CADEN REAMES - 4 yo -(2009) Belle Plaine KS

Authorities have released new details about the death of a four-year-old boy in Belle Plaine.

On August 11^th Belle Police responded to a call at around 3:10 p.m. to the 500 block of E. 7^th St. for an unresponsive four year old.

They found Caden Michael Reames and transported him to a Wichita hospital where he was pronounced dead at around 4 p.m.

This week a search warrant was issued for the child’s residence and several
items were recovered from the home. Four other children from the home
were removed and placed into police protective custody while the
investigation into little Caden’s death continues.

The official cause is asphyxiation and interviews with the KBI and the
Exploited Missing Children’s Unit will continue this weekend.

Until further notice, the child’s death is still being considered suspicious, but no arrests have been made.

An autopsy in an investigation involving several law enforcement
agencies has found that a 4-year-old boy died of asphyxiation, Police
Chief Gordon Fell said Friday.
Investigators have been interviewing family members, including other children from the home.
Tuesday's
death of Caden Michael Reames is still considered suspicious, Fell said
in a statement read outside the Belle Plaine Police Department.
Fell wouldn't say specifically how the death occurred or speculate on whether there could be arrests.
"We're not considering any suspects at this time. We're trying to establish what actually occurred," he said.
Using a search warrant, investigators took several items from the home, Fell said.
The
investigation has used resources of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation,
the Wichita-Sedgwick County Exploited and Missing Child Unit, the
Wichita Police Department and the Sumner County Sheriff's Office.
The Child Unit is involved because of its expertise in interviewing children, Fell said.
One of the challenges of the investigation is the need to communicate with children, he said.
Four other children from the home have been taken into protective custody, Fell said.
"Interviews
are ongoing with everyone who was at the home when the incident
occurred. The family is cooperating with law enforcement," he said.
The family could not be reached for comment.
Interviews and other investigative work will continue through the weekend.
The
4-year-old's death is a tragedy for the family and for investigators,
and the work on the case has been exhausting, Fell said.
"I'm spent."
Caden
was pronounced dead at a Wichita hospital at 4:04 p.m. Tuesday, about
an hour after emergency workers responded to a call at his home that he
was not breathing.
The boy lived in the home with the four
other children, his father and his father's fiancee. Some of the
children belong to Caden's father and some to the father's fiancee,
Belle Plaine police Sgt. Bill Berry said.
Fell said the earliest he expects to provide more information about the investigation is Tuesday evening.

http://www.ksn.com/mostpopular/story/Police-Belle-Plaine-boy-4-died-of-asphyxiation/4shi-H99D0GmfsfgxDCt3Q.cspx

Belle Plaine Parents Looking for Answers and Closure
Thursday, 15 October 2009 17:52

(BELLE PLAINE, Kan.)

Two months and still no answers. Four-year-old Caden Reames was found unresponsive in his Belle Plaine home in early August. Later that night, his four brothers were removed from the home.

Now, one day before a hearing that could allow Caden's parents to have their kids back, they say they still have questions about what happened to their son.

"He always had a smile on his face. Just looking at the pictures, every picture in there he's smiling," explains Matt Reames, Caden's father.

But smiling doesn't come easy these days for the four year old's parents. It was a little more than two months ago that Caden was playing with his brothers inside his Belle Plaine home when his parents found him unresponsive.

"We went to make them lunch and went to go get Caden and that's when we found him," said Felicia Nesson, Matt Reames' finance.

He was found inside his bedroom closet. Autopsy results show he died of asphyxiation.

"It has basically destroyed our whole world, just having everything you love and care about ripped away from you."

The couple says they still don't know what happened and add it must have been an accident. Although police initially called the boy's death suspicious, no one has ever been arrested, and the case is currently on hold.

That's why Friday's, Child in Need of Care, hearing isn't just important to the Reames family. The Belle Plaine police chief tells us he expects more information to come out in that hearing that may finally allow them to determine whether this is just a civil case or if it's criminal as well.

