LAVION GAMBLE - 6 Weeks (2010)/ charged: Father; Robert W. Long Jr. - Louisville KY

The father of a missing 6-week-old baby is in custody after the
infant’s body was found inside an SUV outside a Newburg home, according
to Louisville Metro Police.The names of the infant and the father have not been released,
and police weren’t saying how the baby died.The
child’s family reported him missing Wednesday morning, when LMPD’s
Crimes Against Children Unit was notified about the infant and father,
according to Officer Dwight Mitchell, a spokesman for the police
department.At
noon, a missing-person report was completed, and police began the
process of requesting an Amber Alert through Kentucky State Police.At
4 p.m., 6th Division officers found an SUV connected to the infant’s
father in the 5500 block of Ridgecrest Road. Inside, police found the
boy’s body, Mitchell said.The father was found inside a home near the
vehicle and taken into custody without incident, he said.

A 6-week-old boy was found dead in an SUV near Newburg on Wednesday, just hours after family members reported him missing, and his father was charged in connection with his death.

The baby, whose name has not been released, was reported missing to Louisville Metro Police about 10 a.m. Family members also told police that they could not find the boy's father, Robert W. Long, 44, police spokesman Dwight Mitchell said.

By noon, a missing-person report had been made and investigators began working on an Amber Alert through the Kentucky State Police, Mitchell said.

But before the alert could be processed, officers with the 6th Division and the Crimes Against Children Unit found a sport utility vehicle connected to Long in the 5500 block of Ridgecrest Road.

Inside the SUV, police found the baby's body, Mitchell said. Police did not say how the boy died, but have ruled it a homicide.

Long, who was at the home where the vehicle was found, was taken into custody and was charged late Wednesday night with menacing, tampering with physical evidence and abuse of a corpse, Mitchell said.

Long was being held at Metro Corrections, and police are consulting with the commonwealth attorney's office about pending charges, Mitchell said.

The last time the baby had been seen was Monday night, Mitchell said, adding that he did not know why family members waited to report him missing.

There have now been eight homicides in metro Louisville this year, including one in Shively.

This is the second infant death in the area, following the Jan. 14 death of 4-month-old Aiden Caro of Bullitt County, who suffered severe head trauma when he was beaten.

Samuel David Harris, 18, who was the boyfriend of Aiden's mother, is charged with murder and assault in Aiden's death.

On Wednesday, Bullitt County officials charged Aiden's mother, 18-year-old Courtney Caro, with first-degree criminal abuse, alleging that she allowed her son to be abused

Louisville police have brought abuse of corpse charges against the father of a
6-week-old boy found dead inside a vehicle in a residential area.
Police spokesman Dwight Mitchell says 44-year-old Robert W. Long Jr. also
faces charges of menacing and tampering with physical evidence.
Police are investigating the death. Mitchell says the child appeared to have
suffered some type of physical abuse. The Jefferson County coroner's
office says an autopsy is scheduled for Thursday.
The boy was reported missing by his mother Wednesday morning, and Mitchell
says the department received information in the afternoon that led
officers to the body Wednesday afternoon.
The baby's name hasn't been released.

A 44-year-old Louisville man is facing charges related to the death
of his six-week-old son. After being questioned by Metro Police, Robert
Wilfred Long, Junior was charged late Wednesday with menacing,
tampering with physical evidence and abuse of a corpse.
According to Dwight Mitchell, a LMPD spokesperson, the Crimes
Against Children Unit received a call around 10 a.m. Wednesday about
the missing infant from the family of the baby. Mitchell said the boy
may have disappeared as early as Monday.
Around 3:50 p.m. Wednesday, the investigation led detectives to a
SUV parked in the driveway of a home in the 5500 block of Ridgecrest
Road. Mary Simpson, a Ridgecrest Road resident, was home when officers
surrounded the black SUV and broke out the front right passenger window.
"I'd seen them breaking the window in that truck," said Simpson. "I didn't know a baby was in there."
Mitchell said the missing baby was found dead inside the SUV. How
the baby died is not yet clear. The Jefferson County Coroner's office
said they will conduct an autopsy on Thursday. Police immediately took
the father of the infant, later identified by police as Long, into
custody.
Simpson has lived on Ridgecrest Road for over 30 years and never
imagined she would witness what she saw unfold Wednesday afternoon.
"Oh, it scared me to death. I got a little grandbaby I'm raising.
I've had him since he was 17 months," Simpson said. "I just don't know
how somebody could be that cruel."
Long is being held at Louisville Metro Corrections and is expected
to appear before a judge Thursday morning. Metro Police say Long could
face more charges depending on the results of the autopsy on the baby.
We learned Long has a long criminal history, which includes other
charges regarding the death of an infant. In 1991, Long was convicted
of murdering his five-week-old son. Long told police the child slipped
and fell down ten steps, but the medical examiner ruled the injuries
were consistent with child abuse. In May 1992, a jury found long guilty
and recommended he be sentenced to 35 years in prison.

