GUILTY LA - Levi Cole Ellerbe, 6 mos, kidnapped, burned to death, Natchitoches, 17 Jul 2018 *arrests*

[BayouBelle_LA]

I'm not yet ready to pass judgement in this case but I'm also not ready to run and give money to the mother. To be honest I only donate to campaigns where I either know the person or feel confident in the cause (I gave twice to WS because I trust Tricia) but I would caution others to be sure before donating.

The timeline has me asking questions. I understand the kidnapping happened about an hour before the fire was reported but right now we don't know how long the fire had been burning before it was spotted.

Please don't misunderstand - early reports stated only one person called in about the fire. Later reports say "residents" reported it so it's unclear.

More troubling though is the mother's report that the kidnappers were unknown to her. So if it wasn't a vendetta then why on earth would the suspects think a mother living in a trailer park would have something of value anyway? And why take the baby? There was no ransom call. Apparently they said nothing to mother about giving them something or else they'd harm the baby. What was the purpose?

All I can think of is that this is a case of a couple of psychopaths looking for a thrill kill of the most extreme kind. Whoever are responsible committed a deliberate act of violence on the poor baby and didn't care if they left a witness - mom - who could identify them.

I'm suspicious but I have to acknowledge that there are sickos out there who do vicious acts for reasons that we normal people can't comprehend. Still, this is a baffling case. If mom didn't know the people and it was a random act of violence then my heart goes out to her.

Another explanation for why the mom didn't recognize the kidnappers is because their faces were covered or the vendetta was against the baby's father.

As for how long the fire was burning, we don't know. But I think it was reported the sweet baby was still alive when police arrived so probably not that long.

 

[?mysterian?]

I'm not yet ready to pass judgement in this case but I'm also not ready to run and give money to the mother. To be honest I only donate to campaigns where I either know the person or feel confident in the cause (I gave twice to WS because I trust Tricia) but I would caution others to be sure before donating.

The timeline has me asking questions. I understand the kidnapping happened about an hour before the fire was reported but right now we don't know how long the fire had been burning before it was spotted.

Please don't misunderstand - early reports stated only one person called in about the fire. Later reports say "residents" reported it so it's unclear.

More troubling though is the mother's report that the kidnappers were unknown to her. So if it wasn't a vendetta then why on earth would the suspects think a mother living in a trailer park would have something of value anyway? And why take the baby? There was no ransom call. Apparently they said nothing to mother about giving them something or else they'd harm the baby. What was the purpose?

All I can think of is that this is a case of a couple of psychopaths looking for a thrill kill of the most extreme kind. Whoever are responsible committed a deliberate act of violence on the poor baby and didn't care if they left a witness - mom - who could identify them.

I'm suspicious but I have to acknowledge that there are sickos out there who do vicious acts for reasons that we normal people can't comprehend. Still, this is a baffling case. If mom didn't know the people and it was a random act of violence then my heart goes out to her.

I agree with your post. I guess one of the first things, among many, to bother me is, if mom didn't know these men, why open the door to them?

 

[MsMarple]

Another explanation for why the mom didn't recognize the kidnappers is because their faces were covered or the vendetta was against the baby's father.

As for how long the fire was burning, we don't know. But I think it was reported the sweet baby was still alive when police arrived so probably not that long.

Okay, admittedly I'm cynical but I haven't seen anything in msm that the men had masks or other disguises.

But you make an interesting point that it could have been a vendetta against the father - or even some other relative - that the mom has no knowledge of. To me that's more plausible than a random home invasion.

 

[Ilovemy3boys]

Omg! That poor baby. May he rest in heaven.

 

[AmyPond]

If the baby was alive when found, I really don't see how the fire could have been burning for very long.

 

[FlossyMay]

It seems really risky to do something like this in a mobile home park. I'm not familiar with this one, but my mil once lived in one and it was almost impossible to do anything outside your trailer that the neighbors didn't know about. Hopefully someone saw or heard something strange that night and police are closer than we think to finding who did this.

This story reminds me of Sabrina Aisenberg. It makes me think jealousy and vengeance.

 

[Ilovemy3boys]

It could be a possibility of different things.
I mean what do we know about the mom or dad? Is she an addict? Are the parents involved with gangs? There is no evidence that what mom said happened or not? Does mom suffer from ppd and dealing with a baby just was too much for her? Was it revenge from a bf, didn’t want the baby around.

I’m just thinking that maybe the mom could have just built that scenario ( made up this story) to throw off police. Maybe noone was there, and it’s a possibility she didn’t want that baby anymore. It also doesn’t sound like the father is around.

