AMANDA LYNN RUNYON - 2 yo - St. Louis/Belleville IL

Eddie Runyon watches his 2-year-old daughter, Amanda, clinging to life
at Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center. He's not only angry
about what put her there. He's hurt.

Two-year-olds should be watching "Sesame Street" and playing with baby
dolls, not "hooked to 14 different machines" in a hospital, Runyon told
reporters Thursday morning in the hospital lobby.

"She's the best daughter you could have," he said. As her father, "my job is to protect her. And I couldn't."

Runyon, 23, lives in Kentucky, about 150 miles away from his daughter.
St. Clair County police say Amanda Runyon was beaten severely by her
mother's boyfriend, Kraig A. Monroe, in their trailer home in
unincorporated Belleville. Police say Amanda's mother, who was at work
when the abuse happened, is being held and could face a charge of
endangering the welfare of a child.

Monroe repeatedly punched Amanda in the abdomen, as she sat in an Elmo
chair, because she wouldn't stop crying, police say. The attack
happened over four days last week and early this week. The mother took
her to a hospital Monday when she was vomiting and lethargic. The girl
also had a broken arm and a broken leg from previous incidents and was
missing hair where it had been pulled from her head.


Kraig A. Monroe

Eddie Runyon is the girl's biological father. He works as a coal miner
in Morganfield, Ky., and had just gotten off work Monday when he got
the sad news about Amanda. Wearing hospital scrubs and looking weary,
Runyon spoke to reporters on Thursday in the lobby of Cardinal Glennon.
He and his mother are maintaining a constant vigil over the little girl
in the hospital's pediatric intensive care unit.

Amanda is on a feeding tube because of the intestine surgery, and she is medicated.

"She hears my voice and sometimes she'll open her eyes," he said.

Amanda is Eddie Runyon's only child. He said doctors say she'll remain at the hospital a couple weeks.

"I'm praying and know she will fight her way through this," he said.

Runyon thanked the public for their prayers and the hospital staff for
trying their best to put his mind at ease. But he wouldn't talk about
the man accused of beating his daughter except to say "I've never met
the man." He also declined to talk about Amanda's mother or to say if
they shared custody of Amanda. He indicated he might answer more
questions later. "Right now, my 100 percent concern is for my
daughter," he said.

Until recently, Runyon said, he would talk with Amanda nearly every day
by telephone while he was in Kentucky. When he was off work, he would
come see her and they would spend time together, he said. He declined
to elaborate on what happened recently that got in the way of his daily
phone conversations with Amanda.

Runyon said he last saw Amanda on Jan. 25, and she was fine. When a
reporter asked if he had any previous concerns about the girl's safety,
he declined to comment.

"I want to make it clear that, just because I live and work out of
state doesn't mean I don't have a good relationship with her," he said.
Runyon, in fact, had asked for the media to come to the hospital so he
could make sure people know he's tried to be a good father.

Sheriff's officials in St. Clair County say state child-abuse
investigators knew about Amanda's broken leg in late February but never
notified the sheriff's office.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services' spokesman
Kendall Marlowe said DCFS was investigating an allegation of neglect
against the mother based on a Feb. 23 report. The DCFS also was
investigating allegations of abuse against Monroe once Amanda showed up
at Cardinal Glennon.

DCFS had no contact with the family before Feb. 23, Marlowe said.

"DCFS did contact local law enforcement as part of our initial
investigation of this family," Marlowe said. "Our investigator
contacted and talked with the Belleville Police Department the morning
of Feb. 24."

Marlowe explained to the Post-Dispatch that the DCFS contacted
Belleville, instead of the sheriff's office, because a DCFS
investigator had been given a Belleville address for the family, not
knowing they actually lived outside the city limits.

Marlowe doesn't know if Belleville police passed along the report to the sheriff's office.

Monroe, of the 100 block of Princeton Drive, was being held on $500,000 bail.

Three other children in the home, ages 4, 5 and 6, were taken into state custody.

