GUILTY OH - Lawrence King, 4, beaten to death, Canal Winchester, 18 March 2010

Mother Re-Arrested, Charged In 4-Year-Old's Death
Friday, March 19, 2010 6:22 AM
Updated: Friday, March 19, 2010 6:44 PM



Court documents claim Nikkie Reeves went to her bedroom with her other children while the beating was happening, turning up the music so it would not wake the smaller children, Hirsch reported.

snip

Lori Jones, King's grandmother, had custody of the boy until a few weeks ago, Hirsch reported.

"It disturbed me because I knew something was going to happen to him," Jones said. "I wanted to hide him or something because of the past domestic violence."

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/lo...columbus-reeves-king-child-death.html?sid=102

Rest in peace, Lawrence King III

Ohio mom charged in death of 4-year-old

Nikki Reeves, 23, of 6443 Mount Badon on the East Side, told detectives she couldn’t stop John Reeves, 29, from abusing her son on St. Patrick’s Day. In a statement to detectives revealed today, Mrs. Reeves said she instead went to her bedroom “while the beating was happening, turning up the music so it would not wake the smaller children” in the home.

When it was over, the couple tried to place the 35-pound, mentally handicapped boy into a bathtub of cold water in an attempt to revive him, according to the report. He was lifeless and unresponsive by the time medics were called at 12:10 a.m. yesterday.

“Nikki stated this was not the first beating this week, and several others had occurred since Lawrence’s return to them on Feb. 26,” detectives wrote.

http://www.norwalkreflector.com/articles/2010/03/19/front/doc4ba44be33f153006950889.txt

Stepfather charged with murder in 4-year-old's death
Child beaten with fists, belt in his new home, police say
Friday, March 19, 2010 2:52 AM

The 4-year-old was reunited with his mother three weeks ago as a result of a Franklin County court order.

Now, Lawrence King III is dead.

Columbus police say that Lawrence's stepfather, John Reeves, struck the child with his fists and a belt and smashed his face into a wall at their Far East Side town house early yesterday morning.

http://www.dispatch.com/live/conten...-beaten-to-death-in-his-new-home.html?sid=101

The following was read during Friday’s arraignment. All of the following recounts the alleged events that led up to Lawrence’s death and was said during police interviews, according to court documents.

Nikkie said Lawrence is developmentally disabled.

During the first police interview, Nikkie said Lawrence was injured at a family member’s home.

When that was proved incorrect later, Nikkie told police John beat Lawrence.

Nikkie told police she didn’t mean not to tell the truth but she feared John would do something to her.

Nikkie said she went into another bedroom with her other children during the beating. She turned on music while the beating happened so the other children wouldn’t be awakened.

Nikkie said she tried to tell John to stop, but he told her to go back into the bedroom and shut up.

She said the beatings happened between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m.

She said she could hear Lawrence slamming against the interior wall and the entertainment center.

She said at one point, Lawrence’s head was hit and he started shaking.

She said she and John put him in bed and later found him unresponsive. She said she attempted to revive him in a cold bath.

Nikkie said there had been other beatings during the week.

John admitted during police interviews to disciplining Lawrence around dinnertime Wednesday for his disrespect and bad behavior.

John said he expects Lawrence to help around the house with work and Lawrence doesn’t help.

John said Lawrence would not stay in the corner and he gently pushed his head back in the corner.

John said Lawrence kept falling down during the discipline. He said Lawrence fell back and hit his head on the floor.

John said his happened when Lawrence attempted to avoid being struck again by a black leather belt.

John said Lawrence appeared to lose consciousness at this time.

John said he and Nikkie put the child in bed and he was unresponsive when they went to check on him later.

John said he ran to a neighbor’s house when Lawrence wouldn’t respond to being put in a cold bath and CPR. Medics were called.

http://www2.nbc4i.com/cmh/news/crime/article/autopsy_4-year-old_died_from_blunt-force_trauma/33689/

Omg omg omg. Rip little angel

I just do not even know what to say anymore. :furious:

RIP, little Lawerence.

And another precious little life taken away by those that are supposed to protect them, when does it end?? RIP little baby, no one can hurt you anymore

UNREAL

RIP Little Man Lawrence :angel:

BeanE said:

Stepfather charged with murder in 4-year-old's death
Child beaten with fists, belt in his new home, police say
Friday, March 19, 2010 2:52 AM

The 4-year-old was reunited with his mother three weeks ago as a result of a Franklin County court order.

Now, Lawrence King III is dead.

Columbus police say that Lawrence's stepfather, John Reeves, struck the child with his fists and a belt and smashed his face into a wall at their Far East Side town house early yesterday morning.

http://www.dispatch.com/live/conten...-beaten-to-death-in-his-new-home.html?sid=101

Click to expand...

The last time Jones said she talked to her grandson was about a week and a half ago on the phone.

"He said he wanted to come back to home to me."

Poor little guy - his grandmother had him for 3yrs, yet his mother lets a monster kill in him 3 weeks....he wanted to go back to grandma's house...just heart-wrenching.

Tears for little Lawrence & his family who loved him. :rose:

That poor little guy! RIP Lawrence.
That just took the breath out of me to read what he went through in the last hours of his life. The pain and confusion any four-year-old would feel in such a situation, but on top of that, this boy was developmentally disabled.
AND he had received several beatings leading up to that.
Any punishment his parents receive will be too light, IMO.

I'll admit, I have some trials with my now four year old, but never have I thought beating her to death would resolve any of her defiance issues. When things are that tense you walk away.. it's all you can do. WALK AWAY!

To frustrated parents out there: Time outs and revoking privileges does work. Stick with it. There's no need to resort to violence to discipline your children.

RIP Lawrence. I'm sorry you had to endure so much torture and pain in your last moments on this planet.

As for the mother, how do you turn up music to tune out your child is being beaten to his last breath? I liken this to jumping in front of your child should someone shoot a gun in your direction. How could she not jump in front of him and save him? He'd have to kill me first if it were me. My fear for my child would be greater than any fear I had for myself.

So sad all these stories.

I wonder how long this child had really been abused.

I am here just so angry...and I am sure that next we will hear the excuses of social services and/or the courts....why in the h//lll was this precious child taken from a caring grandmother and given to his bio mom and the "monster" she obviously felt was more important than her child??

I get so sick of seeing these things....anyone with any sense can see that a majority of the "cases" on these boards were preventable...how many times do we have to read about these tragedies over and over??

im gonna puke

This poor sweet boy. You are with god now, and your "parents" will get what is coming to them. Rest in peace, precious boy.

The death penalty would be too good for these "parents".

This is depressing. This is why parents should be tested/should need to have a license for kids.

It doesn't matter if you're scared of past domestic violence reliving itself. You do whatever you can for your children if you love them. If you don't genuinely love your child, this happens...

WHY didn't she call the police while she was in the bedroom?! Evil, evil, monsters...both of them! That poor sweet baby, RIP Lawrence.

teonspaleprincess said:

WHY didn't she call the police while she was in the bedroom?! Evil, evil, monsters...both of them! That poor sweet baby, RIP Lawrence.

Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly! If she was too afraid of him to stop it herself then why did she not call the police who could have stopped it. At least he might still be alive and could have been returned to the grandmother permanently!

I wonder what Franklin County Children's Services has to say. Did they recommend that this child be given back to this mother?

Salem