KARMARI J. CURTIS - 2 yo (4/2011)/ Convicted: Mother's BF; Corey Benson - Milwaukee WI

MILWAUKEE -- An arrest has been made in the death of a 2-year-old boy
brought to the hospital on Saturday April 2nd.
The man in custody is the mother's boyfriend, and police said it's not
the first time the suspect is accused of abusing the child.Officers
went to an apartment building near 22nd Street and Wisconsin Avenue on
Saturday, after the 26-year-old man living there took his girlfriend's
2-year-old son to the hospital.Police said the toddler was pronounced dead at 6:27 p.m.
The boyfriend was arrested shortly after.Monday,
no one was at the boyfriend's apartment, where police said the abuse
happened, but a neighbor told 12 News there was nothing suspicious
Saturday night. "I didn't hear anything," said Rosie Ballard, neighbor.  
"I was in bed when the police came."12News obtained court documents
showing the boyfriend, 26-year-old Cory Benson, was out on bail
for charges of child abuse and neglect.
Police said it was the same victim, and Benson ruptured the toddler's
liver at the same apartment while the child was in his care Oct. 25.
12 News also obtained the no-contact order filed against Benson.
His trial was set for this May.Neighbors
said the toddler and his mother did not live at the apartment but would
visit frequently. Neighbors didn't see anything unusual when they came
this weekend. "Friday night, I maybe heard a little noise, but
when I hear bumping or knocking something I pay no attention to it
because sometimes it happens," said Ballard.Police have not said
what the child's injuries are as officers continue to investigate, and
the department has put a non-disclosure on the medical examiner's
report.  An autopsy was to be performed today.The Department of
Children and Families released a statement from Arlene Happach, the
director of the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare.It reads, "This
child's death is a tragedy, and our deepest sympathy is with his family
and others who loved him.  We are investigating the role of the bureau in this case."

http://www.wisn.com/news/27427098/detail.html

Poster's note: This pathetic 'mother' kept taking her child to be beaten up by her beloved boyfriend even after he was waiting for his trial for beating him in October and has a No Contact Order. I'll be watching for charges to be filed against her. Obviously she should have been charged for not protecting her child the first time!

The child's name is Karmari J. Curtis.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI_6Mk0K0xQ&feature=player_embedded

According to our story, the dates do match the video title slide. Please provide secondary confirmation on the name of the victim.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/04/06/Milwaukee-man-arrested-in-death-of-toddler/UPI-23301302123286/

Thank you plaidlined and welcome to the forum.

He was already under court order not to be around kids. The mother asked the boyfriend to babysit the child as he was awaiting trial for previous physical abuse of him. He lacerated the child's liver in October, which nearly killed him.

At the time of the child's death, Benson was charged with one count of physical abuse of a child and one count of child neglect. He was out of jail on $25,000 bail on the day Karmari died. A jury trial on the October charge, which carried maximum penalties of 46 years in prison and fines of up to $110,000 if convicted, had been set for May 9.

No charges have been filed against the mother yet.

http://www.dreamindemon.com/forums/showthread.php?45272-Corey-Benson-Didn-t-Kill-2YO-Karmari-Curtis-The-First-Time-Second-Times-A-Charm&p=504207#post504207]

Bump

Trial begins for Milwaukee success story charged with fatal child abuse

By Bruce Vielmetti of the Journal Sentinel
March 21, 2012

For a while, Corey Benson was a Milwaukee success story: a city kid who withstood poverty and foster care to finish first in his high school class and earn a scholarship to Purdue University, where he graduated with an accounting degree.

Wednesday began the sad epilogue to that tale: Benson on trial for the death of a 2-year-old boy.

The child's mother, Williette Famolu, told a jury about the first time Kamari J. Curtis was hurt while in Benson's care, how the boy was gasping and bruised on his stomach.

"I was scared for him and about the unknown," she testified. "How long's he been in this state and why wasn't I notified right away?"

Benson, 27, is charged with the first-degree intentional homicide in the death of  Kamari  last year, while he was under a November 2010 court order to have no contact with the child after being charged with causing him life-threatening injuries, including liver lacerations, in late October 2010.

Benson was charged at that time with one count of physical abuse of a child and one count of child neglect. He was out of jail on $25,000 bail when Karmari died April 2.

In opening statements Wednesday, Benson's attorney Michael Hicks told jurors both incidents were accidents, that Benson never had intention to hurt Kamari but in fact hoped to become his stepfather.

But prosecutor Matthew Torbenson said Benson "brutally abused" the boy twice, and described the extensive injuries he suffered as incapable of resulting from the scenarios Benson offered as explanations.

According to a search warrant related to Karmari’s death, Benson carried the lifeless boy into the emergency room at Aurora Sinai Medical Center on the afternoon of April 2 last year. Staff tried to in vain to revive him.

At the time, Benson indicated to hospital staff that the boy drowned, the warrant says, but investigators didn't find any evidence of that.

Famolu testified she had only met Benson a month or two before she began letting him look after her son while she worked at Walgreens. She said that until the October 2010 incident, she'd never seen Benson mistreat the boy or play too rough with him.

She also read letters she got from Benson after he was first arrested, apologizing for hurting Kamari and asking for them to get back together as a couple and possible family.

http://m.jsonline.com/143403396.htm

Benson sentenced to life in prison for killing girlfriend’s child

Posted on: 11:25 am, January 18, 2013,
by Ben Handelman,
updated on: 07:10am, January 19, 2013

MILWAUKEE (WITI) — A Milwaukee County judge sentenced Corey Benson to life in prison on Friday, January 18th for killing his girlfriend’s two-year-old boy in April 2011.

Along with the life sentence, Judge David Borowski said Benson will have no chance for parole.

Judge Borowski gave Benson a verbal lashing during the sentencing. He called him “pure evil” and described him as a person that did not take responsibility; instead blaming the state, police and society.

A jury convicted Benson of first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of felony bail jumping back in May 2012.

Court records show Benson was caring for the toddler, left him alone in a bath tub, and came back to find him face down. Benson then took him to the hospital, saying it was all an accident.

An ER nurse who tried to revive the child at the hospital found undigested food in the child’s throat.

Monitor FOX6 News and FOX6Now.com for updates on this developing story.

http://fox6now.com/2013/01/18/benson-to-be-sentenced-for-killing-girlfriends-two-year-old-boy/