He couldn't protect his 2-year-old
daughter when she allegedly was beaten by her mother's boyfriend, but
he sure intends on being there when she wakes up.Amanda Lynn
Runyon was in critical and stable condition Thursday at Cardinal
Glennon Children's Hospital in St. Louis, where her father, Eddie
Runyon, 23, stands vigil by her bed."I just tell her that her
daddy's here. I ask her questions to see if she'll respond. I ask her
to be strong for me and she nods her head," Runyon said. "I don't plan
on leaving until she can leave with me."
Every so often, Amanda opens her eyes for a few seconds. She should be able to go home in two weeks.Runyon
holds on to his daughter's hand. She is healing from a previously
broken arm, one of the injuries Runyon didn't know about until his
daughter was hospitalized Monday.He listens to her troubled
breathing, helped by a machine. He thinks about her feeding tube and
how 18 inches of her intestines had to be removed.He remembers
how excited he was when Amanda, his only child, was born. The young
dad, new and nervous about fatherhood, knew he loved her. He tattooed
his daughter's first name on the right side of his chest and her middle
name on the left side of his chest."A 2-year-old should never
have to go through what she went through. She should be watching
cartoons, running into stuff, coloring ... not hooked up to 14
machines," Runyon said.Amanda needed emergency surgery after
police said her mother's boyfriend, Kraig A. Monroe, 24, repeatedly
punched her in the stomach in an effort to silence her cries for about
four days while her mother was at work.Monroe was charged Wednesday with aggravated battery to a child.Amanda's
dad, a coal miner, said he was at work in Kentucky when the beating
allegedly took place. Runyon grew up in Marissa, but started working
out of state in 2008.Runyon said his job allows him to come home
for five days every six weeks. He last saw Amanda about Jan. 25 at his
mother's home in New Athens."Whenever I come home, she jumps up
on my lap, grabs my face and looks into my eyes and says, 'Daddy, do
you love me?' She'd want to give me kisses," Runyon recalled.
"Sometimes she tells me over the phone, 'Daddy, come here, come back.'"He came back as soon as he found out Amanda was in the hospital."When
I first got to the hospital, before the surgery, she was in so much
pain she was whimpering," Runyon said. "I asked her if she would be
strong for me and she said, 'Yea.'"From her hospital bed, Amanda still asked for her daddy's hand, and for a kiss.Runyon, who does not have legal custody of Amanda, said he didn't know she and Amanda's mother were staying with Monroe."I don't think about them. What's done is done, and now my concern is my daughter," he said.St.
Clair County Sheriff's Department Capt. Steve Johnson has said the
trailer was filthy and "so disgusting" that he felt uncomfortable
leaning on anything inside the home.Monroe did not have an
occupancy permit to live in the trailer at 110 Princeton Drive. He
lived in the trailer with his girlfriend, his girlfriend's daughter
Amanda, his girlfriend's two other children, ages 4 and 6, and Monroe's
5-year-old daughter.As a result of the violation, Monroe's
landlord was cited. Herb Endrijaitis, 78, of 109 Princeton Drive near
Belleville, was charged with unlawfully permitting a person to occupy
premise without a valid occupancy inspection. Endrijaitis was issued a
March 31 court date in St. Clair County.Also, a large pit bull that lived at the trailer was taken by animal control, Johnson said.On
Feb. 23, the Tree Hut Day Care Center in Belleville, noticed Amanda
said "owee" when a staff member changed her diaper, Belleville Police
Chief William Clay said. The day care called Amanda's mother, who was
not able to leave work, so the mother's "male friend" picked up the
child from the day care.Later that day, a day care employee
called the Department of Children and Family Services hotline to report
that Amanda suffered "neglect by broken leg" and listed the girl's
mother's name and a Belleville address, Clay said.A DCFS worker
was unable to get more information from the Belleville address. He
contacted the Belleville hospitals and learned that the girl had been
treated at Memorial Hospital.Clay gave the following account: A
neighbor to the Belleville address said that is where the mother's
parents live, and that the mother sometimes stays there and at other
times stays at her boyfriend's house, but did not know his last name or
address. So the DCFS worker contacted the Belleville Police Department,
to ask for another address for the mother or the mother's boyfriend.
Police provided the worker with the name of the mother and the
Belleville address for the mother.The detective told police that
he didn't "have enough for a report at this time" and said he would
call back if he needed more information.Clay called a news
conference Thursday to make sure the public didn't misunderstand and
think that the department had prior information about alleged abuse.
"Everybody gets in that cover-their-butt-mode," Clay said."I don't want people implying that we failed to do something," Clay said.Clay
also said he will talk to Belleville hospitals to make sure that when
they report something to the DCFS hotline, they also contact local law
enforcement.

The mother of a 2-year old girl was
released from the St. Clair County Jail and ordered to stay away from
her daughter while the prosecutors review the case against her.Amanda
Runyon, 2, was in critical but stable condition Friday at Cardinal
Glennon Children's Hospital in St. Louis while she recovers from being
repeatedly, severely punched in the stomach because she wouldn't stop
crying.Her mother's boyfriend, Kraig Monroe, 24, has been
charged with aggravated battery to a child and is being held in the St.
Clair County Jail on $500,000 bail.

