GUILTY IL - Ryon Smith, 6, beaten to death, Cahokia, 24 Dec 2005

[mysteriew]

I often can't look at the pictures of the children. I can read. I just can't look at their pictures.

 

[texasgirl]

Police arrived at the home in the 1300 block of Upper Cahokia Road to find the Ryan's lifeless body on the floor of a bedroom. Investigators say he lived a "horrific existence," and was at times kept in a closet.

http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=89885

http://www.ksdk.com/genthumb.ashx?e=15&w=300&h=225&i=/assetpool/images/051227174520_childbeaten.jpg




kept in a closet too? :furious:

Ya know what ticks me off about the above article? This is going to sound really stupid, but since this case has affected me so much----I just have to say it. The woman had her nails done. No Christmas tree or presents for her two children, but enough money to get her nails done. I know it's stupid, but this woman deserves to rot in hell for this.

That precious little boy did not deserve this and I've never been more mad about a case (well, since Jessica Lunsford) and so distraught over a child's anguish. I truly can't stop thinking about him. I look at my daughter and think about the many times I was running low in my checking account all the time (when I was a single mother) and couldn't pay for dance lessons. I felt so bad for denying her and felt like such a bad mother. It makes me look at my child and know how good she has it that I would never hurt her the way these animals are hurting their children. In fact, last night when my daughter went to bed and I was thinking about this little angel who didn't know the joys my daughter experienced when Santa Claus came this year, I had to go in and hug and kiss her again. I said a silent prayer that this little boy is feeling more love and joy in Heaven with Jesus than we can possibly comprehend!!

God Bless him.....this case just hurts me so much.

 

[PrayersForMaura]

Ya know what ticks me off about the above article? This is going to sound really stupid, but since this case has affected me so much----I just have to say it. The woman had her nails done. No Christmas tree or presents for her two children, but enough money to get her nails done. I know it's stupid, but this woman deserves to rot in hell for this.

That precious little boy did not deserve this and I've never been more mad about a case (well, since Jessica Lunsford) and so distraught over a child's anguish. I truly can't stop thinking about him. I look at my daughter and think about the many times I was running low in my checking account all the time (when I was a single mother) and couldn't pay for dance lessons. I felt so bad for denying her and felt like such a bad mother. It makes me look at my child and know how good she has it that I would never hurt her the way these animals are hurting their children. In fact, last night when my daughter went to bed and I was thinking about this little angel who didn't know the joys my daughter experienced when Santa Claus came this year, I had to go in and hug and kiss her again. I said a silent prayer that this little boy is feeling more love and joy in Heaven with Jesus than we can possibly comprehend!!

God Bless him.....this case just hurts me so much.

Aww, that's a sad story. Now I wanna cry again
I've been pretty sad since I saw this story.

It reminds me of a little kid I knew when I was younger and I am not sure where he went because he moved away. They were poor and you could always hear the parents fighting. Poor kid tried to smile.
We called the police and stuff, but the mother always said everything was fine, even when social services came. Everything was always fine.

I know what you mean about the mother having her nails done, too. :furious:
I saw the boyfriend and it looked like he had nice cargo pants on, a nice sweater. Was that a leather jacket, too?
Yet the kid was malnourished and had no presents?
That really makes me upset.
Kids should not go hungry.
You don't have fancy clothes and get your nails done and not feed your kids. That's just not right. :furious:

I'm right there with ya with your post.
I am so glad you put your child first. You may not realize this, but you have some admirers (me for one!) and I bet your daughter is your biggest fan.

 

[texasgirl]

I'm right there with ya with your post.
I am so glad you put your child first. You may not realize this, but you have some admirers (me for one!) and I bet your daughter is your biggest fan.

You're so sweet Prayers! Glad to see that you and I pretty much get involved in the same cases....we seem to generally get involved in the sad ones though. Yet, still we tend to agree on most of them!!!

 

[Angels_Not_Forgotten]

Aww, that's a sad story. Now I wanna cry again
I've been pretty sad since I saw this story.

It reminds me of a little kid I knew when I was younger and I am not sure where he went because he moved away. They were poor and you could always hear the parents fighting. Poor kid tried to smile.
We called the police and stuff, but the mother always said everything was fine, even when social services came. Everything was always fine.

I know what you mean about the mother having her nails done, too. :furious:
I saw the boyfriend and it looked like he had nice cargo pants on, a nice sweater. Was that a leather jacket, too?
Yet the kid was malnourished and had no presents?
That really makes me upset.
Kids should not go hungry.
You don't have fancy clothes and get your nails done and not feed your kids. That's just not right. :furious:

I'm right there with ya with your post.
I am so glad you put your child first. You may not realize this, but you have some admirers (me for one!) and I bet your daughter is your biggest fan.

I noticed this as well, about the boyfriend having nice cloths. And an outrage because he didnt or didnt mEAN to harm the boy, Im outraged that all of this went on and NOONE had a clue or if they did, not enough of one to care. Where was her family or his for that matter?

 

[concernedperson]

It is pizzing off. I just hope the mom gets a nail fungus. That is lame but other than the death penalty I can see nothing else to exemplify my horror. This little boy could have been with me on Christmas...we would have had so much fun. This little boy deserved so much more and would have received more if someone, somewhere would have noticed the aberration.

