"Toddler John" MAGEE - 3 yo - Florence MS

A Rankin county man and his girlfriend are behind bars accused of abusing a 3-year-old boy.
28 year-old Rebecca Harrell and 29 year-old Steven Magee each
face 14 counts of child abuse related to injuries to Magees' little boy.

Right now the child remains at Batson Children's Hospital at UMC.

Authorities arrested the couple Thursday after they called 9-1-1 to report the boy was not breathing.

Investigators say the abuse happened at the couple's home on East Mountain Creek road south of Florence.

Prosecutors believe the abuse went on possibly for weeks or months.

Authorities say three other children also lived in the house.

At this point there is no indication they were abused.

Harrell and Magee are due in court Tuesday morning for an initial appearance.
http://www2.wjtv.com/news/2011/oct/17/dad-faces-14-counts-child-abuse-ar-2565208/

A toddler removed from a Rankin County home remains hospitalized with
multiple broken bones, and the couple accused of inflicting the
injuries will hear the evidence against them during a preliminary
hearing Oct. 25 in Circuit Court.The
child's father, Stephen Magee, and Magee's live-in girlfriend, Rebecca
Harrell, are charged with multiple counts of felony child abuse.
They
each could face a life sentence if convicted on any of the 14 counts of
abuse against the 3-year-old, District Attorney Michael Guest said.
Magee, 29, and Harrell, 28, will remain in Rankin County jail without bond at least until the hearing, Guest said.

Sheriff Ronnie Pennington said he has seen numerous cases of severely
beaten children in his nearly 30-year law enforcement career."This is probably at the top of the list," said Pennington of the 3-year-old's numerous injuries.
The
toddler's injuries included fractured ribs, a fractured collarbone and a
broken pelvis. Additionally, the child had bleeding of the brain,
believed to have been caused by abuse.
"The
child was originally in critical condition and on a ventilator when he
was admitted to the hospital last week," Guest said. "The child is still
in the hospital but in better condition and off the ventilator."
Guest
said his office is waiting on additional medical reports and
information to arrive before Tuesday's hearing. The records could show
if the child suffered a history of such abuse.
"There's a bone scan we are waiting on," Guest said. "Hopefully it will give us a timeframe at when the injuries occurred."
"As many injuries as this would suggest the child has suffered for a long time," Pennington said.
Sheila
Tucker, a juvenile investigative officer with the Sheriff's Department,
responded to an emergency call on Oct. 13 at the couple's residence,
Pennington said.
At the scene, three other children, ages 9, 6 and 18 months, were recovered, Guest said.
"None have any signs of any child abuse," he said.
The other children are staying with family members, Guest said.
He said he was not certain about the relationship of the other children to Magee or Harrell.
Guest said he also didn't know the identity or status of the mother of the 3-year-old.
Guest
said he expects to meet with Sheriff's Department officials in the near
future to discuss consolidating some of the charges against the two.
Initially, officials filed affidavits for each injury, Guest said, adding every broken rib was listed as a separate count.
"I still expect there will be multiple charges for both," he said.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20111019/NEWS01/110190335/Tot-severely-injured-couple-held