Reames adds, "Just nervous about what's going to happen. We just really want our kids back so we can move on with our life and be able to grieve the loss of our son with our kids."

The family hopes the with the prayers of the community, they will Friday night together for the first time since Caden's death.

Both of Caden's parents say they have been cooperative in the investigation into the boys death, even passing a voluntary polygraph test.

http://www.myspace.com/8pack_n_it
About me:
I have had probably one of the worst years of my life this year. My four year old son caden reames passed away on august 11th of 2009. I had my four other boys taken away from me because of my sons death and i am desperately trying to get them back. I was kicked out of my house in belle plaine. I got laid off in may of this year and have not been able to fnd a job. A lot of bad things have happened to me but i believe it has made me grow and become a stronger person. It has opened my eyes on how fragile life is and how easily it can be taken away. We never know when it is going to be our turn so we have to try and live our lives the best we can and make the most of it. It has also gave me a greater appreciation for my children. I hope that anyone who reads this can see that even if they have problems, someone else has it worse than you do. Im sure there is someone out there that is worse off than i am and i pray for that person.

Read more: http://www.myspace.com/8pack_n_it#ixzz10vY1kyXG

Belle Plaine Wants Answers In Child Death
Residents of Belle Plaine want answers in the death of four-year-old Caden Reames. He died August 11.
Reporter: Deb Farris
Email Address: dfarris@kake.com
Monday, August 31, 2009

All along police have called the death of four-year-old Caden Reames suspicious.

"It's all hush hush. It's all secretive. A lot of people want to know what's going on , because we are a small community," said Belle Plaine resident Lynessa Roberts.

As children laugh and play at the park in Belle Plaine, there's a mystery surrounding the small town.
What happened to Caden Reames?

"We're just trying to prove what actually happened," said Police Chief Gordon Fell.
It was August 11 when he rushed to the Reames' home. A report of a four-year-old boy not breathing came in. There were four other children home at the time, along with Caden's father Matt and Matt's fiance. Police took the other kids into protective custody and interviewed them extensively.

"You take that information compare that from the information you have from the adults and have to decipher what's the truth," said Fell.

The autopsy revealed Caden died from asphyxiation, but the chief won't release any more information to protect the case. He's working on the case everyday, now waiting on results from subpoenas that will fill in the gaps and give him and this town answers.

Matt Reames and his fiance had been working with police on the investigation, but have since hired and attorney and now aren't talking.
http://www.kake.com/state/headlines/56439317.html

Wellington Man Fights To Get His Children Back
Last August, a 4-year-old boy’s mysterious death led to his father losing custody of his other children.
Reporter: Chris Frank
Email Address: chris.frank@kake.com
July 14, 2010

Last August, a 4-year-old boy’s mysterious death led to his father losing custody of his other children. One year later, he’s still fighting for their return, but custody confusion isn’t making that fight any easier.

Matt Reames hasn’t been charged with the death of his son Caden, which leaves him wondering why his family is still split apart. Reames says he’s had three or four of these hearings since the death of Caden last August. It was Reames who called 911 last August to report Caden was unconscious and not breathing.

"Just because of the fact I don't know what happened worries me because it's going to affect us for the rest of our lives," Reames said.

Police, along with the KBI and others, have investigated Caden’s death, but there are no charges to this point close to a year later, which has Reames struggling with the continuing separation from his other two children.

"It makes it hard because I feel like I can't move on with my life until this is done,” Reames said. “It's just hanging over my head."

KAKE News was not allowed inside the disposition hearing in juvenile court, so we can’t report firsthand their reasons for keeping his children in foster care for now, but Reames talks about what the court wants from him.

"Counseling, different kind of therapy and make sure my visits go well and just provide a stable, safe home for them," he explained/ "I've done that, but they still don't want to put my kids back in there."

He’s allowed to visit the children seven hours a week.

"What else am I supposed to do?" Reames said.