The name of Runyon's mother has not been released by police pending
charges, but an order of protection was issued against her to keep her
away from Amanda. Investigators with the St. Clair County Sheriff's
Department are working with St. Clair County State's Attorney Robert
Haida's office to follow up on further investigation related to the
mother's involvement in the beating and abuse of Amanda.Amanda required emergency surgery to remove damaged intestine. She is also recovering from a broken leg.On
Friday, a conference call concerning events leading up to the attack on
the girl was conducted with Capt. Steve Johnson of the St. Clair County
Sheriff's Department, Capt. Don Sax of the Belleville Police Department
and George Vennikandam, assistant director of the Department of
Children and Family Services. St. Clair County Sheriff's Investigators
Sgt. Dan Stockett and Scott Toth also participated in the conference
call.One of the issues of concern is why the state agency didn't
remove Amanda to a safe home or notify police when a DCFS investigator
learned that the child had a broken leg."The word is not getting
down to the guy on the street," said St. Clair County Sheriff Mearl
Justus, who also sat in on the teleconference. He described the
discussion as useful and added, "DCFS needs to hire more people with a
law enforcement background. Cops are suspicious of everything. You
gotta be that way. The sooner we do that, the better off we'll be."Further meetings and possible policy changes by DCFS also were discussed."DCFS
was very concerned and everyone who participated in the conference call
agreed it was a productive meeting towards changing procedures and
improving communications between DCFS and law enforcement," Johnson
said. A search warrant was issued for Monroe's trailer at 110
Princeton Drive near Belleville, and Illinois State Police Crime Scene
technicians and sheriff's investigators processed the trailer Friday
afternoon.The trailer has been condemned "due to unsafe living conditions."Amanda's
father, Eddie Runyon, 23, is standing vigil by his daughter's bed.
Runyon is a coal miner and lives and works in Kentucky. He grew up in
Marissa but started working out of state in 2008.Runyon said his
job allows him to come home for five days every six weeks. He last saw
Amanda about Jan. 25 at his mother's home in New Athens."Whenever
I come home, she jumps up on my lap, grabs my face and looks into my
eyes and says, 'Daddy, do you love me?' She'd want to give me kisses,"
Runyon recalled. "Sometimes she tells me over the phone, 'Daddy, come
here, come back.'"He came back as soon as he found out Amanda was in the hospital.Runyon, who does not have legal custody of Amanda, said he didn't know she and Amanda's mother were staying with Monroe.A
woman who went to high school in Marissa with Runyon has set up a trust
fund account for Amanda and to help Eddie Runyon pay for food and
lodging while in St. Louis with his daughter."Who does this to a
kid? What kind of monster does this to a baby? It's just horrible,"
said Lesley Foertsch, Runyon's former classmate and family friend.
"Eddie isn't working while he's up here with Amanda. We set up the
trust fund to help cover her medical costs, which will be enormous, and
to help him live here while she is recovering."The trust fund has been set up at Regions Bank under the Amanda Runyon Trust FundDonations can be made at any Regions Bank branch, and checks should be made payable to Amanda Runyon.

The order giving abused 2-year-old Amanda Runyon's father sole
custody stands as is, and he will continue to be allowed to use
donations as he sees fit without court oversight.Attorneys for
Amanda's mother, Dawn Obptande, and Amanda's father, Eddie Runyon, were
in a St. Clair County courtroom Friday morning on several motions filed
by Obptande's attorney, Jennifer Behme. The motions asked for the
order of protection against Obptande be vacated, requested a guardian
ad litem be appointed for Amanda and asked that a trust fund be
established in Amanda's name for the money donated to Amanda and her
father to help pay for expenses incurred after the toddler was severely
beaten. Police said her mother's ex-boyfriend beat Amanda for crying,
putting her in the hospital for 17 days.
St. Clair County Associate Judge Michael Cook denied the motions by
Obptande."We are opposed to a guardian ad litem being appointed.
We are opposed because of the cost and we find it unnecessary," Runyon's
attorney, Bill Norton, said. "Why do we need a guardian to assist the
court in determining custody of the child when Mr. Runyon already has
custody?"Obptande also requested the money donated to Amanda be
placed in a trust account. In court documents, Obptande cited worries
that Runyon was planning to use the money to pay off his truck and build
a new home. Obptande wanted access to the money to pay for a guardian
ad litem."Mr. Runyon, as it stands right now, has custody of his
minor daughter," Norton said. "And, as the parent with custody, he has
access to those funds. There have been benefits held for the minor child
and the Runyon family. Mr. Runyon took a month off work to care for the
minor child while she was in the hospital and refused to leave her
side. He has incurred considerable expenses."Norton later said he
has known Runyon and the Runyon family for many years and he believes
the money is being used to benefit Amanda."They are good people,"
he said. "I have no doubt they are managing the funds responsibly."Also
in the court documents, Obptande alleged that Runyon has "failed to
engage in a relationship with Amanda, spending little to no time with
her since her birth and that (Obptande) has been the sole provider and
parent for Amanda."According to Norton, the couple lived together
for several months after Amanda was born and continued regular visits
with her after the couple no longer lived together. While he still
visited regularly, the visits became less frequent when he moved to
Kentucky. Runyon works in Kentucky as a coal miner.The motion
seeking custody of Amanda was continued. A date for a custody hearing
has not yet been set.On March 23, Obptande agreed to extend for
the next two years the order of protection keeping herself away from
Amanda and Eddie Runyon. She also agreed to give custody to Runyon and
allow him to take Amanda to Kentucky."She has made a remarkable
recovery," Norton said of Amanda. "We are very thankful and truly
blessed."Obptande requested, and was granted, supervised
visitation with Amanda for about four hours every other Sunday.Amanda
spent 17 days at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center in St.
Louis after she was beaten so severely she required surgery to remove
more than a foot of her bowel and repair tears in her liver. At first,
doctors thought Amanda would depend on a feeding tube for the rest of
her life, but her pediatric surgeon, Dr. Tarun Kumar, said she recovered
remarkably well and is expected to continue to heal. She is no longer
dependent on a feeding tube.Amanda's right leg was reported
broken to authorities Feb. 23, about a week before she was hospitalized
for the beating.The beating occurred at a rented trailer at 110
Princeton Drive near Belleville where Obptande lived with her boyfriend,
Kraig A. Monroe. Police said the trailer was filthy and it has since
been condemned for unsafe living conditions. Monroe did not have an
occupancy permit to live in the trailer.Obptande was taken into
custody when Monroe was arrested. She was not charged in connection with
Amanda's beating. Monroe was charged with aggravated battery to a child
and is accused beating the little girl repeatedly because she wouldn't
stop crying.He remains in custody in the St. Clair County Jail on
$500,000 bail.

