PA - Dakota Cofer, 2, beaten to death, New Brighton, 28 March 2006

kidzndogznme

A closed mouth gathers no foot
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I posted quite a while ago about my baby cousin who was murdered back in the spring. As far as I know, there has been nothing released about it in the media. Is there some "end all be all" website where I might gather more info? Googling his name has gotten me nowhere. Thanks.
 
Oh lord, kidz... I'm so sorry; hadn't read your earlier post. Prayers, kisses and love to (((((( you and your family ))))))

Have you tried Center for missing/exploited children? The local Police Dept?

Good luck x
 
kidzndogznme said:
I posted quite a while ago about my baby cousin who was murdered back in the spring. As far as I know, there has been nothing released about it in the media. Is there some "end all be all" website where I might gather more info? Googling his name has gotten me nowhere. Thanks.
kidz, I tried searching for your post regarding this and couldn't find one. Could you direct us to the link so we'll know something about this? TIA
 
I couldn't find a link exactly. Apparently I posted this info in the middle of a similar thread. I remembered it as making my own link but I must have been mistaken. Here is what I wrote:


Something similar to this just happened in my family in the past 2 months. My cousin several times removed had 2 little boys with her husband and they separated afterwards. Sometime around Christmas, she allowed a new boyfriend to move in with her and the little kids (one is 2 and a half and the other is 5). She worked day shifts while the boyfriend stayed home with the kids and I guess he worked at night. Anyway he was messed up in drugs but no one knew it at the time. My cousin came home from work one afternoon and found the 2 1/2 year old laying in a playpen and not moving. For reasons I cannot fathom, she did not immediately call 911. I don't know how long she waited but it was some time. Anyway the baby died at the hospital 24 hours later, never regaining consciousness. The autopsy determined that the baby's skull was cracked from the base of his skull all the way to his front hairline. He had bruises and cuts all over his little body. His neck was bruised in such a way that the ME said it was obvious the baby had been held by the back of the neck and forcibly thrown into a hard object (a coffee table or the wall perhaps). Also he had a puncture in the bottom of his foot. The boyfriend was arrested within a short time after the autopsy reports came back. The LE was contemplating arresting my cousin too because she didn't call 911 right away (they think she was protecting the boyfriend--WTF!). He is being held without bail and the surviving brother was put in foster care. My cousin's dad (the baby's grandfather) has applied for and been granted custody of the brother. Unbelievable!!!!


Then I added more:
Bobbi, I don't know if she will get her son back or not. But I don't think she deserves to, do you? She is 24 so not some young teenager and she made some poor and deliberate choices that may have contributed to her baby's death. I understand the whole single mom scenario (been there myself) and I know she has to work to make ends meet. But if she had only known this new BF 3 months or so, she didn't know him long enough to trust him. Even if she didn't know about the drugs, still that is pretty naive. And then to come home and find your child in a playpen and unresponsive? And you don't call 911? I don't think that is good mother material. I think I am a good mom to my kids and I have kids in my daycare too. The idea of someone not being willing to throw down their own life to save their child is unbelievable to me. I personally have been nearly mowed down by a car twice while running after my son. He is one of those kids who runs nonstop until they drop over in exhaustion. One time we were leaving the mall and I had my baby on my hip and bags in my hands (while DH sauntered behind, empty handed talking to DMIL gag) and I was holding the hands of my other daughter and son at the same time. My kids were always taught to hold my hands and not to move off the curb until I said go. Well he decided that he was 3 and he was going to cross the street whether I came or not. He jerked out of my hand and raced right into the path of a car. I was screaming on the curb while still holding onto my older daughter and my baby. How could I race out there for my son and sacrifice my other kids? I finally couldn't stand it and I dropped the bags and just ran. I was close enough that I punched the front of the car as it screeched to a halt by my hip. I do not generally believe in spanking kids but let me tell you, my son got a pink behind that day. Never again did he rip out of my hands. I would rather spank my son's butt than have him dead. Another time, same kid, we were crossing a busy street after coming out of a store and as we approached the parking lot across the street where our vehicle was parked, another car came whipping out of a spot near the road. They didn't even look, never hit their brakes. I saw him coming out of the corner of my eye and literally picked up my son and flung him through the air to the other side of me. I know I sound like I am tooting my own horn and I don't mean to. But the bottom line is, IMO, if you bring a child into this world, it is your responsibility to protect them no matter what. If that means throwing your body over your child's to take a bullet, then that is what you do.
Climbing down off soapbox......
__________________

Thank you for your help. His name was Dakota Coffer. His mother is Elizabeth and his living brother is Gabriel Coffer.
 
kidzndogznme said:
I couldn't find a link exactly. Apparently I posted this info in the middle of a similar thread. I remembered it as making my own link but I must have been mistaken. Here is what I wrote:


Something similar to this just happened in my family in the past 2 months. My cousin several times removed had 2 little boys with her husband and they separated afterwards. Sometime around Christmas, she allowed a new boyfriend to move in with her and the little kids (one is 2 and a half and the other is 5). She worked day shifts while the boyfriend stayed home with the kids and I guess he worked at night. Anyway he was messed up in drugs but no one knew it at the time. My cousin came home from work one afternoon and found the 2 1/2 year old laying in a playpen and not moving. For reasons I cannot fathom, she did not immediately call 911. I don't know how long she waited but it was some time. Anyway the baby died at the hospital 24 hours later, never regaining consciousness. The autopsy determined that the baby's skull was cracked from the base of his skull all the way to his front hairline. He had bruises and cuts all over his little body. His neck was bruised in such a way that the ME said it was obvious the baby had been held by the back of the neck and forcibly thrown into a hard object (a coffee table or the wall perhaps). Also he had a puncture in the bottom of his foot. The boyfriend was arrested within a short time after the autopsy reports came back. The LE was contemplating arresting my cousin too because she didn't call 911 right away (they think she was protecting the boyfriend--WTF!). He is being held without bail and the surviving brother was put in foster care. My cousin's dad (the baby's grandfather) has applied for and been granted custody of the brother. Unbelievable!!!!


Then I added more:
Bobbi, I don't know if she will get her son back or not. But I don't think she deserves to, do you? She is 24 so not some young teenager and she made some poor and deliberate choices that may have contributed to her baby's death. I understand the whole single mom scenario (been there myself) and I know she has to work to make ends meet. But if she had only known this new BF 3 months or so, she didn't know him long enough to trust him. Even if she didn't know about the drugs, still that is pretty naive. And then to come home and find your child in a playpen and unresponsive? And you don't call 911? I don't think that is good mother material. I think I am a good mom to my kids and I have kids in my daycare too. The idea of someone not being willing to throw down their own life to save their child is unbelievable to me. I personally have been nearly mowed down by a car twice while running after my son. He is one of those kids who runs nonstop until they drop over in exhaustion. One time we were leaving the mall and I had my baby on my hip and bags in my hands (while DH sauntered behind, empty handed talking to DMIL gag) and I was holding the hands of my other daughter and son at the same time. My kids were always taught to hold my hands and not to move off the curb until I said go. Well he decided that he was 3 and he was going to cross the street whether I came or not. He jerked out of my hand and raced right into the path of a car. I was screaming on the curb while still holding onto my older daughter and my baby. How could I race out there for my son and sacrifice my other kids? I finally couldn't stand it and I dropped the bags and just ran. I was close enough that I punched the front of the car as it screeched to a halt by my hip. I do not generally believe in spanking kids but let me tell you, my son got a pink behind that day. Never again did he rip out of my hands. I would rather spank my son's butt than have him dead. Another time, same kid, we were crossing a busy street after coming out of a store and as we approached the parking lot across the street where our vehicle was parked, another car came whipping out of a spot near the road. They didn't even look, never hit their brakes. I saw him coming out of the corner of my eye and literally picked up my son and flung him through the air to the other side of me. I know I sound like I am tooting my own horn and I don't mean to. But the bottom line is, IMO, if you bring a child into this world, it is your responsibility to protect them no matter what. If that means throwing your body over your child's to take a bullet, then that is what you do.
Climbing down off soapbox......
__________________

Thank you for your help. His name was Dakota Coffer. His mother is Elizabeth and his living brother is Gabriel Coffer.
Thank you so much for reposting this kidz. In what town/city did this take place, and when?
 