For now, Reames says he will do what the court asks him to do in hopes of getting his three year old and seven year old returned to his custody. His next hearing is in December.
http://www.kake.com/home/headlines/98469744.html

Friday, October 16, 2009

A Sumner County couple may soon get their children back several months after their 4-year-old son died in their home.

Matt Reames and Felecia Nesson were in court Friday morning, hoping to get custody of their other four boys. The state took the kids into foster care after Caden Reames was found unresponsive in the family's Belle Plaine home in August.

There have been few details released about the cause of Caden's death, except that he died from asphyxiation. No charges have been filed and the case is still on-going. A judge decided Friday that the boys can be slowly integrated back into the home.

"There's no reason for integration," Matt Reames said outside the courthouse. "We've done nothing wrong. Either charge us with something or give us our kids back."

We attempted to reach Belle Plaine Police Chief Gordon Fell and the Sumner County Attorney for this story. Neither of them returned our calls.
http://www.kake.com/home/headlines/64609417.html?storySection=story

osted by: matt Location: kansas on Oct 18, 2009 at 02:51 PM

This is cadens father matt. I would like to thank everyone who has been so supportive of felicia and i. I can not believe that you people are arguing over grammatical errors instead of the fact that a life has been lost and a family has been torn apart. For those of you that dont know what reintegration is they are going to start by bringing the boys to our house for two hours then take them away, then it will be four hours then take them away, then eight and so on and so forth. How can that be healty! These boys have lost their brother, been ripped away from their parents, and split up into different foster homes. But yet the state says they are doing whats best for the boys. This reintegration crap is just another way for the state to make more money off of us and waste taxpayer money. The court feels comfortable doing reintegration but they wont just give them back to us. Come on what does that tell you! I pray to god that no one has to go through what we are enduring.
posted as a comment to the above listed story -

Two Years After Death Investigation, Sumner County Man Gets Kids Back

By: Jared Cerullo
May 26, 2011

In August, 2009, Caden Reames died suddenly inside his father's Belle Plaine home. Since that day, his children have been in state custody even though there has never been a ruling of wrongdoing. Caden's death remains an open investigation, according to Belle Plaine Police Chief Gordon Fell.

"It's been too long," Matt Reames said as he drove home with his children for the first time in two years today. "It's been a long, hard battle and it's finally over today."

Today was a day full of tears. But Finally, they were tears of joy for Matt Reames and his two young children.

"It's been so long," Reames said as he picked up 4 year-old Tyler.

From the moment they stepped out of the car, Carson and Tyler Reames were happy little boys. Their dad Matt was even happier.

"We're home, aren't we?" Reames asked as he held both boys in his arms.

"We're home! We're home!!!" Tyler shouted gleefully.

The day Caden Reames died, Matt's other children were taken away by SRS while law enforcement investigated. Although police say the case is still an open investigation, there has never been an allegation that Caden Reames death was anything other than an accident.

"The hardest thing was not knowing where they were or what they were doing," Reames said. "Just not being able to talk to them and put them to bed at night."

Reames, meanwhile, admits he's not perfect and has made mistakes, just like anybody else. But he believes two years was too long for his kids to be kept from him. He says he continuously met all of SRS's requests, only to be told no.

"I've become a better father, a better parent, and an overall better person," Reames explained. "This has really changed my life and I just appreciate my kids so much more now."

At his new home, Reames made a memory table for Carson and Tyler to reflect on the loss of their brother. It is filled with pictures of their brother.

"This one was Caden's first day of school," said Reames. "This one, me and the boys went to Colorado."

During the past two years, Matt and the kids would sit on the couch and listen to their favorite song. But on this day, the song has even more meaning.

Tonight, Matt Reames will put his kids to bed as a changed man. Today, Carson and Tyler will go to bed knowing that their daddy loves them. And today, Matt Reames will begin being a father to his children again, after two very long years.

http://www.kake.com/findit/thursdayheadlines/Two_Years_After_Death_Investigation_Sumner_County_Man_Gets_Kids_Back_122685939.html