A 6-week-old baby is dead and the father faces charges related to the homicide.
This comes almost 19 years after the child's father was convicted of murder, and released early.
Wednesday, the suspect was arrested in a home not far from where the infant was discovered.
The family says this could have been a preventable death had the
police taken them seriously when they first reported the child missing
Tuesday morning.
They say when police did take them seriously on Wednesday morning,
they all found out that the child's father had killed one of his own
children in the past.
"Every time I've seen them together he was just holding him, loving
his son and talking about the future," said Juan Keith Smiley, family
of Lavion Gamble.
That's why 6-week-old Lavion Gamble's family is shocked about what happened Wednesday.
At 4:00 p.m., police tracked 44-year-old Robert W. Long, Jr. and his
mother's car, to the 5500 block of Ridgecrest Road in Newburg.
Inside a black SUV, Lavion Gamble was dead.
Police wouldn't describe his injuries, only saying they're waiting
for an autopsy. Long was taken into custody at a nearby house. Police
say their investigation started at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday morning.
"The Crimes Against Children Unit was notified of possibly a missing
child and a father of the child. About 12 noon this afternoon we were
able to enter that information as a missing person report at that
point," said LMPD Spokesperson Dwight Mitchell.
But the family says they tried to file a report Tuesday morning at 10:00 a.m.
Because the last time anyone had seen father and son together was
Monday night at 7:00 p.m. They say police gave them the runaround all
day and no one would file a report.
An Amber Alert was never issued by state police and neither was a notification from Metro Police through Operation Return Home.
But Wednesday morning, when a Crimes Against Children's Unit
detective met with the infant's family, she informed them that Long,
had been convicted of killing one of his other children in 1991.
Sentenced to 35 years, but released early in 2007.
It's something family says police would have found sooner, if they
took the family seriously from start. They say they had no idea of his
past and there was nothing in character that warned them he was
dangerous.
"That's my sister and I love her to death and when she says I love
this man, you accept him. And we all did that as a family. Now we're
all looking back and saying, 'why?'" said Smiley.
Long has been charged with menacing, tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse.
Depending on what the autopsy shows, other charges could be filed.

Robert long was in arraignment court Thursday morning at Louisville metro corrections after his 6-week-old son was found dead in an SUV.

It’s not the first time he’s been charged in connection with the death of one of his children.

So far Robert Long has been charged with abuse of a corpse, menacing and tampering with evidence.

According to the police report obtained by WHAS11 News, police started looking for Robert Long Wednesday because 6-week-old Lavion Gamble had been reported missing.

The report says police found long at a house on Ridgecrest Road.

Police say Long had a knife in his hand when they walked in. Police then drew their guns and a Tasered Long and he finally dropped his weapon.

That's when police found the infant dead in an SUV outside.

The judge read what Robert Long told police happened shortly after his arrest.

Long stated that he was sleeping with the infant in the morning hours of January 26th when he woke up on top of the infant with it not breathing.

He said he attempted CPR but was unsuccessful. He then dressed the corpse in a jumper and left in his vehicle without calling 911 or seeking help.

This is not the first time long has been in court.

In a completely different case, Long was convicted of killing one of his other children in 1991.

He was sentenced to 35 years but released early in 2007.
Robert Long has been in court in the past year and a half after the mother of the son who was found dead Wednesday claimed he was abusive.

At that time, Long was accused of threatening and assaulting the woman.

An Emergency Protection Order was sought by Shanetra Campbell, who described herself at the time as Long's ex-girlfriend.
At that time, Campbell was 20-years-old and Long was 42.
They did not have any children in common, but had reportedly lived together for about eight months prior to her complaint.
Campbell said he caused her to have an auto accident with her children in the car.
She said she ended their relationship because of his violent ways and said Long stalked and threatened her.

“He shows up at my house unannounced and I don't want that anymore. I just want him to leave me alone,” Campbell said in August 2008.