It happened in or around March of this year in Pittsburgh PA.
 
kidzndogznme said:
It happened in or around March of this year in Pittsburgh PA.
Okay, just found this. What a darling little boy, so sad.

  • Mar 29, 2006 9:05 pm US/Eastern
New Brighton Toddler's Death Ruled A Homicide

Paul Martino
Reporting


(KDKA) NEW BRIGHTON New Brighton Police are calling the death of a toddler a homicide.

Dakota Coffer, 2, was found at his home in Valley View Gardens apartments on Fifth Avenue in New Brighton.

New Brighton Police Chief Charles Vansoffen says he believes a crime was committed because of the child’s injuries. The Medical Examiner has not yet determined if the injuries caused Dakota’s death.

Dakota was found with a skull fracture and he had bruises all over his body. He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

“The medical examiner gave us a preliminary finding that he's going to rule this a homicide due to injuries the child sustained,” said New Brighton Police Chief Charles Vansoffan. “We at the police department felt there was a criminal act, whether that act led to this child's death or not, that will be determined by the medical examiner.”

Police say the initial call came in that a subject was not breathing. When police arrived at the apartment, they realized it was a 2-year-old boy.

Vansoffen explained that the family told him Cofer had been sick and thought he stopped breathing because he was ill. The child was being cared for by an acquaintance of Dakota’s mother, Elizabeth Cofer.

Dakota’s mother and her boyfriend, James Davis, were brought in for questioning.

Davis is now in the Beaver County Jail on a probation violation. Police also consider Davis a person of interest.

“I know Jimbo wouldn’t do anything to hurt that baby. He watches my son, his sister has two newborns and a little girl, and he watches [them],” said Angel Wesse, a neighbor.

Tonya Holmes, who also lives nearby, says Dakota was hurt when his brother pushed him off of the couch Monday night.

Beaver County Children and Youth Services removed his three-year-old brother Gabriel from their home and placed him in foster care.


http://kdka.com/local/local_story_088205801.html
 
Oh my gosh, I can't believe you found it! I have looked and looked. You are good!! Thank you so much. This means so much.
 
From reading the info - this James Davis was born in 1978. I think it's a very likely match.

Also - trial is due to begin in January 07. Maybe the local papers will carry some news.

Same man was charged with use/possession of drug paraphrenalia in 2003, filing a false report in 2003 - pled guilty - got at least 1 month in jail, in 1998 had 4 counts of robbery, plus assault, theft and harassment. Looks like he violated parole on that one and had a warrant for his arrest. Statutory rape, indecent assault and corruption of minors in 1997 - looks like he was getting paroled, then revoked, then paroled again - each time serving 4-5 months in jail. It's hard to tell exactly, but safe to say not a good guy.
 
tonya holmes, who comments in the news article pled guilty to retail theft.
 
James D. Davis

Housed: SCI Michigan

Plea Date: 01/17/2007
Plea: Guilty to 3rd Degree Murder
Original Charge: Criminal Homicide
Sentence Date: 03/07/2007
Sentence: 20 - 40 years
 
What I find astonishing is, with this guy's record, I can't figure out how he was not imprisoned, instead of being out to murder a baby. I'm just listing the previous charges. I didn't look up dispositions for each one, so undoubtedly they were all pled down to nothing.

Arrest Date: 08/29/1997
Statutory Rape
Indecent Assault w/o Consent
Corruption of Minors

Arrest Date: 05/08/1998
4 counts Robbery
Retail Theft
Aggravated Assault
Simple Assault
Harrassment

Arrest Date: 02/11/2000
Theft by Unlawful Taking-Movable Property
Receiving Stolen Property
Conspire-Theft by Unlawful Taking-Movable Property

Arrest Date: 01/18/2001
Statutory Sexual Assault
Corruption of Minors
Indecent Assault-Person Less Than 16

Arrest Date: 06/14/2003
Use/Poss of Drug Paraphernalia

Arrest Date: 10/07/2003
False Report-Falsely Incriminate Another
False Identification to Law Enf. Officer
 

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