RYLEE WHITEHEAD - 3 yo/ Accused: Lane Buddenhagen - Twin Falls ID

TWIN FALLS -- The 19-year-old Twin Falls man who police arrested for
the death of a 3-year-old child is accused of severe child abuse.

According to court documents, Lane Buddenhagen told investigators the
child may have fallen out of a bathtub. But a doctor who treated the
child didn't believe that story.

The court records give some explanation about what happened this past Saturday, when the 3-year-old died.

Around 7:30 in the morning, Buddenhagen called police to his
apartment. When officers arrived, they found him alone in the apartment
with the child laying on the floor of a bedroom.

Buddenhagen told them he stepped away from the child's bath for a
moment when he heard a loud sound. He returned to the bathroom and found
the 3-year-old unresponsive.

A doctor who treated the child at St. Luke's in Twin Falls told
detectives he didn't believe the child's injuries were consistent with
falling on a bathroom floor, he saw bruises that appeared to be hand
marks on the child's arms.

He also said a CT scan of the child's head appeared to reveal a large amount of internal damage.

KTVB spoke with the 3 year old's mother.

She says Buddenhagen is her fiancee, and she doesn't believe he is responsible for her son's death.

She says her little boy adored the 19 year old man.Buddenhagen is in
jail charged with one count felony injury to a child. He is due back in
court for a preliminary hearing on August 19th.

The mother is asking for donations to help pay for her son's funeral
services. An account has been set up under the child's father's name,
Jonathan Whitehead.


http://www.nwcn.com/home/?fId=127490243&fPath=/news/local&fDomain=10227

Poster's Note: Child's name is Rylee Whitehead. And it is now a murder case.

Man jailed in death of Carson boy, 3

By F.T. Norton
ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com

An Idaho man is in custody in Twin Falls, accused in the death of a 3-year-old former Carson City boy.

Lane Buddenhagen, 19, is being held in the Twin Falls jail on suspicion of felony injury to a child. He is to appear Friday morning for a preliminary hearing in Twin Falls.

According to the criminal complaint and affidavit filed in Twin Falls District Court, Buddenhagen stands accused of fatally injuring Rylee Whitehead, 3, while the two were home alone on Aug. 6.

Rylee's mother, Ally Fether, attended Carson High School and lives in Idaho. Her parents and Rylee's father, Jonathon Whitehead, still live in the area.

Court documents indicate police were called out on a report of a child falling from a bathtub in the home Buddenhagen shared with Fether.

The affidavit states that when the officers arrived, they found Rylee lying on the floor in a bedroom.

Buddenhagen reportedly told police that Rylee was in the bath when Buddenhagen stepped out of the room for a moment and “heard a loud sound.”

“Buddenhagen said he went back to the bathroom found the 3-year-old lying on the floor unresponsive,” the court document states.

At the hospital, a doctor told police that “the amount of trauma inside the child's head led him to believe the child had possibly been shaken,” according to the affidavit.

Additionally, the doctor also noted bruising in the shape of hand marks on the child's upper arms and “a large amount of internal damage” noted in a scan of the boy's head, according to authorities.

“(The doctor) stated he believed the 3-year-old had been the victim of severe child abuse,” the affidavit states.

According to The Time-News of Twin Falls, Buddenhagen previously was charged with domestic battery in May and was sentenced on an amended charge of disturbing the peace less than a month ago. He received a suspended sentence in that case, which is unrelated to the latest charges.

http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20110819/NEWS/110819724

Twin Falls man indicted for murder of 3-year-old

by Jamie Grey
Bio | Email | Follow: @KTVBJamieGrey
KTVB.com
Posted on August 27, 2011 at 1:41 PM
Updated yesterday at 3:52 PM

TWIN FALLS -- 19-year-old Lane Buddenhagen now faces a first-degree murder charge for the death of his fiancee's three-year-old son in Twin Falls.

The toddler died almost three weeks ago, and the teen was originally charged with felony injury to a child. This week that charge was upped to murder when a Twin Falls grand jury handed down an indictment for murder.

According to court documents, Buddenhagen called police to his apartment August 6. Officers say they found him alone with the three-year-old laying on the bedroom floor.

Buddenhagen had told investigators the child may have fallen out of the bathtub, but when toddler went to the hospital, doctors suspected something different. They found bruises on the child's arms that looked like hand marks and severe head trauma.

The boy died the day after he was taken to the hospital, and Buddenhagen was arrested for felony injury to a child the next day.

Again, that charge was upped to first-degree murder. Buddgenhagen pleaded not guilty to that charge Friday in court.
Shortly after the three-year-old's death, KTVB spoke with the boy's mother (who is Buddenhagen's fiancee). She told us that she did not believe Buddenhagen was responsible for her son's death.

Buddenhagen's jury trial is scheduled to begin in February. Meantime, he's being held at the Twin Falls County Jail without bond.

http://www.ktvb.com/news/crime/Twin-Falls-man-indicted-on-murder-charge--128531978.html