Trial delayed in Amanda Runyon beating case






St. Clair County bailiffs lead Kraig Monroe Jr. to and from his court appearance Wednesday at the St. Clair County Courthouse. Monroe was shackled and wore a prisoner’s orange clothing.



Originally published May 5, 2010


Kraig A. Monroe




St. Clair County bailiffs lead Kraig Monroe Jr. to and from his court appearance Wednesday at the St. Clair County Courthouse. Monroe was shackled and wore a prisoner’s orange clothing.



Critically beaten toddler's last day at hospital



Amanda Runyon, the toddler police said was brutally beaten by her mother's boyfriend, will be released from SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center Friday afternoon.
AMANDA RUNYON TRUST FUND

A trust fund has been set up on Amanda's behalf:"Amanda Runyon Trust Fund"Donations accepted at any Regions Bank
REPORT CHILD ABUSE:

To report suspected child abuse in Missouri or Illinois contact:ILLINOIS:(800) 252-2873(217) 785-4020www.state.il.us/dcfsMISSOURI:(800) 392-3738(573) 751-3448www.dss.mo.govMORE INFORMATION TO PREVENT/STOP CHILD ABUSE-FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER
A speedy trial may not be in the offing for the man accused of the brutal beating of two-year-old Amanda Runyon earlier this year.St. Clair County Circuit Judge John Baricevic granted a continuance until June 2 in criminal proceedings against Kraig A. Monroe Jr. He also set a bond reduction hearing on May 13 at the St. Clair County Court House in Belleville.Monroe, 24, of 110 Princeton Drive, in an unincorporated area near Belleville, was charged in early March with aggravated assault against a child in the caseMonroe, 24, is being held in the St. Clair County Jail on $500,000 bond. He appeared in Baricevic’s courtroom for a status conference on his case on Wednesday afternoon.Dressed in orange prison garb with “St. Clair County Jail” stenciled across the back of his shirt, he stood before Baricevic in handcuffs and shackles.He acknowledged he understood Baricevic when he was asked if he understood what was being ordered but said nothing in court. The appearance only lasted a few minutes before he was led out of the courtroom by bailiffs.Baricevic took the actions after Monroe had talked to his attorney, Rick Roustin. Roustin said Monroe maintains he is innocent and wanted a trial date set quickly. Roustin told Baricevic that there was still evidence and discovery issues that he needed to be resolved.“There are an awful lot of things to look at,” Russo said later. Russo said he didn’t think a trial would begin until mid-summer. St. Clair County Assistant State’s Attorney Steve Sallerson said a trial has to begin 120 days after an arrest. Monroe was arrested on March 2.Monroe was left to babysit the toddler for three days while the child’s mother was at work. Authorities said he may have become angry because the toddler wouldn’t stop crying. Police said Monroe continually punched her in the stomach and pulled out some of her hair. On March 1, the girl was vomiting, lethargic and going in and out of consciousness and was taken to Belleville Memorial Hospital. The toddler was then transported to SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center in St. Louis.Planning to attend the bond hearing and other court dates is Amanda Runyon’s grandmother Linda Ford. “I want to see justice,” Ford said after the hearing.Ford said she believes Monroe is guilty but said Amanda’s mother, Dawn Obptande, should be punished. “They should both pay for it,” she said. She said she also was opposed to any reduction in Monroe’s bondFord said Runyon, who lives with her father, Eddie Runyon, in Morganfield, Ky., is continuing to recover. A surgeon at Cardinal Glennon removed an 18-inch section of Amanda’s intestine after finding a tear in her bowel. He said she should not suffer long-term effects.“She may need some counseling later on,” Ford said. “A two-year-old can’t always tell you what’s making her unhappy.”

May 19, 2010
Kraig Monroe, the man accused of beating 2-year-old Amanda Runyon, is out of jail.

We learned Monroe posted 10 percent of his bond and walked out of jail on Tuesday. Monroe is being monitored with an electronic ankle bracelet, and he's not allowed to have any contact with the victim's family.On Wednesday, we went to the St. Clair County Jail to find out where Monroe is staying, but they told us we would have to obtain that information at the county probation office. We went to the probation office, they told us they weren't allowed to release the information.

We finally obtained Monroe's bail agreement from the St. Clair County Circuit Clerk's office, but it turns out Monroe wasn't at the address listed on the agreement. We tried asking the people at the home where Monroe was, but a woman cursed us out and told us to leave.

Monroe's attorney, Rick Rustio, told us he knows where his client is staying, but isn't making that information public. Roustio also told us the proper authorities are aware of Monroe's location. Roustio also told us the evidence will show his client isn't guilty of the crime, and the case will come down to a timeline that will show Monroe didn't have the opportunity to beat Runyon.

Updating On Amanda Runyon’s Case

The following picture is a picture of Amanda before she was so badly injured by her abuser, her mother’s boyfriend, Kraig Monroe.Amanda was being abused over time, as there were prior reports to DCFS, but they, for whatever reason decided to not do anything. The following picture is a picture of Amanda when she was released from the hospital, where she almost died from the injuries she sustained from her last attack.
Amanda Runyon
She’s still a beautiful little girl, but her smile is gone. Her innocence was taken from her by the vicious assault on her.

