DALYIRE McFADDEN - 1 yo - Baltimore MD

Invited over to help celebrate his son's first birthday, 25-year-old Hari P. Close III had been a no-show.
But
overnight Tuesday, Close crept into the home where his son lived and
climbed into bed with the boy's mother, records show. On Wednesday
morning, 1-year-old Dalyire Damion McFadden was missing, and he was
later found by police wrapped in a deflated air mattress in the
basement. He had been stabbed in the neck, police say.
Close, who
was an aspiring male model, was charged Thursday with first-degree
murder in his son's death and was being held without bond. Police say he
admitted hiding bloody evidence, which was later foundwith the murder weapon.
The arrest stunned Close's father, a well-known funeral home director
in the city and president of the state morticians' board. He said he
never saw any signs that his son was troubled.
"He's been raised
in a Christian church, a two-parent home, with great opportunities for
education," said Hari P. Close II. "Who really knows their children? All
we can do is pray."
Police said they were called to the home of
the boy's 23-year-old mother in the 2700 block of Riggs Ave. in
Southwest Baltimore for a report that Dalyire had been abducted.
Officers found a pool of blood in an upstairs bedroom and followed a
blood trail to the basement, charging documents show.
There, they
found Dalyire's body wrapped in a deflated air mattress, in a pool of
blood, according to records. He had suffered multiple stab wounds to the
neck area and was not breathing.
The boy's mother, Jessica
McFadden, told detectives she had asked Close to come over to celebrate
Dalyire's birthday, records show. Close never responded to the
invitation, and later McFadden locked the doors and went to bed.
But
early Wednesday, McFadden awoke to the sound of the boy crying and saw
Close carrying him out of her bedroom, according to court records. She
said she did not know how he got inside. Close returned the child to the
bedroom and got into bed with McFadden and spent the rest of the night
with her, records show.
When McFadden walked her 6-year-old son to
a nearby school, Close also left the residence, traveling west on
Riggs, she said. Dalyire had been left alone on a bed in the master
bedroom.
When McFadden returned 10 minutes later, the boy was
missing. She searched the home without finding him and then called
police. Police officers discovered the boy's body behind the closed
basement door.
Attempts to reach McFadden on Thursday were not
successful. Police say McFadden had been extensively questioned
Wednesday night, but she is not facing charges.
Close has no
criminal record other than traffic tickets. He attended the Piney Woods
School in Mississippi, a boarding school for African-Americans where
tuition runs between $7,000 and $15,000 per year. He then went on to
attend the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, though his father said he did not graduate.
According to his Facebook page, Close billed himself as a male model.
"My
ultimate goal is to make my mark within this modeling industry and
become the worlds top super model," he wrote on the page.
Seth
London, a New York-based photographer, said he worked with Close, who
seemed to be a "good kid." They kept in touch after doing a photo shoot
and had communicated as recently as a few days ago, London said.
"He had told me he was on a break from modeling because he was trying to get his personal life in order," London said.
Close's father said he was working at the funeral home, where he helped with operations and transportation.
Police
records show that McFadden told police that Close had harmed Dalyire in
the past, once attempting to choke him. In April, McFadden told police
he'd bitten the boy on the ear. An officer was sent to the scene, but
saw no signs of injury to the child and said the child did not appear to
be upset. Close was not there, and the officer marked the case
"unfounded." Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the officer gave
McFadden a form outlining how to get help.
Molly McGrath, the
director of the city's social services agency, did not have firsthand
knowledge of the April call to police, but said it appeared to have been
handled correctly. She said the agency did not have any history with
McFadden or Close.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-infant-killing-arrest-20110908,0,5522037.story

By Ian Duncan, The Baltimore Sun
2:25 p.m. EST, November 15, 2012

Hari P. Close III pleaded guilty to first degree murder Thursday for fatally stabbing his 1-year-old son and hiding the body in the home of the boy's mother, the Baltimore State's Attorney's Office said.

Close, 26, was sentenced on the spot to life in prison with all but 50 years suspended.

The young father had been invited over to celebrate Dalyire Damion McFadden's first birthday in September 2011, but appeared not to show up. According to court records, he snuck into the southwest Baltimore home that night and got into bed with the boy's mother. The boy was reported missing the next day.

Police found McFadden's bloodied body wrapped in an air mattress in the basement with stab wounds in its neck, according to news reports at the time. Close was soon charged with the murder.

Close described himself as a male model on his Facebook page, the Sun reported at the time.

Close's attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.

COMMENT
"Fastynart at 2:57 PM November 15, 2012

What the heck kind of convoluted legal speak bs is this "life with all but 50 years suspended"? No wonder our society doesn't know its head from its azz. He should have gotten "LIFE", period. Only in Maryland is stupid sentences like these handed out to criminals so that they can play the system double talk language. What a joke!"

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-child-murder-plea-20121116,0,5558941.story

What an extremely sad ending for this poor baby's 1st
birthday (and by the way, Ian, Dalyire was a dear little boy, a "HIS" not an "IT"). This whole tragedy is strange IMHO, but I do agree with the above comment about Maryland and stupid sentencing.
Sheila

Can someone explain if this monster murderer has to spend time in jail?That is the dumbest sentence I've ever seen and am not sure what it means. That guy should spend the rest of his life in jail.

babyjustice wrote:Can someone explain if this monster murderer has to spend time in jail?That is the dumbest sentence I've ever seen and am not sure what it means. That guy should spend the rest of his life in jail.

Yes, he will spend 50 years in prison. The balance of the life sentence is suspended. He will serve more time than if he had just gotten life, which was the judge's purpose.

Thank you Twinkletoes for explaining that! There is another case in our news where the judge was going to give "life with all but 40 years suspended" so I understand that better now. Now if you could please explain the circumstances in this case for me so that I understand why the mother reported the baby missing when the police apparently found a pool of blood in his bedroom that left a trail all the way to the basement. And the baby was alive and sleeping on the master bed when the mom left for 10 minutes, and during that time the father returned, killed his son and hid him? No one could explain how a person can take a knife and stab a baby or child.

Thanks Twink. Sounds good. Glad the murderer got 50 years. Go judge.

You're welcome Ladibug.

This is what I think happened.

The baby was sleeping with his mother and the killer dad took him out of the mom's bed so he could sleep with her. The baby cried for his mother and the killer dad murdered him to keep him quiet. I think in order to do something so horrible, so unthinkable, he must have been on drugs.

I think he hid the body while the mom was taking the other child to school. The way he handled that also makes me think he was on drugs. Surely he couldn't be so evil and stupid otherwise.

JMO.

This is such a senseless tragedy it is truly beyond comprehension.

The judge assured he won't be eligible for parole in 25 years.