Inset, left to right: Curtis Willey and Christian Parnell (Suwannee County Jail). Background: Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office (Google Maps).
A 33-year-old mother in Florida and her boyfriend have been arrested in connection with the death of her 2-year-old son, who was covered with bruises and cigarette burns when he died from an apparent head injury earlier this month.
Christian Parnell and Curtis David Willey, also 33, were taken into custody earlier this week and charged with one count each of aggravated manslaughter of a child, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
If convicted of the first-degree felony, both defendants face a maximum sentence of 30 years in a state correctional facility.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, deputies with the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a medical emergency at about 3:06 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 13, in the 22000 block of 128th Path in Live Oak, Florida, after Parnell reported that her 2-year-old son was “unresponsive” and that CPR was being performed. Upon arriving, first responders took over lifesaving procedures and transported the victim to a local hospital for treatment.
The toddler succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at 4:10 p.m., the sheriff’s office said. Law enforcement and medical personnel noted that the victim was suffering from “abnormal swelling to his head, multiple bruises on the legs and groin, and various scars similar to that of a cigarette burn.”
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In an interview with detectives, Parnell allegedly said she first discovered that her son had suffered “an injury to his mouth and head” from a fall inside the home, which she said took place 10 days earlier, on the night of Oct. 4.
The mother said the victim was playing with Willey’s 4-year-old son in the bedroom of their home when the victim “ultimately fell off the bed, striking his face.” Parnell said she was not home at the time, but heard about the incident from Willey.
“Parnell cited that the injury did not immediately seem severe, only causing slight bruising and swelling, and did not cause any noticeable alterations in behavior of [the victim],” the affidavit says.
However, the mother claimed that a week later, on Oct. 11, his “head began to swell” and he had discoloration in his mouth as well as a lack of appetite and general lethargy. Two days later, on Oct. 13, she was at work when Willey called and said he thought they needed to take the boy to the hospital. As they were preparing to leave, Parnell said her son began vomiting and his “eyes rolled to the back of the head” before he became entirely unresponsive, which is when they called 911.
After being brought to the police station, Parnell allegedly admitted that in the 10 days preceding her son’s death, she did not take the toddler to the hospital or “allow [him] to go to day care” due to “the graphic nature of his injuries and having the inability to explain how they were sustained.”
In Willey’s interview, he told detectives the toddler “fell off the bed while playing with his juvenile son.”
“Willey stated that he was in the living room at the time of the incident and heard a loud bang that ‘sounded like someone hitting metal’ originating from the room that the children were playing in,” the affidavit stated. “Upon entering the room, Willey witnessed [the victim] with a bloody injury to his mouth, with a ‘binky’ still in his mouth, and swelling to the forehead. Willey stated he took [the victim] to the living room after the incident and he was fine.
Similar to Parnell, Willey claimed that the victim seemed “in decent health” until Oct. 13, when the boy’s eyes started “rolling” around in his head and he started “gurgling.” Willey further told detectives he “could not recall” if the boy had suffered any additional injuries since allegedly falling off the bed.
“The extent of the injuries displayed on [the victim] were not consistent with the events described by Parnell nor Willey,” investigators wrote. “Both Parnell and Willey have acted as a parent/custodial caregiver in the past several months. Parnell and Willey were well aware, or should have been well aware, of the need for medical intervention due to the severity of [his] injuries. Both Parnell and Willey did not seek medical attention for [the victim] despite the injuries being alleged to have been sustained for over a week.”
Authorities said the defendants “grossly and flagrantly disregarded the medical needs” of the 2-year-old, to the extent that their actions or inaction ultimately resulted in his death.
Both defendants were being held in the Suwannee County Jail without bond as of Wednesday, records show. It was not immediately clear when the duo was scheduled to appear in court.
Authorities said additional charges may be levied against the couple pending further investigation.
