BLAKE DAWSON - 3 months - Belleville IL

Investigators with the Belleville Police Department are looking into the
circumstances surrounding the death of a three-month-old boy.

Blake Dawson died last Saturday in St. Clair County. He was
born December 14, 2009 to parents Angela M. Laquet and Michael Dawson.

Authorities said the Illinois Department of Children and
Family Services was contacted December 15 regarding allegations of neglect by
the mother. Nothing ever came of the investigation.

Captain Donald Sax of the Belleville Police Department said
the investigation will not be finished until an autopsy can be done.

Blake Dawson lived only 89 days before he was found face down on March 13 in his family's Belleville trailer home and later pronounced dead, according to the Belleville News-Democrat. The death of an infant is tragic in itself, but the Dept. of Children and Family Services is under fire for what many have said was a preventable death.

Blake was one of Angela M. Laquet's and Michael W. Dawson's eight children, six of whom were taken by the DCFS and adopted into other families through a court order. A 17-year-old daughter, the oldest, remains with her parents. The parents have not been charged with a crime but reporters want to know why Blake was not removed from the home.

Forensic psychologist Steven N. Shapse, who was quoted by reporters, also wants to know why the infant remained in the home:

"Looking at a family where they (DCFS) come to this determination that the mother or the parents were not competent as parents, I don't know why they wouldn't remove all the children."

DCFS spokesman Kendall Marlowe told reporters in a written response that proper procedure was followed:

"The investigation of the neglect allegations we received Dec. 15, 2009, gathered information from multiple independent sources. That information consistently demonstrated that the mother had received prenatal care during her pregnancy, had tested drug free throughout that care. ... No other safety concerns were raised."

Other child protection experts who spoke with reporters said they needed more details about the case in order to determine whether or not DCFS erred in not removing the infant. But the family has a history of domestic violence and abuse. William A. Dawson, the children's grandfather, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for repeatedly raping one of the girls.

Illinois family lawyers often handle child custody cases in which parents are charged with neglect, abuse or other instances in which the welfare of their children is in question.

Probation given teen mom in infant's drowning death
Last Modified: 5/4/2010 6:53 AM

SUSPENDED SENTENCE
Krysta Dawson: Authorities say the then-18-year-old put her 9-month-old son in a bathtub with her 19-month-old son, turned on the water and left the room. When she returned, the younger boy was unresponsive, police say.
Krysta Dawson, 19, pleaded no contest in March to second-degreemanslaughter in the death of 9-month-old James Blake Dawson.

She also pleaded no contest to a related count of child neglect on accusations that she left James and her 19-month-old son unattended in the tub with the water running Nov. 11 at their home in the 5000 block of South Toledo Avenue. James died at a hospital the next day.

Tulsa County District Judge Clancy Smith found Dawson guilty and imposed a four-year suspended sentence on the manslaughter count, which means no prison time but gives Dawson a felony conviction.

Smith withheld any finding of guilt and handed Dawson a concurrent four-year deferred sentence on the neglect count, which also means no prison time and gives Dawson a chance at eventually getting that count dismissed without a conviction.

Dawson was arrested Nov. 20 and stayed in the Tulsa Jail until she was released on bond March 8, records show.

Dawson, then 18 and the only adult at the residence at the time, put the boys in the tub, turned on the water and left the room. When she returned, James was unresponsive, police reported.

The older boy has been living with other family members recently, a prosecutor indicated Monday.

Second-degree manslaughter involves an accusation of "culpable negligence" — an omission to do something that a reasonably careful person would do or failure to use ordinary care and caution

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20100504_14_A7_ATulsa348775

ladibug wrote:Probation given teen mom in infant's drowning death
Last Modified: 5/4/2010 6:53 AM

SUSPENDED SENTENCE
Krysta Dawson: Authorities say the then-18-year-old put her 9-month-old son in a bathtub with her 19-month-old son, turned on the water and left the room. When she returned, the younger boy was unresponsive, police say.
Krysta Dawson, 19, pleaded no contest in March to second-degreemanslaughter in the death of 9-month-old James Blake Dawson.

She also pleaded no contest to a related count of child neglect on accusations that she left James and her 19-month-old son unattended in the tub with the water running Nov. 11 at their home in the 5000 block of South Toledo Avenue. James died at a hospital the next day.

Tulsa County District Judge Clancy Smith found Dawson guilty and imposed a four-year suspended sentence on the manslaughter count, which means no prison time but gives Dawson a felony conviction.

Smith withheld any finding of guilt and handed Dawson a concurrent four-year deferred sentence on the neglect count, which also means no prison time and gives Dawson a chance at eventually getting that count dismissed without a conviction.

Dawson was arrested Nov. 20 and stayed in the Tulsa Jail until she was released on bond March 8, records show.

Dawson, then 18 and the only adult at the residence at the time, put the boys in the tub, turned on the water and left the room. When she returned, James was unresponsive, police reported.

The older boy has been living with other family members recently, a prosecutor indicated Monday.

Second-degree manslaughter involves an accusation of "culpable negligence" — an omission to do something that a reasonably careful person would do or failure to use ordinary care and caution

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20100504_14_A7_ATulsa348775

Ladibug...I think this article is about a different baby with a similar name. In your article the baby's first name is James and full name is James Blake Dawson.

The mother's name is different too. Just thought I'd let you know so it could be moved to the correct place.

To babyjustice and ladibug >
I have to agree with bj on this one. The defendant's name is way off and so is the city of incidence. Tulsa is in OK and Belleville is IL.
While I appreciate your help lb this is just an innocent matter of confusion.
In these cases I usually e-mail LE or MSM in the vicinity of the incident and ask for clarification. Anybody live near Belleville?

Duh! If you knew how many times I re-read both articles because I couldn't figure out how an 18 yr old could have 8 children - then figured she was a step-mom....so very sorry - but how sad, two babies with same name. Really dumb mistake.


PS: Just e-mailed reporters who did original story about all the family's history of abuse and violence. This was for the Blake Dawson who died on March 13, 2010 at 89 days old.