giggleygirl25
2nd Level Red Feather
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2001
- Messages
- 1,311
- Points
- 0
March 12 - A 15-year-old Crystal Lake boy suffering from cerebral palsy weighed just 23 pounds Thursday morning when rescue workers found him dead in his squalid family home.
The body of Seamus M. Leonard was found lying on a floor amid feces, cat litter and debris so thick rescuers had trouble moving through the home, authorities said.
"The condition of this victim was like a body out of the Holocaust," McHenry County State's Attorney Gary Pack said.
"This was worse than a bludgeoned body, a mutilated body," Pack said. "The condition of the body would bring anyone to tears."
The boy's mother, Katherine O. Leonard, 44, was charged Thursday with involuntary manslaughter, a felony punishable by up to 14 years in prison. She was being held overnight without bond in the McHenry County jail.
Preliminary findings from an autopsy indicated the boy died from pneumonia, but malnutrition was listed as a contributing cause. According to medical data, an average 15-year-old boy would weigh between 95 and 105 pounds. Seamus' body weighed 23 pounds, according to the autopsy report.
Katherine Leonard could face more serious charges, depending on the outcome of the investigation, officials said.
Her son's death comes less than two months after Leonard completed a court-ordered parenting class as part of her ongoing divorce.
Leonard called Crystal Lake firefighters to the family home about 6:30 a.m. Thursday, reporting that her 15-year-old son was not breathing.
From the outside, rescue workers saw a two-story white home with black shutters and a well-maintained lawn, which fit perfectly in its middle-class neighborhood.
What they found inside shocked even veteran firefighters and law enforcement officials.
"We found the home in an extremely deplorable condition," Crystal Lake Police Chief Howard Parth said. "It was the worst I've ever seen in my 27 years in this business. It was absolutely filthy."
Crystal Lake building department officials later declared the home unsuitable for living.
Seamus had suffered from cerebral palsy, a group of chronic conditions affecting body movement and muscle coordination caused by damage to one or more areas of the brain, usually during fetal development or infancy.
Witnesses said Seamus could not walk on his own, according to police.
Besides Seamus, six other children, ranging in age from 3 to 17 years old, were living at the home, police said. They were in good physical condition, but immediately taken by Department of Children and Family Services into protective custody.
"There's significant need for some intervention on behalf of all the children," Parth said.
DCFS spokeswoman Jill Manuel said the children are living with relatives. On Monday, the McHenry County State's Attorney's Office will begin proceedings to keep the children in state custody.
McHenry County court records portray the Leonards as a deeply troubled family over the past 15 months.
The children's father, Stephen Leonard, had not been living in the home for several months, according to court records.
In January 2003, police arrested Stephen Leonard on two charges of domestic battery, alleging he choked his wife and tried to goad his 17-year-old son into a fight.
DCFS officials investigated the incident and referred Stephen Leonard, 48, for domestic violence counseling. The agency's report did not note any other problems in the home.
"There was no hint at that time that the (condition) of the home was anything but what it should be," Manuel said. "In fact, there's a notation (in the report) that the home was neat."
In May 2003, police again arrested Leonard for domestic battery, this time on accusations he struck his wife in the face.
He pleaded guilty to charges in both cases in June, receiving a sentence of 70 days in jail and two years probation.
After the second arrest, Katherine Leonard obtained an order of protection against her husband, stating in an affidavit the he becomes abusive when drinking.
In October, she filed for court papers seeking to end the couple's 18-year marriage. According to divorce papers, Stephen Leonard was no longer living in the family home. He could not be reached for comment.
A manager at the Target store in Crystal Lake where Katherine Leonard worked declined comment on the case Thursday. Several of the family's neighbors also declined to comment.
Katherine Leonard is scheduled to appear in court this morning, when a judge will read the charges against her and set bond.
In the meantime, Crystal Lake police and county prosecutors say they will continue poring over evidence to determine how something so horrific was occurring in the Leonard home without anyone outside residence knowing it.