Her grandmother has been sharing with us on Amanda’s progress, as you can clearly see in the comments. Sadly, in the last update that Pam gave us she told us that the reason Kraig Monroe’s bond had been reduced earlier this year was due to the fact that Amanda didn’t die. He is out on bail and has been all summer.Amanda is shy, when she used to be outgoing. She’s afraid of men, especially if they look anything like Mr. Monroe. She needs constant reassurance of the love of her family. She will have to take vitamin supplements for the rest of her life, as she had 1/4 of her intestines removed, they were so badly damaged from Mr. Monroe repeatedly punching this 2 year old precious child in the stomach.The following is a good overview of the abuse Amanda endured:

Cop called child abuse hot line in Amanda Runyon case; DCFS failed to intervene
Despite a sheriff’s deputy’s call to the state child abuse hot line a year and a half ago about squalid living conditions where a 10-month-old girl was living with her mother and the mother’s registered sex offender brother, the Department of Children and Family Services failed to intervene.That baby girl was Amanda Runyon, now 2 years old, who remains in critical but stable condition at a St. Louis hospital, where she is being treated for injuries from a severe beating that may require her to remain on a feeding tube for life. She was airlifted to the hospital on March 1.
The hot line case launched by a Randolph County sheriff’s deputy was the first of two prior instances in two years where DCFS was notified of danger to Amanda. One was in 2008, and the other was in February. In both cases, officials from the agency either failed to ensure that child safety measures were carried out or decided they were not needed.
Now, her mother’s boyfriend, Kraig Monroe, 24, of Princeton Drive near Belleville, is being held in the St. Clair County Jail, charged with repeatedly punching Amanda in the stomach because she wouldn’t stop crying. As in 2008, the family had been living in a home with unsanitary conditions — this time a Belleville trailer. The trailer has since been condemned, or found unfit for human occupation.
On Feb. 23, DCFS was notified by a hospital staffer that Amanda had a broken leg and a healing but apparently undetected arm fracture. State child protection workers were notified. A DCFS investigator went to Belleville Police to obtain the mother’s name and address, but did not remove the child.
Standard procedure for the agency is to assign workers to assess the situation and institute a plan to ensure that the child is safe from danger. This often means placing the child in temporary foster care. Parents are usually then required to take parenting classes or are visited by social workers.
Spokesmen for DCFS gave contradictory statements this week as to whether the agency even investigated when Randolph County Deputy Rick Kennedy made the hot line call on July 29, 2008, about living conditions at a home in Coulterville.
Kendall Marlowe said no investigation occurred. Jimmie Whitelow said a limited inquiry was conducted. Both spokesmen said the matter involved a private custody issue and that the agency could not get involved. Neither mentioned anything about a registered sex offender.
In a copy of a Randolph County Sheriff’s Department report obtained by the News-Democrat, child safety issues were reported, including unsanitary conditions and the presence of the sex offender.
Police in St. Clair County have not released the identity of Amanda’s mother, who was jailed and then released regarding the current injuries to her daughter, because she has not been charged.
However, in the Randolph County sheriff’s report she is listed as now 25-year-old Dawn Obptande. She could not be reached for comment.
Her brother, Billy Obptande, who was living in the Randolph County trailer, was convicted in St. Clair County of aggravated sexual abuse for having sex with a girl who was younger than 17. He was 22 when charged. Billy Obptande was the biological father of 9-week-old Jason Smith, who was shot in the face with his mother Nicole Willyard and two of her friends by Willyard’s boyfriend, Jason Smith, who is serving a life sentence for those 2005 murders in Belleville.
Whatever the DCFS investigator found at the Coulterville trailer, if anything, will never be known because the agency purges its files of all cases where child neglect is not officially determined, said Whitelow.
“By law, any investigation that is unfounded is expunged from our system,” Whitelow said. “The referenced investigation in July 2008 by deputy sheriff Rick Kennedy was an unfounded one and therefore has been removed from our system.”
However, Kennedy wrote in his report that he had learned that Amanda was in “deplorable” condition after Dawn Obptande dropped her off with her father, Eddie Runyon. The sheriff’s department report stated that Dawn Obptande told Runyon, “I can’t take care of her anymore. You keep her.”
Dawn Obptande showed up a few days later on July 31 demanding the return of her daughter. Runyon refused.
The incident came to the attention of deputies after Dawn Obptande called the sheriff’s department and said Runyon would not return Amanda, according to the Randolph County Sheriff’s Department report.
Runyon told the officer that Amanda was dirty and didn’t have any clothes or diapers with her.
Kennedy then called DCFS caseworker Ken Beams, who told him to return Amanda to Dawn Obptande, the report stated.
Kennedy went to the house in Coulterville and learned Dawn Obptande lived with her brother, Billy Obptande, a sexual predator listed on the Illinois State Police sex offender web site.
Kennedy again called Beams, who then said a case would be started and a caseworker would call the family in 24 hours, according to the police report. Two days later, Kennedy wrote that he received a call from DCFS caseworker Richard Fulton, who said an investigation had been done and no threat to the child was found.
Randolph County Sheriff Fred Frederking said that he sent a copy of the report to DCFS last week, at the agency’s request.
Frederking stated his deputy called the hot line in 2008 because he was concerned about Amanda’s safety.
“There was a well-being of the child issue,” Frederking said. “That’s why we called the DFCS. The welfare of the child.”
Obptande took Amanda to Memorial Hospital in Belleville on March 1. Police said Monroe, an unemployed roofer, punched Amanda in the stomach over a four-day period including when she sat in an Elmo baby chair. A quarter of Amanda’s intestines was removed to repair the damage.
St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department Capt. Steve Johnson, who headed the investigation, said the trailer where Monroe, Dawn Obptande, Amanda and three other children were living was filthy to the point that he tried to avoid touching anything inside. Amanda and her two siblings slept on the floor.
Drug paraphernalia and a large pit bull were found inside the trailer, where the couple was living without a required occupancy permit.
DCFS was contacted by Memorial Hospital on Feb. 23 concerning the girl’s broken leg. The call to the agency came a week before she suffered her critical stomach injuries. The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department was not contacted.
St. Clair County Sheriff Mearl Justus said the child protection agency should have acted earlier, even as far back as 2008, to protect Amanda.
“I think it shows that DCFS knew about this. The (Randolph County) report confirms that,” Justus said. “They should have reacted to it.”
BY BETH HUNDSDORFER AND GEORGE PAWLACZYK – News-Democrat
Contact reporter Beth Hundsdorfer at bhundsdorfer@bnd.com or 239-2570. Contact reporter George Pawlaczyk at gpawlaczyk@bnd.com or 239-2625.
Source:
http://suncanaa.com/stories