 

[Marie]

It is pizzing off. I just hope the mom gets a nail fungus.

I hope she gets those nails ripped out, that other prisoners steal all her food, that she's beaten to a bloody pulp every night and never ever gets even one damn piece of coal for xmas. I hope that if she ever dares to smile or laugh again that someone rips her lips off and knocks her teeth out.

I'm with others on the board - going back and forth between extreme anger (just a fury that I'm not used to feeling!), and wishing so badly that I could just hold and rock that little boy and tell him he's so special and precious, and give him chocolate milk and cookies then tuck him into a snuggly warm bed in a room decorated just for him, and watch his beautiful eyes light up when he wakes up to see all the presents Santa left.

No Christmas! They should burn in hell just for that!

 

[mysteriew]

LOL, welcome to WS Marie. You are going to fit right in!

 

[SadieMae]

I hope she gets those nails ripped out, that other prisoners steal all her food, that she's beaten to a bloody pulp every night and never ever gets even one damn piece of coal for xmas. I hope that if she ever dares to smile or laugh again that someone rips her lips off and knocks her teeth out.

I'm with others on the board - going back and forth between extreme anger (just a fury that I'm not used to feeling!), and wishing so badly that I could just hold and rock that little boy and tell him he's so special and precious, and give him chocolate milk and cookies then tuck him into a snuggly warm bed in a room decorated just for him, and watch his beautiful eyes light up when he wakes up to see all the presents Santa left.

No Christmas! They should burn in hell just for that!

Welcome Marie. I wish the mother all the same things you want, and can maybe think of a few more "treats" for her. I don't think people like her have a soul or a heart. Christmas mornings with my boys when they were little brought me even more joy and happiness than it did them. Just to see them so happy and excited at what Santa brought them, that was always my best Christmas present to myself. The cost of getting her nails done would have bought that precious child toys. I was so angry about that strory, well I just coulda gone out and done something to get my butt sentenced for 60-90 days just to get in the same jail that monster will be in.

 

[GreenEyedGirl]

A Cahokia woman who was charged Tuesday with beating her 6-year-old son to death over Christmas had herself fled from an abusive relationship with a former boyfriend, according to a former neighbor.

The woman, Starr Lohman, 24, and her current boyfriend, Lee D. Crutchfield, 33, were charged with three counts each of first-degree murder on Tuesday. The multiple counts of murder were issued to cover differing theories on how a crime occurred.

Authorities said that the couple had severely beaten Lohman's son, Ryan Smith, over a period of months, culminating in a final, fatal beating that began Saturday night.

After the arraignment, Crutchfield insisted to reporters that he was innocent.

"I didn't do it, please believe me," he said. "I never meant to harm him. This is outrageous, three counts of first-degree murder."
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/metroeast/story/F021DD47D71472A1862570E5001BF39C?OpenDocument

His last sentence just kills me...."This is outrageous, three counts of first-degree murder." Hellllllooooooo.....what's outrageous, you azzhole, is that you killed a poor, innocent little boy who had probably never known any love his whole life. I hope these people rot in h*ll for what they have done! :furious:

 

[oceanblueeyes]

It is pizzing off. I just hope the mom gets a nail fungus. That is lame but other than the death penalty I can see nothing else to exemplify my horror. This little boy could have been with me on Christmas...we would have had so much fun. This little boy deserved so much more and would have received more if someone, somewhere would have noticed the aberration.

The tragic thing is this little boy had no good days at all. Not Christmas nor Thanksgiving. When one lives an abusive existences it isn't about enjoying a certain day but getting through each day one day at a time. I am sure this little boy just tried to survive. IMO, he knew he would get nothing special for Christmas. The mother by then had convinced him he was anything but special and as he jumped through his skin trying to please "mommie" he knew it wasn't going to happen. Abusers, especially abusers of children blame the children for their own beatings, it is THEIR fault, they are the ones that dared make "mommie" mad.

We must step forward when we see things that aren't right or makes the hair on our neck stand up. Will everyone of them be stopped in time? No but at least we will know we did our part trying to stop this madness.

Once again an innocent child has been robbed of their right to life, once again the parent is involved. For those who don't die they are left damaged beyond full repair. We must care about all of our children, rich or poor and in between because there is no barrier where child abuse strikes. It happens to all economic and educational levels.

May this precious child now rest in peace, something I don't think he ever experienced while living. He is now cradled in the arms of God imo.

IMO

Ocean

 

[SadieMae]

The tragic thing is this little boy had no good days at all. Not Christmas nor Thanksgiving. When one lives an abusive existences it isn't about enjoying a certain day but getting through each day one day at a time. I am sure this little boy just tried to survive. IMO, he knew he would get nothing special for Christmas. The mother by then had convinced him he was anything but special and as he jumped through his skin trying to please "mommie" he knew it wasn't going to happen. Abusers, especially abusers of children blame the children for their own beatings, it is THEIR fault, they are the ones that dared make "mommie" mad.