• 
  

Why was this man back on the streets and around children Something has to change

A man charged Wednesday in connection to the death of his 7-week old son had previously been convicted of killing another son in 1991.

Robert W. Long, Jr., 44, was arrested Wednesday after his son was found dead in a sport-utility vehicle parked in front of a home in the 5500 block of Ridgecrest Road, near the Newburg neighborhood.

Lavion R. Gamble, of the 4400 block of Kern Court, died of multiple blunt force injuries to multiple parts of his body, said Jim Wesley, a deputy Jefferson County coroner. His death has been ruled a homicide, Wesley said.

Long was initially charged with menacing, tampering with physical evidence and abuse of a corpse. After Lavion's autopsy Thursday, Long was charged with murder.

Louisville Metro Police found the baby after he was reported missing by family members earlier in the day. Those family members said they also could not locate Long.

This is not the first time one of Long’s sons has died.

In 1992, Long was convicted of killing his 5-week-old son, Robert Deon Long, by beating the infant, dropping him and letting him fall from a bed onto a wooden floor. The baby died on Feb. 8, 1991. Long was sentenced to 35 years in prison for that murder.

Information on when Long was released from prison was not immediately available.

Robert Long Jr. has now been charged with one count of murder based
upon the autopsy results which show that the infant, Lavion Gamble,
died as a result of homicide.
Police say the infant's death began as a custody situation and that
after a number of hours it developed into a missing persons case but an
Amber Alert wasn't sought until the moments before the baby's body was
discovered.

Police and family members of the dead baby didn't know until Wednesday afternoon that Long had a criminal past.

What detectives learned was that Robert Long had gone to prison in
1992 after being convicted of killing another infant child the year
before.

They also learned that another girlfriend of Long’s obtained a
domestic violence order against him in 2008, the year after he was
released from prison.

Wednesday afternoon dozens of police descended on a Louisville
apartment complex looking for the man already convicted of murdering
one child and suspected in the disappearance of another baby.

Early Tuesday morning, 7-and-a-half week old Lavion Gamble’s mother
returned home from work and realized the infant was missing and
reported it to police.

The circumstances surrounding the case did not meet the criteria for
an Amber Alert until detectives found out about Long’s past.

Police say earlier action wouldn't have saved the infant, since by Long's own account, the baby had died Monday night.

Erricka Coleman, who has been dating Long, says that his black SUV
sat parked at her home for more than 24 hours before police found the
baby in the backseat.

Police reports say that Long had a knife in his hand when police got
in the house. Police had their guns drawn and a taser and that's when,
according to reports, Long dropped the knife and was arrested.

Long was arraigned Thursday morning on charges of abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and menacing.

Robert Long Jr. was charged with one count of murder Thursday
afternoon based upon the autopsy results which show that the infant
died as a result of homicide.

Long was originally placed under a $20,000 bond but when he is
arraigned on the murder charge, bond is expected to be drastically
raised or denied.

A not guilty plea was entered Friday for a man who has been charged with the murder of his 7-week-old son.
Robert W. Long Jr., 44, said nothing during his short arraignment as District Judge Sean Delahanty set his bond at $1 million. Long, who is lodged in Metro Corrections, will be back in court next month. Delahanty assigned him a public defender.
Long had previously been convicted of killing another son in 1991.
He was arrested Wednesday after his son was found dead in a sport-utility vehicle parked in front of a home in the 5500 block of Ridgecrest Road, near the Newburg neighborhood.
Lavion R. Gamble, of the 4400 block of Kern Court, died of blunt-force injuries to multiple parts of his body, said Jim Wesley, a deputy Jefferson County coroner. Long was initially charged with menacing, tampering with physical evidence and abuse of a corpse.
After Lavion's autopsy Thursday, Long was charged with murder.
Louisville Metro Police found the baby after he was reported missing by family members earlier in the day. Those family members said they also could not locate Long.
Long told police that he was sleeping with the baby early Tuesday morning when he woke up on top of the infant, who was not breathing. Long told police he attempted CPR but it didn’t work.
This is not the first time one of Long’s sons has died.
In 1992, Long was convicted of killing his 5-week-old son, Robert Deon Long, by beating the infant, dropping him and letting him fall from a bed onto a wooden floor.
The baby died on Feb. 8, 1991. Long was sentenced to 35 years in prison for that murder, but was granted parole in February 2007.