The system failed to protect Amanda, but miraculously she survived and will be able to live a pretty normal life, except for the emotional scars she will struggle with. Sadly, her mother was not charged, yet she was at the very least guilty of severe neglect and child endangerment, yet she tried to regain custody of Amanda and control over the trust funds for Amanda’s care, that the public so generously donated. She was denied these things thankfully, but she does have supervised visitation, and again, she was never charged.Why am I writing this? I don’t want the system to continue to fail Amanda. Her mother should have been charged and should not be a part of her life. Her attacker should never see the light of day again. He should have to spend the rest of his life behind bars. So I was thinking maybe we could respectfully let the system know how the public feels about this. Maybe with all due respect we can write letters to the Judge, asking him to understand that while it’s wonderful that Amanda is alive and can live her life, that Mr. Monroe intended to shut her crying up, and he didn’t necessarily intend for her to live. What he did to her could have killed her and it will greatly affect her, the rest of her life.

C. John Baricevic, Chief Judge
County Building
10 Public Square
Belleville, IL 62220

Will you take the time to write a respectful letter on Amanda’s behalf? I’ve looked at some of Judge Baricevic’s prior cases and it’s really hard to say how he will rule. I’m not sure if this will go before a jury or not, but there has been no mention of that. Monroe maintains his innocence and his attorney has basically asked that his right to a speedy trial be waived as there is so much evidence to look at, that was in May. Monroe was arrested in March.

An Update On Precious Amanda………..
Amanda’s Grammy, Pam has been sharing with us on how Amanda is progressing after her horrible ordeal. I’m so thankful to be able to know how Amanda is doing. Her story gives us all hope. Amanda suffered so much abuse, and against all odds she survived, and will be able to go on to have a relatively normal life. God Bless Amanda, and her family, and a special Blessing for Pam her loving Grammy, Amanda is so lucky to have you.

I know the last one is small, but when I try and blow it up it blurs. The bottom line is you can see that Amanda is living her life with her loving family and she’s being a kid, which is such a good thing. Amanda’s mommy may have failed her, but her daddy loves her and she has some very loving grandparents. Love makes all the difference in the world. Amanda is being taken care of, and feeling the love she deserves to feel. So many times children that are victims of child abuse do not make it, and if they do, they do not have the love and caring that Amanda has, but she still has her struggles. She still has issues with men, especially men that resemble her attacker, Kraig Monroe, and men that have tattoos on their forearms. These things are understandable, as Amanda was not expected to live and then they thought she would have to live her life on a feeding tube and now, well, she has to take vitamins and minerals, due to losing 1/4 of her intestines, but that’s about it. It’s a Blessing, that she will have so little in the way of physical issues.


Kraig Monroe
However the defense for Kraig Monroe is banking on Amanda’s miracle to try and get their client a lesser sentence. There was a pre-trial status hearing on Wednesday, and the defense yet again asked that the trial be delayed, siting that they didn’t have all of the medical records yet. It’s been several months, and one would think they would have that by now. Mr. Monroe came to court clean shaven and trying to look “respectable”, sitting with his mother. The defense was granted their request. There will be another status hearing November the 10th.

My problem with Mr. Monroe and his defense is I believe they are stalling to try and show how well Amanda is doing so he can get the least in the way of sentencing possible. This cannot and should not happen. I do not want the Judge or possible jury to lose sight of the fact that Mr. Monroe was trying to shut a crying baby up and didn’t care if he killed or maimed her for life. He intended to shut her up at any cost, so the intent to kill is there, and if he is allowed to walk away from this with no real punishment, what will he do to the next child he encounters? I’m sorry, if you can brutalize a child, you can brutalize anyone, and you are a loose cannon. I believe Mr. Monroe is a threat to society.

I posted this last on Amanda’s case asking for folks to write the Judge and/or State’s Attorney on Amanda’s behalf:

Updating On Amanda Runyon’s Case

The local media is apparently not covering Amanda’s case at this point. It’s going to take public attention to get justice I’m afraid. Please consider writing a letter for Amanda.

