Dad and lover charged after boy, 9, is ‘forced to exercise and beaten to death’ – The Sun
A DAD and his live-in lover have been charged after he allegedly forced his nine-year-old son to exercise and beat him to death with a belt.
Little Robert De’Yahre Davidson from Illinois suffered severe bruising, welts and abrasions on his body last year, some of which were consistent with a horrific belt-beating.
An autopsy determined that the little boy's injuries on his thighs, back, shoulders and arms were probably caused by a belt or something like it, reports The Journal-Standard.
His dad, Robert D. Davidson, 32, and his girlfriend Antoinette Fane, 35, of Rockford, were arrested a year after De’Yahre died during a visit to their home.
Little De’Yahre, from Forest Park, died as a result of dehydration and multiple blunt-force trauma injuries in July 2018.
The schoolboy was also subjected to excessive hours of forced exercise, according to local authorities who declined to elaborate further.
De’Yahre's father is facing multiple charges of murder, battery, endangering the life of a child, obstruction of justice, and intimidation.
His lover Fane – who is not related to De’Yahre – is charged with endangering the health of a child and two counts of obstruction of justice.
Stephenson County State’s Attorney Carl Larson praised Freeport police for conducting the 18-month-investigation into De’Yahre's untimely death.
Speaking about the case, Larson said: “But for [investigators'] tenacity, ingenuity and compassion, these cases wouldn’t be where they are today.
"The victim’s mother and her family have been on our minds today and every day since De’Yahre’s death. They have our deepest sympathies.”
Cops were alerted to the alleged abuse when a neighbor reported hearing sounds believed to be domestic violence and a child's cries.
WIFR reports that when officers arrived, Davidson and Fanes denied anything was wrong, refused to let them enter, and presented them with two other 11 and 13-year-old children.
Police were later called back to the Grove Street apartment where they found De’Yahre unconscious on the bedroom floor.
He was taken to hospital where he later died of cardiac arrhythmia (an irregular heartbeat) caused by dehydration and his horrendous injuries.
They arrested and charged Davidson and Fane on Tuesday, after investigating De’Yahre's murder for over a year.
Both Davidson and Fane are being held at the Stephenson County Jail on a $750,000 bond and $40,000 bond respectively.
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