"This is just a very troubling case," Parth said. "I don't know what else you can say about it."
just seems so unbelievably sick and disgusting, how could they(i'm including the husband too even though he was gone) treat their son like this
The body of Seamus M. Leonard was found lying on a floor amid feces, cat litter and debris so thick rescuers had trouble moving through the home, authorities said.
"The condition of this victim was like a body out of the Holocaust," McHenry County State's Attorney Gary Pack said.
"This was worse than a bludgeoned body, a mutilated body," Pack said. "The condition of the body would bring anyone to tears."
The boy's mother, Katherine O. Leonard, 44, was charged Thursday with involuntary manslaughter, a felony punishable by up to 14 years in prison. She was being held overnight without bond in the McHenry County jail.
Preliminary findings from an autopsy indicated the boy died from pneumonia, but malnutrition was listed as a contributing cause. According to medical data, an average 15-year-old boy would weigh between 95 and 105 pounds. Seamus' body weighed 23 pounds, according to the autopsy report.
Katherine Leonard could face more serious charges, depending on the outcome of the investigation, officials said.
Her son's death comes less than two months after Leonard completed a court-ordered parenting class as part of her ongoing divorce.
Leonard called Crystal Lake firefighters to the family home about 6:30 a.m. Thursday, reporting that her 15-year-old son was not breathing.
From the outside, rescue workers saw a two-story white home with black shutters and a well-maintained lawn, which fit perfectly in its middle-class neighborhood.
What they found inside shocked even veteran firefighters and law enforcement officials.
"We found the home in an extremely deplorable condition," Crystal Lake Police Chief Howard Parth said. "It was the worst I've ever seen in my 27 years in this business. It was absolutely filthy."
Crystal Lake building department officials later declared the home unsuitable for living.
Seamus had suffered from cerebral palsy, a group of chronic conditions affecting body movement and muscle coordination caused by damage to one or more areas of the brain, usually during fetal development or infancy.
Witnesses said Seamus could not walk on his own, according to police.
Besides Seamus, six other children, ranging in age from 3 to 17 years old, were living at the home, police said. They were in good physical condition, but immediately taken by Department of Children and Family Services into protective custody.
"There's significant need for some intervention on behalf of all the children," Parth said.
DCFS spokeswoman Jill Manuel said the children are living with relatives. On Monday, the McHenry County State's Attorney's Office will begin proceedings to keep the children in state custody.
McHenry County court records portray the Leonards as a deeply troubled family over the past 15 months.
The children's father, Stephen Leonard, had not been living in the home for several months, according to court records.
In January 2003, police arrested Stephen Leonard on two charges of domestic battery, alleging he choked his wife and tried to goad his 17-year-old son into a fight.
DCFS officials investigated the incident and referred Stephen Leonard, 48, for domestic violence counseling. The agency's report did not note any other problems in the home.
"There was no hint at that time that the (condition) of the home was anything but what it should be," Manuel said. "In fact, there's a notation (in the report) that the home was neat."
In May 2003, police again arrested Leonard for domestic battery, this time on accusations he struck his wife in the face.
He pleaded guilty to charges in both cases in June, receiving a sentence of 70 days in jail and two years probation.
After the second arrest, Katherine Leonard obtained an order of protection against her husband, stating in an affidavit the he becomes abusive when drinking.
In October, she filed for court papers seeking to end the couple's 18-year marriage. According to divorce papers, Stephen Leonard was no longer living in the family home. He could not be reached for comment.
A manager at the Target store in Crystal Lake where Katherine Leonard worked declined comment on the case Thursday. Several of the family's neighbors also declined to comment.
Katherine Leonard is scheduled to appear in court this morning, when a judge will read the charges against her and set bond.
In the meantime, Crystal Lake police and county prosecutors say they will continue poring over evidence to determine how something so horrific was occurring in the Leonard home without anyone outside residence knowing it.
"This is just a very troubling case," Parth said. "I don't know what else you can say about it."
just seems so unbelievably sick and disgusting, how could they(i'm including the husband too even though he was gone) treat their son like this