Moo.

 

[FlossyMay]

I apologize for my use of the word "story". It's too late to edit my comment or I would change it to case. This is not a story, it's real and I wish I had worded it better.

 

[24Roses]

Baby Levi has 3 older sisters. Hopefully one of them was there and maybe can tell what they know. However, if that is the case, I feel really bad for those children to witness their mom being injured and their baby brother taken away. All IMO. If they were there, it seems like the baby was the target.

 

[FlossyMay]

I can't imagine that anyone else was home when this happened. From what I've read, I don't believe the mother and father are together. The older children may be his from another relationship.

 

[MsMarple]

The boy's name has not be released by the Natchitoches Police Department, which is investigating the case as a homicide. When The Town Talk asked for confirmation of the victim's identity, the response was only one sentence.

"At this time, due to the rapidly evolving nature of this case, there shall be no further press release," it read.

Early Wednesday afternoon, investigators from the Louisiana State Fire Marshal's Office and fire department drove up in four sport-utility vehicles to examine the site. Natchitoches firefighters arrived within minutes to tend to the site again because it had started to smolder.

Investigators walked the tracks around the scene, and a fire marshal's official launched a drone into the air. It hovered above the site for a few minutes.

North Louisiana baby who died after kidnapping, fire to be buried Friday

I wonder what the "rapidly evolving" nature of the case means. Why did the fire start smoldering again on Wednesday? And what was the purpose of the drones?
Questions, questions and no answers.

 

[Confusion]

If everything happened the way the mother said it did, it does sound like they were after the baby and not her. If they had wanted the mother, they could have shot, stabbed, grabbed her or any number of other things, but just spraying her in the face sounds more like they just wanted her out of the way. If she didn't know them, they were most likely doing it as either a favor or a punishment for someone else. It's hard to believe that anyone would have a reason to hate a baby enough to have him killed, which suggests to me that it was done for someone wanting to punish her or the father (or one or both of them know the father and wanted to make him suffer), or it was done for someone who wanted him out of the picture so there'd be no reason for any contact between the parents. The last one only makes sense if he had a different father than the other children. MOO

Sorry if this is jumbled, I'm not much good at multi-tasking these days and I'm trying to figure out too many things at one time.

 

[Ilovemy3boys]

Could it have been a loan shark that she didnt repay? JMO

I don’t think the father is the target as they would simply go after him and 3 kids. The mom is the target if what she said happened really did happen.

Moo

 

[LaborDayRN]

North Louisiana baby who died after kidnapping, fire to be buried Friday

I wonder what the "rapidly evolving" nature of the case means. Why did the fire start smoldering again on Wednesday? And what was the purpose of the drones?
Questions, questions and no answers.

I wonder if they have some of the autopsy results back. There may be some answers there

 

[mpnola]

The past several cases I have followed with snatched and grab kidnapping reports where the child ends up dead were someone in the household. So, I'm having a hard time hopping on board. Not accusing yet, but not hoping on the train, either. I will stand right here waiting for some evidence and info before I decide my path.

Rest easy, sweet child. Oh, how I wish I could rock you and comfort you.

 

[mpnola]

By the way.... I'm sure lots of people are wondering what this town is! It's pronounced Nak-uh-tich

 

[Charliegizmo49]

I agree with your post. I guess one of the first things, among many, to bother me is, if mom didn't know these men, why open the door to them?

Something sounds very off.

 

[Charliegizmo49]

Baby Levi has 3 older sisters. Hopefully one of them was there and maybe can tell what they know. However, if that is the case, I feel really bad for those children to witness their mom being injured and their baby brother taken away. All IMO. If they were there, it seems like the baby was the target.

If kids in house why would mother leave. That’s last thing I would have done.

 

[Confusion]

Baby Levi has 3 older sisters. Hopefully one of them was there and maybe can tell what they know. However, if that is the case, I feel really bad for those children to witness their mom being injured and their baby brother taken away. All IMO. If they were there, it seems like the baby was the target.

Are the other kids hers, or do they all just have the same father? <modsnip: sleuthing social media of family is against The Rules>

 

[Charliegizmo49]

A six-month-old baby is dead after a kidnapping that ended with authorities finding the child covered in severe burns. Tuesday night Natchitoches Police responded to a call from a mother who said her child had been stolen after a home invasion. Captain Christopher Payne says the mother was blindsided. An hour after police responded to the initial call, Payne says they got a second call from someone reporting that a barn had caught fire about three miles north of the home. That’s where the child was found covered with burns. Payne says no arrests have been made in the case as of yet.


Local radio station report

News - KKST-FM