegedly struck the infant's head multiple times and knocked it into a table.
During Monday's proceedings, Buchanan County Prosecutor Dwight Scroggins told the court that preliminary medical information indicated the victim suffered a series of injuries. Donald had multiple fractures in various states of healing, meaning the abuse happened on numerous occasions, according to Mr. Scroggins.
Mr. Scroggins asked Associate Judge Keith Marquart to deny Mr. Rathman's bond, or at least raise it from its original setting of $100,000. The prosecutor argued that Mr. Rathman presented a danger to his two, surviving children who lived in the house at the time of the alleged crime. State officials placed those children in protective custody after Donald's death.
"I think $100,000 is not sufficient to ensure the safety of the other children," Mr. Scroggins said.
Mr. Rathman's attorney, public defender Michelle Davidson, asked for a bond reduction, arguing that her client had no criminal history. The judge denied both motions and left bond at $100,000.
Mr. Rathman then needed two tries, but he managed to waive his right to a preliminary hearing. During the judge's initial line of questioning, Mr. Rathman appeared confused and said he didn't understand he was charged with murder.
After a five-minute meeting with his attorney, Mr. Rathman returned and made it through the waiver process, though he responded to many of the judge's questions indecisively after long pauses before Ms. Davidson explained the questions to her client.
Mr. Rathman will be arraigned in front of Judge Pat Robb on Nov. 23.
Mr. Rathman's wife, Angela Rathman, pleaded not guilty to the class C felony of abuse of a child earlier in the day in circuit court.
The prosecutor's office alleges Ms. Rathman, 36, squeezed Donald, causing bruising around his rib cage, under his arms and legs. Police arrested Ms. Rathman on Sept. 9. However, Donald stayed in the home with his father, Mr. Rathman. Mr. Robb scheduled Ms. Rathman's trial setting for Dec. 10.
To determine why the Department of Social Services left Donald in the home after Ms. Rathman's arrest, the News-Press and St. Joe Now made an open-records request on Oct. 13 for the state's previous investigations into the Rathman household. On Oct. 16, DSS estimated it would take two to four weeks to locate that information. Last week, DSS informed the News-Press it would need an addition two weeks "to procure that information."
R.J. Cooper can be reached
at rjcooper@npgco.com
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tydej says...
What a sad story. The only victim is the dead child. As many times I as I read such stories I will never understand how people can be so evil. I don't even what to imagine what this young childs life must have been like. It reminds me of the tragic yet powerful story of the true life experience of a a young boy who was pulled out of a abussive home in the book A CHILD CALLED "IT". If you have not read this book I suggest that you do!!! It describes in painful detail what this one time young man and author of the book endured, in a first hand manner that grips at your heart. The world would be an extroidany place if people like these abusers were nonexistant. No child should have to suffer from toutore or pay with their lives to the hands an adult or any other person(s). How could person do this to anyone let alone their own flesh an blood child. Some animals in nature are not this crule and far surpass the compassion within their hearts. Such a shame that our socitey has individuals like these.
November 17, 2009 at 7:26 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mm1967 says...
These 2 parent should rot in a very bad place for what they did to this baby.A EYE FOR A EYE.These people should get what the baby got.No punishment is even going to come close what this child endured.May this child rest in peace.
Now as far as the DSS they fail this child and left him there in the home after abuse had already happened to the baby.And now they are stalling in releasing the info the newspaper has requested.Maybe someone there should be charged as well and I bet the next time they come accross a case like this the child will be removed for it own protection.
This is a sad day when defenseless babys are killed due to abuse.There are plenty of people who cannot have children that would have loved to adopt this child but the state and our goverment make it so hard to adopt children in our country hell it is easier to adopt children outside our country.
November 17, 2009 at 7:48 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rxyrch says...
The furor over this case has died down, the anger has subsided as it always does. Everytime i read about one of these cases, it makes my heart sick. I have asked, begged, pleaded for someone to come in and investigate the powers that be in this county. Every time someone says, what can i do. We have lost 7 little angels in four years. mr. sheilds says he passed a bill several years ago to help with this issue. before the bill was passed, there were a lot less deaths in the same amount of time. So, how many babies and toddlers have to die, before someone actually does investigate. It's always the same, the Juvenile office blames DFS, DFS blames the juvenile office, and the prosecutor, doesn't charge these monsters correctly so they spend the maximum amount of time behind bars. Christopher Kerns will be released in 2 years, sooner for good behavior if they allow it. Still has never admitted guilt, but apologizes to us. Had the prosecutor charged him with more than second degree murder, mr. kerns would be in jail until he was middle aged. (hopefully) It is time to put a stop to this, it is time to figure out why our system doesn't work, buchanan county has the highest rate of child/toddler deaths due to abuse in the northwest region of the state. this extends to Atchison to Putnam Counties in the North, from Buchanan to Chariton Counties west to east, and Cass, Johnson, Pettis to the South, excluding Jackson county. When will it stop?
November 17, 2009 at 10:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
donaldo says...
i couldn't read that book, it would be too hard on my love of children.i have a special place in my heart for all children. when in viet nam i visited numerous orphanages and can tell you it wasn't a sight that i choose to remember. the kids were made to pay for their parents beliefs and i lost my innocents after that.i have never been the same after that, but at the same time i would try and console the ones i met. even today i still have a spot for underprivileged children. they are all so special and to hear of an abuse just tears me up. i hope the courts handle this better then they have in the past. there is no excuse for this kind of behavior.
November 17, 2009 at 11:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_O says...
This IS the Very Worst kind of Criminal !
November 17, 2009 at 6:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tydej says...
The book is an educational tool for all. Yes, the events are horrific but in such a way,one has to read. Learn from a child who was able to survive to tell his story. The glimce of his life he shares with us is moving. Each reader comes away from the experience of hearing his story with an insiders view; one news articles lack, to understand what an abused childs daily life is like. It also shows the family dynamic with a father who feels powerless and siblings who are exempt from the abuse. An absolute must read. Reading how he was saved gives us hope that when abuse is present that action reeps results. To stop the abuse we must make sure we remove children from their dangerous enviornments. Getting action started after it becomes obvious a child is in danger is the only way to protect the child. Too often slow action or no action leads to death of children as with the child from our area. Teachers, neighbors, DR's have a responsability to protect.....we all have the responsability to protect the children in our lives.
November 17, 2009 at 7:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kelmarie says...
DEATH PENALTY if you ask me both the mom and the dad I have a 7 week old daughter and I would kill someone myself if this happened god forbid. Where was the rest of their family aunts uncles or grandparents sounds to me like they should of been turned in a long time ago...
November 17, 2009 at 11:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )