GUILTY MI - Brenden Hartranft, 18 mos, dies of head trauma, Jackson County, 14 March 2015

http://obits.mlive.com/obituaries/jackson/obituary.aspx?pid=174450939

Precious Brenden's picture and obituary...18-month olds shouldn't have obituaries :(

For little Brenden and the other child gone too soon by an evil hand:

Heaven's Cradle

There’s never a lack of room
in Heaven’s cradle
to rock and sway the sweetest fragile soul,
with nursery rhymes full of love
for a tender life that God called home.

Each thought that comes from hearts
about that missing angel,
are an incense stored in a divine chalice,
along with every tear shed.

When the night comes
while one sleeps
the Lord allows that sweet spirit
a chance to bring an ethereal kiss upon the cheek,
just His way of making sure we know
our day will come
when we shall in His eternal city
look forward to a blessed reunion,
having a chance to give a hug
and stroll hand in hand with that cherub being
forever able to share
what time didn’t allow in this life.

May the Lord touch with His mercy,
draped you in peace,
keep you in His arms of serenity,
ever able to cherish the vision
of the day when you again
can embrace the one you hold so dear.


(Penman)
 
http://www.wilx.com/home/headlines/Man-Accused-of-Killing-2-Babies-Going-to-Trial-321079351.html

"He was pale, he had food hanging out of his mouth, his eyes were closed, he had purple lips, he was just lifeless," said Brooke Hartranft about her son Brenden, who died in March...

And this isn't the only toddler death Jurewicz is being investigated for.

He started dating another woman after Brenden's death. The new girlfriend's son was found dead just days before Jurewicz was arrested.

http://woodtv.com/investigative-story/target-8-two-dead-children-one-suspect/

J.D. and Chere Pepper were scheduled to pick up their grandson for a visit when they got a call that the toddler's mom had found the 21-month-old dead in his crib...

According to court documents, preliminary results show Jesse Pepper Jr.'s injuries were "consistent with blunt force trauma in multiple areas to the head."

The Jackson County Sheriff's Department quickly identified Scott Jurewicz as a suspect. The 27-year-old Jackson man had just moved in with Jesse's mom.
 
So sad. I wonder if CPS or the investigator who warned the second mom had had access to the grandparents, to warn THEM, how differently this would have turned out.

I will say, this guy doesn't look like what I expected him to. He doesn't look at all like the angry hostile pigs who usually murder their girlfriend's babies. It's one thing to doubt he's guilty and think he was set up - it's another thing to leave your baby (who looks exactly like the first baby murdered, IMHO) with this guy alone. What was she trying to prove putting her baby at risk like that when anyone sane would at least take the precaution of not leaving them alone? How psychotic is this guy to kill TWO babies out of rage in this short period of time?

So so sad.

He "could" face life in prison for the beating death of two toddlers. I wonder what he "could" be facing if he delivered a bottle of hydrocodone to someone who didn't have a prescription for it.
 
Jurewicz was not arrested in Brenden Hartranft's death until May 22, one day after he became a suspect in a second, unrelated child's death; 26 days after he was released from jail and more than two months after Brenden died.

In the weeks following Brenden's March 17 death, Hartranft said it felt like Jurewicz was throwing her loss in her face.

A judge approved Hartranft's petition [for a personal protection order] against Jurewicz on April 7. She said not only was her ex-boyfriend calling her constantly, he was withholding some of her possessions until she would meet him in person.

And he had followed her to her son's gravesite.

http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2015/07/stalking_case_not_enough_to_ke.html#comments
 
[Jurewicz] became frustrated with Brenden and "admitted to snatching Brenden up, giving him a good shake and putting him down harder than he should have," according to a Department of Human Services petition filed May 22 in circuit court. It seeks to terminate Jurewicz's rights to his 9-year-old son.

Authorities knew Jurewicz had access to other children. Merritt and Children's Protective Services warned [Jesse's] mother about leaving her children with Jurewicz and she knew he was a a suspect in a child death, according to court records.

http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2015/06/they_have_blood_on_their_hands.html
 
Jesse Pepper Jr. (left) and Brenden Hartranft. (right)
picmonkey-collage.jpg
http://woodtv.com/investigative-story/target-8-two-dead-children-one-suspect/

A (detective) informed Andrea Conaway that he could not discuss the details of the case but that Scott Jurewicz is a dangerous individual and that if he was Andrea Conaway he would not leave his children alone with Scott Jurewicz," the court record reads in part.

It goes on to say, "Andrea Conaway reported she is aware Mr. Jurewicz could be involved in the death of a child. Ms. Conaway reported Mr. Jurewicz was 'set up' and did not really kill the child.... Ms. Conaway reported she does not have any ... fear that he would hurt her children. Andrea Conaway stated she trusts Mr. Jurewicz as she has been in a relationship with Mr. Jurewicz for about three weeks."

:banghead:

CPS warned Conaway that the state could hold her responsible if Jurewicz harmed her kids. But Miller said the caseworker also could have removed the children because Conaway was putting them at risk...

the Office of Children's Ombudsman has recommended that the state find new ways to address risks posed by "non-parent adults" -- usually live-in boyfriends.
 
October 2015 - Andrea Conaway's surviving son was taken into care shortly after Jesse's death, but not her parental rights are terminated. She denied remembering any of the warnings she had been given about her new boyfriend.

Jackson County Probate Judge Diane Rappleye said Monday... Conaway [was] not credible or contrite.

After hearing a day of testimony and argument, Rappleye decided Tuesday to take jurisdiction of Conaway's surviving 3-year-old son and to terminate Conaway's parental rights to the boy..

Before [Conaway and Jurewicz started dating, Conway] said she heard he was a suspect in a homicide case. Someone she knew had talked to Hartranft, Conaway testified, answering questions posed by Rezmierski.

About a week before Jesse's death, Jurewicz told her he was under investigation for Brenden's death. "He said he felt comfortable enough to tell me, that he is going to start opening up to me more."

She said she asked him if she should be worried about her children, and he kept saying he was under investigation, she said. Conaway said she did not ask for details, a fact that Rappleye found unfathomable. "That escapes all thoughts," the judge said.

Much more at link-
http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/i...nates_parental_righ.html#incart_story_package


Conaway said she understood Jesse to have been smothered and beaten.

At the scene, police found a pillow with an indentation, Rappleye said, recalling testimony from county sheriff's Sgt. Bryan Huttenlocker.

With authorities, Conaway was uncooperative and inconsistent, according to testimony from police and Alison Zinn of Children's Protective Services.

Even on the stand Monday, Conaway's testimony about the events leading up to her son's death was difficult to follow. "It was changing right here before my eyes," the judge said of her account...

Since he was taken from his mother, the 3-year-old is doing well, she said. He is receiving services to help him cope. He is speaking better.

"He is almost a new kid," Zinn said.

http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2015/10/mother_relives_morning_she_fou.html

Looks like she still defended Jurewicz even after Jesse's death - until the autopsy report came in and pointed to homicide. Then she probably realised that if Jurewicz was innocent, the only other suspect would be her.

Her story didn't make much sense to me... Jesse was left in a playpen all night, and she found him dead in the morning? She didn't call an ambulance or attempt CPR because he was already stiff, she said.

No one has been charged yet in relation to Jesse's death.
 
A pretrial hearing for Scott Jurewicz has been adjourned until March as attorneys await 18-month-old Brenden Hartranft's complete medical file...

Judge Thomas Wilson said he would issue a show cause, or bench warrant, should the complete file not be released to the prosecutor's office by Friday, Jan. 29...

Jurewicz has not been charged in connection to Jesse's death; he will again appear before Wilson for a pretrial hearing March 17, where the status of the case will be assessed.

http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2016/01/pretrial_delayed_for_scott_jur.html
 
From April:

http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2017/04/accused_child_killer_released.html

After spending nearly two years incarcerated and waiting for trial, Scott Jurewicz was released for five hours Wednesday, April 12, to attend his father's funeral. Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wilson granted a request for his temporary release on Tuesday, April 11.

His trial is set to begin at 8:30 a.m., July 31.

If convicted of felony murder, Jurewicz would be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
 
http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2017/09/evidence_of_second_child_death.html

Evidence of alleged child abuse and details surrounding the death of a second child will be allowed during the trial of a man accused of murdering an 18-month old boy more than two years ago.

Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson granted a motion from prosecutors Monday, Sept. 25, that will allow jurors to hear this evidence in the trial against Scott Jurewicz.

"I don't think you can give the jury a picture of what was going on here without these acts," Wilson said.
 
Accused child murderer gave toddler 'a quick shake,' silencing him, prosecutors say

http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2017/11/accused_child_murderer_gave_to.html

When putting crying 18-month old Brenden Hartranft to bed in March 2015, prosecutors said Scott Jurewicz picked him up too fast and gave him "a quick shake," silencing his screams forever.

"Jurewicz said he stayed in the bedroom to put stuff away while Brenden cried, then all of the sudden the cries stop," Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Kati Rezmierski told the jury during opening statements. "It wasn't a slowdown, just a stop. The evidence will show that what happened to Brenden is something that was inflicted on him."

Defense Attorney Eric White urged jurors to look beyond emotions during his opening statement, telling them to focus strictly on the evidence when it comes time to render a verdict.

"You will hear the most gut-wrenching testimony and you will see photos that will haunt your dreams, but they need to prove Scott killed Brenden and there is not enough evidence to support that," White said.
 
Man suspected in two child deaths found guilty of felony murder

After seven days of testimony, 22 witnesses and more than 120 pieces of evidence, a jury of 10 women and two men found Scott Jurewicz guilty of first-degree murder for killing his former girlfriend's 18-month-old son, Brenden Hartranft.

The jury deliberated about three hours and reported they had reached a verdict about 4:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17. Jurors also convicted Jurewicz of first-degree child abuse.

Jackson County Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson will sentence him to a mandatory term of life in prison on Jan. 4. He will have no chance of parole.

Doctors agree boy in murder case could not have died unless first impaired

Seven doctors testifying in the trial of man accused of shaking a child who died three days later have said the boy could not have suffocated without first being neurologically impaired.

"Choking on spaghetti and sleeping didn't make sense for someone who is neurologically normal," she said. "Something had to happen to him to make him choke while sleeping."

Dr. Jeff Jentzen, head forensic pathologist at the University of Michigan Hospital, agreed with his colleague's observations, stating the injuries found in Brenden's spine were "characteristic of a whiplash type of injury."
 
'I think you're a psychopath,' judge tells convicted child killer

Shrugging, Scott Jurewicz had little to say besides, "I'm sorry," as he left the courtroom Thursday morning knowing he would he never live outside prison walls again.

Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson sentenced Jurewicz, 29, to the mandated sentence of life without the possibility of parole on Jan. 4, for the murder of his former girlfriend's 18-month-old son, Brenden Hartranft.

"I think you're a psychopath," Wilson said. "You affected so many lives. Seeing your complete lack of conscience, I don't think you'll do well in prison. Your mother, if she wants to see you, can see you in prison. Brenden's family don't have that option."

"You didn't just kill a child, you destroyed everyone's life," Brenden's grandmother, Dawn Wilson, said to Jurewicz during his sentencing. "I hope you can never forget his name. You have blood on your hands. I wish I could put a photo of Brenden in your cell so you would never forget what you did to him."
 

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