To Pam,

Thank you so much for sharing. Again, Amanda is so lucky to have you.
niecey456

Amanda Runyon: A study of a broken system

http://www.thehinkymeter.com/2010/11/15/amanda-runyon-a-study-of-a-broken-system/

Trial date set for Kraig Monroe in toddler beating case

Mar 2, 2011

Kraig Monroe.



St. Clair County, Ill (KSDK) -- The trial of a man
accused of critically beating the daughter of his girlfriend is
scheduled to begin on September 12 in St. Clair County.
The date for Kraig Monroe to stand trial was scheduled during a hearing on Wednesday.
Monroe faces felony charges. Investigators said he was babysitting
Amanda Runyon when he beat her over a three day period. Her injuries
were so severe that doctors had to remove a quarter of her intestines.
Monroe pleaded not guilty and his family insists he is innocent.
He posted bond and was released from prison in May. He has been
electronically monitored and was ordered to have no contract with
Runyon.


http://www.ksdk.com/rss/article/246971/3/Trial-date-set-for-man-accused-of-beating-toddler

he even looks like a jerk! i hope somebody punches them numerous time to cause damage so they will know how it feels.

Trial delayed for man accused of punching toddler

09/13/2011, 5:00 pm
BELLEVILLE, Ill. (AP) — The trial has been delayed for a southwestern
Illinois man accused of beating his girlfriend's 2-year-old daughter so
severely that doctors worried she would need a feeding tube the rest of
her life. Twenty-five-year-old Kraig Monroe Jr. was to have gone on
trial Monday in St. Clair County on an aggravated battery count. But the
Belleville News-Democrat reports that the proceedings have been pushed
back to Oct. 31 because of the volume of medical records.

Authorities say Monroe was babysitting Amanda Runyon last year in his
Belleville-area trailer home when he repeatedly punched her in the
stomach to stop her from crying.
The girl sustained tears to her liver, and surgeons later had to remove a quarter of the child's intestines.
Monroe has pleaded not guilty.

http://www.mywebtimes.com/archives/ottawa/display.php?id=440227

Amanda Runyon’s Case: The Sentencing For Kraig Monroe, Wednesday, 9/19/2012





Posted on September 17, 2012


On Wednesday, 9/19/2012, there will be a sentencing hearing for
Kraig Monroe in Belleville Illinois. As you may remember, Kraig Monroe
is facing from 6-30 years, by Illinois Statutes. He has, however, been
on house arrest for almost 2 1/2 years, for nearly beating precious
Amanda Runyon to death. At the time Amanda was 2 years old and Mr.
Monroe was her mother’s boyfriend, who was babysitting her and her
siblings. He, at first, admitted that he did it, he said he was “trying
to shut a crying baby up”, then retracted and pled “not guilty”. Some
months ago, without warning, Mr. Monroe pled “guilty” and the sentencing
hearing was set, then put off a time or two.

Mr. Monroe beat Amanda so badly, over a 4 day period that doctors had
to remove 1/4 of her intestines. She had a lacerated liver. He pulled
out hunks of her hair and she had a broken leg, which had been allowed
to heal on its own, though it was from a previous incident, but not too
much prior, because it was not “healed”, just had been healing
improperly. Her abdominal injuries were due to him punching her in the
stomach, repeatedly over that 4 day period.
http://niecey456.com/2012/09/17/amanda-runyons-case-the-sentencing-for-kraig-monroe-wednesday-9192012/

Praying this monster gets sent away for a long time. Amanda is so fortunate that she didn't die from the abuser's beating. Most babies don't make it but that should make no difference in the perp's sentencing. He attempted to murder that baby and should get life. And the POS mother should get prison time too and NO visitation. I'm appalled that she's allowed to see the child. Sickening as the child must feel so insecure around that good for nothing mother who allowed the monster to beat her baby almost to death.

What shed some tears to me was the picture of the little angel after she got out of the hospital. Her smile gone, her innocence gone. Her young happiness gone. This monster should get life.

The mother should be charged as well. The beatings took place over four days. Come on, she had to know.

William

i agree William. im all for charges for anyone that knows about the abuse and does nothing to intervene.

UPDATE: KRAIG MONROE WAS SENTENCED TO 11 YEARS IN PRISON. HE HAS TO SERVE 85% OF HIS SENTENCE. UNFORTUNATELY THE JUDGE COUNTED HIS SHORT STAY IN JAIL INITIALLY, AS WELL AS HIS HOUSE ARREST THAT HE HAS BEEN ON SINCE A FEW MONTHS AFTER HE DID THIS TO AMANDA. HE WILL LIKELY DO ABOUT 7 YEARS. FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON, THE JUDGE ALLOWED HIM TO REMAIN OUT OF JAIL UNTIL OCTOBER 1ST. (NOT SURE WHY)

http://niecey456.com/2012/09/17/amanda-runyons-case-the-sentencing-for-kraig-monroe-wednesday-9192012/#comment-48381

I still think he should have gotten life, no parole. Just look at that pretty little angel. Then look at the picture after she got out of the hospital. He took her spirit. At least she got some justice, more than little Caylee got.