A trial date for a Louisville man accused of murdering his 7-week-old son could be set as early as March, according to prosecutors.
Robert W. Long Jr., 44, is due back in court March 17 after his defense attorney Misty Clark entered a not guilty plea on his behalf Friday. Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jon Heck said a start date for Long’s trial could be determined then.

Long was arrested Jan. 27 after his son Lavion Gamble was found dead in a sport-utility vehicle in front of a home in the 5500 block of Ridgecrest Road in the Newburg neighborhood. Family members reported the baby missing after they could not locate Long or the child.

Long told police he had been sleeping with the baby early Jan. 26 and woke up on top of the infant, who was not breathing. He said he attempted CPR, but it didn’t work.

Long is charged with one count each of murder, tampering with physical evidence, abuse of a corpse and persistent felony offender and two counts of menacing.

In 1992, Long was convicted of killing his 5-week-old son Robert Deon Long by beating the infant. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison, but was granted parole in February 2007.

Clark declined to comment pending the upcoming trial.

Heck said the prosecution was still in the process of looking over evidence and police reports, and plans to file a motion for aggravated circumstances in regards to Long’s charges other than murder in Lavion Gamble’s death. He said the motion could postpone a start date for the trial, but the prosecution was “looking forward to putting the case before a jury.”

Long could receive a minimum of 20 years in prison up to the death penalty for murder and one to five years for tampering with physical evidence.

7-and-a-half-week old Lavion Gamble was laid to rest Wednesday after he was allegedly killed by his father.

The funeral was held at Canaan Christian Church in Hikes Point.

His father, Robert Long is charged with his murder.

Police say Gamble died of multiple blunt force injuries all over his body.

Long had been released from prison after being convicted of killing another infant son.

Police audio recordings
of witness interviews have been released in the murder case of a Louisville man convicted
of killing one infant son in the 1990s and is now charged with killing
another baby boy. 44-year-old Robert Long Junior is facing murder
charges in the death of 7-week-old Lavion Gamble.

In late January, the baby's mother reported
the little boy missing, telling police that his father, Robert Long
Junior, was supposed to be watching him. When Long didn't return her
phone calls, the baby's mother became worried. Eight hours after she
reported her son missing, the child was found dead inside an SUV parked
outside a Newburg home.

According to the police report, Long stated
he was sleeping with the infant on January 26, when he woke up on top of
the infant and the boy was not breathing. Long claimed he put Lavion in
his clothes and in his car seat and placed him in the black Ford
Explorer he was driving. Long, according to the report, then went to a
friend's house and left the dead child in the vehicle until the
following day.

The friend Long went to see was his
girlfriend of a just few months, Errica Coleman, who lived at 5512
Ridgecrest Road. Police say Long parked the SUV with the dead baby
inside. In police interviews, Coleman told investigators Long had been
making strange statements the day before police found the baby.

Coleman to police: "He said bad stuff is
always happening to him. He said, ‘I've fallen in love with you,' then
he said, ‘but...,' and I'm like, ‘but what?' And he said, ‘you'll find
out after awhile.'"

Coleman told investigators Long was crying,
but wouldn't tell her what was wrong. She says he originally told her
the child's mother was not picking the baby up because she had classes.
Then Coleman said all of the sudden Long changed the story and claimed
the mother had picked the boy up.

"I said, ‘Why did she come and get him?' I
remember asking, I said (emotional) Why did she come and get him when
she said she wasn't going to get him? And he said, I don't know, she
just came and got him."

LMPD Officer George Campos told investigators
he spotted Long's SUV in the driveway, but didn't know the baby was in
it. Campos said when he and another officer found Long in the house, he
was holding a knife. Eventually, Campos and the other officer persuaded
Long to drop it. As they arrested Long, other officers discovered the
boy.

"There was a baby seat in the back and
(pause) the passenger front right window was broken and they said the
baby was in the car, and it was 10-80 (dead)," said Campos.

Prosecutors claim in those hours when Long
was supposed to be taking care of his young son, the baby suffered
multiple blunt force injuries across his body including his head, chest
and abdomen.

Long served 15 years of a 35 year sentence in
the death of his other son. He is now being held on a $1 million bond.

10-CR-000333 JEFFERSON

COMMONWEALTH VS. LONG, ROBERT WILLFRED Scheduled Events PRETRIAL CONFERENCE 7/29/2011 09:30 AM 11 JURY TRIAL 12/2/2011 01:00 PM 11

http://apps.courts.ky.gov/CourtRecords/Results.aspx

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