We must step forward when we see things that aren't right or makes the hair on our neck stand up. Will everyone of them be stopped in time? No but at least we will know we did our part trying to stop this madness.

Once again an innocent child has been robbed of their right to life, once again the parent is involved. For those who don't die they are left damaged beyond full repair. We must care about all of our children, rich or poor and in between because there is no barrier where child abuse strikes. It happens to all economic and educational levels.

May this precious child now rest in peace, something I don't think he ever experienced while living. He is now cradled in the arms of God imo.

IMO

Ocean

That is the only thing that gives me any peace so I can sleep at night.

 

[GreenEyedGirl]

The tragic thing is this little boy had no good days at all. Not Christmas nor Thanksgiving. When one lives an abusive existences it isn't about enjoying a certain day but getting through each day one day at a time. I am sure this little boy just tried to survive. IMO, he knew he would get nothing special for Christmas. The mother by then had convinced him he was anything but special and as he jumped through his skin trying to please "mommie" he knew it wasn't going to happen. Abusers, especially abusers of children blame the children for their own beatings, it is THEIR fault, they are the ones that dared make "mommie" mad.

We must step forward when we see things that aren't right or makes the hair on our neck stand up. Will everyone of them be stopped in time? No but at least we will know we did our part trying to stop this madness.

Once again an innocent child has been robbed of their right to life, once again the parent is involved. For those who don't die they are left damaged beyond full repair. We must care about all of our children, rich or poor and in between because there is no barrier where child abuse strikes. It happens to all economic and educational levels.

May this precious child now rest in peace, something I don't think he ever experienced while living. He is now cradled in the arms of God imo.

IMO

Ocean

:clap: Very well said. I am just sure he is a lot happier where he is now, than where he was just a few short days ago.

 

[Daisy]

Aww, that's a sad story. Now I wanna cry again
I've been pretty sad since I saw this story.

It reminds me of a little kid I knew when I was younger and I am not sure where he went because he moved away. They were poor and you could always hear the parents fighting. Poor kid tried to smile.

Now THAT makes me wanna cry...........again!

 

[KatherineQ]

This is so sad. It looks he had a good grandmother, right there in town, and she really wanted to be involved with him and love him. Who knows what makes mothers change like Starr did, and allow a man to beat their child to death. It sounds like she was a good mother to him before meeting Crutchfield.

http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/local/13506163.htm

 

[PrayersForMaura]

This is so sad. It looks he had a good grandmother, right there in town, and she really wanted to be involved with him and love him. Who knows what makes mothers change like Starr did, and allow a man to beat their child to death. It sounds like she was a good mother to him before meeting Crutchfield.

http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/local/13506163.htm

Oh my god... this is the first picture I've seen of the precious little boy and now I cry harder. WHAT a doll.
Every child is precious. How could she do this? For a man?

courtesy of KTVI

 

[PrayersForMaura]

Suspect accused of violence
Lee D. Crutchfield, charged with the murder of a 6-year-old Cahokia boy, stalked a former girlfriend, the mother of his infant son, according to an order of protection filed two weeks ago in St. Louis.

Rebecca Jones, 30, of St. Louis, stated that on Dec. 13, Crutchfield, 33, followed her car while driving another girlfriend's car and tried to run her off the road after an argument. She wrote in the application for the protection order that she feared Crutchfield because of his, "Unpredictable behavior."

Jones said in a court document that she and Crutchfield "got into a fight and he followed me in his girlfriend's car and tried to keep me from turning, but I cut him off and turned on a road." Jones could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

On a previous occasion, according to Jones' statement on a court document, Crutchfield had "grabbed my throat and punched me in the chest." The application included with the court order for protection filed on Dec. 14, stated that Jones broke up with Crutchfield more than a year ago. The order states that they have a 14-month-old son.

More: http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/local/13506156.htm

​

 

[PrayersForMaura]

New Development ...

<snip>

Dan Colley of Centralia, Illinois says he is a friend of suspect, Lee Crutchfield. Colley says he spoke with Crutchfield the night Ryan was beaten.

"We've had holidays together, my kids know Lee," said Colley.

Colley believes that Crutchfield is wrongly accused. He cannot believe that Crutchfield helped his girlfriend murder her 6-year-old son by beating the child.
Colley says his friend loves children.

Other sources said that evidence shows Crutchfield was motivated by anger on Christmas Eve, and that he allegedly beat the child with his fists until he died.

More: http://www.kmov.com/topstories/stories/122605cckkKMOVCahokia.18079c85.html

 

[PrayersForMaura]

Welcome to WS Marie!
I am afraid that I am going to disagree with you on this. At one time, it was peretty certain that an abuser learned to abuse at home. But now with all of the drugs being so rampant, and with the effects of the drugs being so extreme, the grand parents may have been extremely good and loving.
Parents cannot control what their kids do, how they treat their kids, or anything else. Often the grandparents are the last to know what is going on.
I will be withholding judgement until more info comes out.

I think you have something there... There was a brief mention of drugs being involved in the story KatherineQ posted today.

 

[mysteriew]

I think you have something there... There was a brief mention of drugs being involved in the story KatherineQ posted today.

It is happening too frequently these days.