JAESEAN RUSHER - 21 months/ Accused: Mother's Boyfriend; John Holmon III - Granite City IL

Baby's death in Granite City considered 'suspicious'

15 hours ago
BY MARGARET GILLERMAN

GRANITE CITY • Granite City police are investigating the suspicious death Monday of a 21-month-old.

Police answered a 911 call about 1 p.m. Monday and responded to the 2000 block of 14th Street in Granite City.

The child was transferred to Gateway Regional Medical Center and pronounced dead at the hospital.

“We're treating this as a suspicious death and will know more after the autopsy,” said Granite City police Major Jeff Connor. An autopsy by the Madison County Coroner's Office is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/baby-s-death-considered-suspicious/article_3cc32218-fba0-11e1-80c2-001a4bcf6878.html

Granite City man charged in death of girlfriend's young son

18 hours ago
BY MARGARET GILLERMAN

GRANITE CITY • Little Jaesean Rusher was a favorite among those who knew him in his neighborhood and at the Jesus Place Mission Church charities, where his grandmother volunteers.

On Monday, the 21-month-old toddler was murdered in what law enforcement authorities called one of the worst cases of child abuse in decades in that area. John Holmon III was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder. Holmon, 39, who police said was Jaesean’s mother’s boyfriend, was being held without bond.

On Tuesday night, several dozen grieving friends and family members held a candlelight vigil and prayed on the front yard and porch of the house where Jaesean lived in the 2000 block of 14th Street. The baby’s mother, Dollie Rusher, 29, and grandmother, Tommie Rusher, 68, wept as friends tried to console them.

On the day of the murder, Jaesean’s mother had left about 5 a.m. to catch a bus to her first day of cosmetology school.

The baby’s grandmother left at 7:10 a.m. as she usually does to go to Jesus Place to volunteer to cook for the homeless. After that, she went to volunteer to help at the church’s Free Store, which hands out clothes, personal hygiene items and furniture to help the needy.

Two friends, Richard Hinojosa and Ryan Brown, who run the Free Store, brought her home about midday. There she encountered the tragedy involving the grandson she called “Bug.”

Police said they found the child lifeless when they were called to the home about 1 p.m. Monday. Jaesean was taken to Gateway Regional Medical Center and pronounced dead at the hospital. A preliminary autopsy showed the child died from blunt head trauma and closed head trauma, the Madison County coroner said.

“This is a crime of unspeakable nature,” said Madison County State’s Attorney Thomas Gibbons.

He wouldn’t be specific about the details of the boy’s death, but said it was a case of “exceptionally brutal and heinous injuries to such a young boy.”

Law enforcement officers involved in the case echoed Gibbons. They described Holmon as a “monster” at a news conference Tuesday.

‘”It tugs at the heart strings of law enforcement officers when such innocence can be taken by such violent means,” said Granite City Police Chief Richard Miller.

Gibbons said the charges would bring a minimum sentence of 60 to 100 years if Holmon is convicted, but prosecutors are exploring seeking a life sentence.

At the vigil, some of Jaesean’s toys were in the front yard, and neighbor Sue Scott brought over a toy teddy bear and toy dog that had belonged to her own grandson.

"I wish I could do more," Scott said. "Jaesean was such a sweet little kid."

Daria Beasley, a close friend of Tommie Rusher, known as "Mama," said: "Mama always was talking about her little 'Bug.' He was her life."

John Womack, who considered himself like an uncle to the child, and Trisha Quillen, called "Auntie TT" by Jaesean, were among the mourners. Her eight-year-old son wants to be a pall bearer at the funeral.

Jaesean’s mother helped to make a sign for the vigil.

“Taking our life and heart away,” Dollie Rusher wrote as she sobbed. “Stop Child Abuse. We love you Bug."

Tracy Wiser, a friend from Jesus Place, said that Jaesean would be protected now.

"The baby's babysitters now are angels."

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/granite-city-man-charged-in-death-of-girlfriend-s-young/article_992bbf28-fc5a-11e1-bc3b-001a4bcf6878.html

Granite City Man Charged in Toddler’s Death

Posted 4:45 pm, September 11, 2012, by George Sells, Updated at 04:02am, September 12, 2012

GRANITE CITY, IL (KTVI) -A Granite City man is facing first degree murder charges in the death of his own son.  Prosecutors charged John Holmon, III, 39, with killing 21 month old Jasean Rusher.  Loved ones say the boy was beaten when he wouldn’t eat his breakfast Monday.  Authorities confirm he died from a head injury.

The charges were announced just three hours before family and friends gathered in the yard of the home where Jasean was killed to say good bye.  Tearful faces were lit by candles, and one stood out in grief more than any other.  Dollie Rusher, the little boy’s mother, bravely stood in front of the group, tears running down her face, talking about her little boy.

“He was amazing. He was a little miracle.  He was happy.  Very happy.  Very happy.  So smart,” she said through the tears. 

She, and those who joined her, tried to make sense of it all as they spoke, but kept returning to the fact that the beating death of the 21 month old was just senseless.

“He didn’t deserve that,” Rusher sobbed.  “No child does.  No child does.  And no family deserves to feel this way.  Especially a mother.”

Trisha Quillen, who said she was Jesean’s aunt, said she had no indication of a problem with Holmon as a father. 

“When I seen him he acted like he was the daddy, ya know the number one dad,” she said, sitting outside the home where the murder happened.  “I just can’t imagine what this guy was thinking to do something like that. Every time I look at my son it’s just, ya know?”

Police found themselves at a similar loss for words.  “Monster” is one adjective Granite City Police Major Jeff Conner came up with to describe Holmon.

“As far as any abuse of a child this is one of the worst I’ve seen,” the veteran police detective said.  “It was one of those cases that right away you knew it was a crime.  It’s a sad case.  Very difficult to deal with.”

Prosecutors say the sentence for the first degree murder charge is 60-100 years.  But they plan to ask for more.  They want Holmon to get life behind bars. 

Quillen says he can have life, or they can give him bond and let the family take care of him.  She says it makes little difference to her.

“Whatever they do, he ain’t  gonna make it wherever he goes.  Somebody who could do that. He sat there and premeditated that and he sat there and he let that baby…he let him suffer all that time.”

Holmon is being held without bond in the Madison County Jail. 

A fund has been set up at the Granite City Steel Credit Union to help pay for Jasean’s funeral expenses.  



http://fox2now.com/2012/09/11/granite-city-man-charged-with-murder-in-toddler-death/