CHRISTOPHER THOMAS - 5 months (2009)/ Acquitted: Father; Randel L. Thomas - Bolingbrook IL

A young Bolingbrook father remains in the Will County Jail today in the death Friday of his 5-month-old son.

Bond was set Tuesday at $5 million for Randel L. Thomas, 19, who is
charged with first-degree murder in the suffocation of his baby,
Christopher Thomas, during an incident at his home.

With 10 percent to apply, Thomas must post $500,000 for his release
while awaiting trial, said Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow,
who requested bond be set at that amount.

Thomas is to appear in Will County Circuit Court for a preliminary hearing at 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 26.

In the charge, according to Glasgow’s office, Thomas is alleged to
have “pushed down on the head of Christopher Thomas with his hand,
thereby suffocating Christopher Thomas.”

Lt. Michael Rompa of the Bolingbrook Police Department said police
and fire units were called to the Thomas home at 185 Jeffrey Lane,
Bolingbrook, at 2:05 p.m. Friday.

Upon their arrival, responders found the child unconscious and not
breathing. The infant was transported to Adventist Bolingbrook
Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Rompa said the father and the baby’s paternal grandparents, also of
185 Jeffrey Lane, were home at the time of the incident. The infant’s
mother, Josalyn Jones of Joliet, was attending school when the incident
occurred.

Rompa said Bolingbrook detectives interviewed Randel Thomas and his
parents in relation to the incident. Bolingbrook police arrested the
baby’s father Monday, and transported him to the Will County Jail in
Joliet.

Following the results of the Will County coroner’s investigation and
that by Bolingbrook police, Glasgow approved the filing of first-degree
murder charges against Thomas.

The baby’s funeral is this evening, Wednesday, Sept. 30, at the Fred
C. Dames Funeral Home, 3200 Black at Essington Road, Joliet. The burial
will be private at Evergreen Cemetery in Morris.

To help the family defray the cost of the service and committal, the
Christopher Thomas Memorial Fund has been established at We Care of
Grundy County, 520 W. Illinois Ave., Morris, 60450.

The baby is the grandson of Heidi Terry-Litchfield of Joliet, reporter-photographer with the Morris Daily Herald.

• Name: THOMAS, RANDELL
  
• CIMIS Number: 20090008260
  
• Bail Amount: $500,000.00
  
• Housing Location: II
  

** If Bail amount is equal to $0.00, then no Bail has been set. Bail amount is subject to change.
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CASE NUMBER	COURT DATE
M09CF2279	05/02/2011

THOMAS RANDEL L 7 11 11 405 930 09CF002279 0 MURDER/STRONG PROB 1 Motions
THOMAS RANDEL L 8 22 11 405 1000 09CF002279 0 MURDER/STRONG PROB 1 Jury Trial

http://www.willcountycircuitcourt.com/

Trial begins for Bolingbrook man accused of killing infant son

Updated: August 23, 2011 9:41PM

The young parents of a Bolingbrook 5-month-old named Christopher Thomas sobbed on either end of a Joliet courtroom Tuesday.

Josalyn Jones, the infant boy’s 20-year-old mother, shook with her whole body as she described from a witness stand the day Christopher died.

And Randel L. Thomas, Christopher’s 21-year-old father, covered his face and lowered his head at the defendant’s table when he saw an image of his late son on a television screen. He wiped his eyes and shook his head when prosecutors told a Will County jury he killed the child in September 2009.

They said Thomas pushed Christopher’s face into a mattress and suffocated the crying boy because he wanted to take a nap.

But as Thomas’ trial began in earnest Tuesday afternoon, Thomas’ attorney Chris Rouskey said his client loved his son, played with the boy constantly and was distraught when he woke up that day to find his son’s lifeless body beside him.

“This is a tragedy,” Rouskey told jurors. “It’s one of the most tragic cases that you’ve ever heard.”

The family lived in the 100 block of Jeffrey Lane, where Christopher stirred early on Sept. 25, 2009, because he was hungry and needed a diaper change. Jones said she got up and attended to him, but the boy wouldn’t go back to sleep. So Jones stayed up with him, even though she needed to get ready for school soon.

Jones said Thomas was supposed to drive her to school in Romeoville that day, but he became angry when she tried to wake him. So she put Christopher on a bed in another room as she got ready to leave. Then, when she walked out of the house, Jones said Thomas followed her, yelling and screaming because he had to watch Christopher too much.

Assistant State’s Attorney Anna Rossi told jurors Christopher was happy and healthy when his mother left the house.

“And he didn’t have a scratch or a bump on him,” Rossi said.

But Rossi said Thomas took Christopher back into his bedroom, placed the boy beside him on the bed and, when the child began to cry again, reached over and pushed Christopher’s face into the mattress until he stopped crying.

Rossi told jurors they would see a videotaped interview of Thomas conducted by Bolingbrook police.

“He told them what he did,” Rossi said.

Rouskey said Thomas only told officers the boy’s death was an accident, though. He said Thomas rushed into his grandfather’s room when he realized Christopher wasn’t moving, telling him to call 911.

Thomas was charged with murder a few days later.

After Christopher’s death, family members described the child as “an inquisitive little boy.”

“Although Christopher was only with us for a short time, he left a big impression on all of us. We will always remember his big eyes and large smile,” they wrote in his obituary.

Thomas himself was proud of his son, Rouskey told jurors, cared for him and even subscribed to parent magazines.

“He wanted to be the best father he could,” Rouskey said.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/7237726-418/trial-begins-for-bolingbrook-man-accused-of-killing-infant-son.html

At 11:00 pm on 8/30 they found Randel Thomas not guilty, regardless of a videotaped confession and the pathologists ruling it a homicide with only Thomas at home with Christopher. There was no justice for Christopher. We the family hope that no other family has to go through what we did tonight.

This is indeed a sad outcome and I am appalled that the court (jury) couldn't see the obvious.
The exonerated suspect was obviously aware that preventing a 5 month old from breathing was going to lead to his death. He was displacing the anger that he had for the mother and took out his frustrations on the baby.
I hope that nobody ever disturbs his sleep again...unless it's his guilt keeping him awake.

What is going on? Why are so many juries finding the killers not guilty. Is it because the prosecutors are going after them with a difficult charge? Doesn't it have to be premeditated if they prosecute in the first degree? Maybe they should be going for second degree to at least get the killers prosecuted. Casey Anthony got off and I have to wonder if it had to do with the charges. It is so sad that nobody pays for an innocent child's death in this case.