William

What a travesty. That monster should have gotten at least 30 years. Now he'll probably get out in 6 years and kill someone next time. What is wrong with the judicial system?

http://niecey456.com/2012/09/28/has-the-world-gone-mad/

Look at our Justice System, as it appeases domestic terrorists all of
the time……..A case that I have been close to for over 2 years is a case
of a precious child that was nearly beaten to death by a monster. On
Wednesday, September 19, 2012, the monster, a true baby
terrorist, Kraig Monroe was sentenced for the brutal beating he
inflicted upon a 2-year-old child, because in his initial words, he was
trying to shut a crying baby up. This brutal beating took place over a 4
day period, though it was not the first time that the child, Amanda
Runyon had been injured in that home, that she shared with her mother, 2
siblings and Mr. Monroe, who was her mother’s boyfriend.


I thought this was a great post by Niecey456. There is lot more at her WebBlog.

'She still has nightmares': Man convicted of beating Belleville area toddler gets 11 years

Published: September 19, 2012

The man accused of punching a toddler in the stomach,
causing her to suffer a laceration to her liver and damage to her bowel
was sentenced on Wednesday to 11 years in prison.

Kraig A. Monroe Jr., 26, was sentenced on an aggravated battery to a child charge by
St. Clair County Chief Judge John Baricevic. Monroe pleaded guilty to
the charge in May. Under Illinois law, Monroe must serve 85 percent of
his sentence before he is eligible for release.

Baricevic allowed Monroe to remain free until 5 p.m. Oct. 1 when he must surrender to
begin serving his jail sentence. Baricevic also allowed Monroe to
receive credit for the time he spent in county jail and the 855 days on
electronic monitoring after he was released on bond.

"It's ridiculous," said Pam Runyon, Amanda Runyon's grandmother, who called
Monroe a "monster" in her statement during the sentencing.

On March 1, 2010, deputies were called to a rented trailer at 110 Princeton
Drive near Belleville, where Amanda Runyon's mother Dawn Obptande lived
with Monroe. Amanda, a tiny blonde who was 2 at the time, suffered
tears to her liver in addition to injuries to her bowel.

During the sentencing, Assistant State's Attorney Anna Young showed a videotape
of Monroe re-enacting how he struck Amanda in the stomach as she sat in
an Elmo chair in a small bedroom of Monroe's trailer.

"She wouldn't quit crying," Monroe told Investigator Scott Toth in the video. "And I was stressed out."

Monroe was caring for Amanda while Obptande worked at a Belleville nursing
home. Obptande moved into the small trailer with three of her children,
joining Monroe and his daughter. A sheriff's captain said the trailer
was filthy and it was later condemned for unsafe conditions.

Obptande was not charged. She no longer has custody of Amanda -- who now lives with her father, Eddie Runyon.

Assistant State's Attorney Anna Young asked Baricevic to sentence Monroe to 30
years in prison, the maximum. Monroe's attorney Rick Roustio told
Baricevic a prison sentence of six years, the minimum, was appropriate.
Thirty years was too long, Baricevic argued, and six years was too short.

"One day, you are going to be out," Baricevic said. "This little girl will still be hurt."

After the sentencing, words were exchanged between the Runyon family and
Monroe and his family on the steps of the county building. Bailiffs
quickly appeared on the scene.

During the sentencing hearing that
lasted three hours, Monroe, the father of an 8-year-old girl, apologized
to Amanda and her family.

"It was a split-second of thoughtless behavior," Monroe said. "I did not and would not intentionally hurt Amanda."

But after the hearing, Pamela Runyon said Amanda suffered abuse for weeks. A
doctor at the hearing testified about bruises on the girl's scalp,
back, face and chest. Amanda also had an untreated arm fracture and a
broken leg.

Amanda spent 17 days in the hospital. For two weeks,
it wasn't clear whether she would live. Doctors initially stated the she
would need a feeding tube for the rest of her life, but that proved not
to be true.

During the sentencing hearing, Monroe's friends took
the stand and told the judge that Monroe, a roofer, was a great father
who provided a lot of hands-on care to his daughter, including helping
her with her homework.

Kraig and Helen Monroe, Monroe's parents,
said they would care for their granddaughter while Monroe was in prison,
but it was going to be a financial burden and a lifestyle change.

Dr. Ann DeMaio, an emergency room pediatrician at Cardinal Glennon
Children's Hospital in St. Louis, saw Amanda on March 1, 2010, where she
treated her for abdominal injuries. Amanda eventually underwent surgery
to remove 18 inches of damaged bowel. The toddler also sustained a
series laceration to the liver, DeMaio said.

Amanda is now more susceptible to bowel obstructions, which could threaten her life.

Amanda, who just turned 5, started pre-school this fall. Pam Runyon said Amanda
didn't know what was happening Wednesday and the family expects some
day she will need counseling to help her overcome the abuse and her fear
of doctors, hospitals and men with beards and tattoos.

"She is learning to trust again," Pam Runyon said. " ... But she still has nightmares."

http://www.bnd.com/2012/09/19/2329649/sentencing-set-for-man-convicted.html

I don't understand such a light sentence for such a brutal monster.

I agree Twink. The sentence for this monster is a travesty. I just don't understand the judicial system. It's so inconsistent between state across the country. I hope this POS suffers greatly while in jail. Maybe someone will kick him in the guts so he can see what it feels like.

He should have gotten life. That poor little angel almost died. He took her spirit and innonence away. To beat her because she was crying. Come on. You pick her up and find out why she's crying not hit her almost killing her. Just breaks my heart.
William

Even a crazy nut would know that beating a baby will not stop her from crying, it will make her cry harder.