Boy, 11, beaten to death over a 9-hour period [Mom let her abusive boyfriend babysit her child]

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | February 13, 2012 | Amy McConnell Schaarsmith

[grundle]

A Knoxville man left to watch over his girlfriend's 11-year-old son while she was at work beat the boy to death over a span of nine hours on Saturday, according to Pittsburgh police.

The 29-year-old boyfriend, Anthony Bush, told police that he began beating the boy, Donovan McKee, with wooden sticks shortly after noon when Donovan failed to vacuum their apartment at 107 Knox Ave. in Beltzhoover as Mr. Bush had instructed, according to a police criminal complaint. The beatings, Mr. Bush told police, lasted until about 9 p.m.

"During the beatings, at times, the sticks would break and Bush would order Donovan to clean up the pieces of the broken sticks," the complaint states, "Bush stated he would take breaks, get new sticks, and continue beating the child throughout the day."

The Allegheny County medical examiner's office has ruled Donovan's death a homicide caused by blunt force trauma to the head, trunk and extremities.

Mr. Bush, who has been charged with endangering the welfare of children and criminal homicide, told police he used at least three sticks, and that he struck Donovan with at least "one clean" head shot during the incident, according to the complaint. Donovan's 5-year-old brother was home at the time and witnessed some of the attacks, but was not harmed, according to the police.

Mr. Bush told police he had been having problems with Donovan lately and knew that he was going to have to discipline him for his behavior. He also told police he had to wait until after the boy's mother, Cynthia McKee, left for work because she often stopped him when he disciplined the children.

Mr. Bush lived at the apartment with Ms. McKee and her sons.

[Bulwyf]

stuff like this I can’t fathom, it utterly breaks my heart. As a father of three I could never dream of this. I cannot even think of what else to say, breaks my heart.

[Bulwyf]

are you mentally stable? What kind of rational person would say that?

I would die for any of my children and any other child without hesitation, and I’ve happened to be around a few times to pull some kids out of danger, I’m appalled you could say that, good grief, get a grip.

[My hearts in London - Everett]

"I'm sorry to say this but males have no business babysitting children that are not their own....nature is nature...men and women are different afterall folks...

"That is the most absurd post of the year. Wow. Shocking."

And one that, as a single mom, I totally, totally agree with 100%. This happens often enough that single mothers should have learned the lesson by now that it's not safe or prudent to leave their young children with unrelated males. But some women simply must have a man, any man, even known dangerous ones, in their life.

[CAluvdubya]

I’d like to have one clean head shot.

That's too good for him! I think my imperfect aim would be better as I'd keep trying.....practice makes perfect! This guy would look like swiss cheese by the time I was done .

[My hearts in London - Everett]

This situation, and the large majority of others like it posted on FR, are ones where a virtual stranger is made a “boyfriend” and taken into her home by a single mother. I do not believe cherry was meaning to lump all unrelated men, such as adoptive fathers, into the potential abuser/killer category. I know I wasn’t.

[ThomasMore]

An admission to a heinous crime. This is where I disagree with those moral theologians in my church that say capital punishment is wrong because we have the wherewithal to keep them incarcerated for life. This thinking is wrong-thinking because our court system in the west has let too many monsters like this eventually go free on parole only to murder again.

I say, FRY THE BASTARD!

[SouthernBoyupNorth]

excuse me????? Do you have any idea how judgmental and outright stupid this sounds? I will have you know that any male is more than capable of raising and or caring for a child... his own or not. I raised my wife's son as my own and he has turned out great. I have never had to raise a hand to him nor do more than express my disappointment with him when he has failed.

You and your ideology are the reason men are treated as second class citizens in family court.

[aruanan]

And if you look throughout history, the mother has always been the major inflictor of pain and death on her children. Too many look at the tiny sliver of time of the past 100 or so years in the West as somehow being representative of all times and places. That anything has been better in this regard recently is but an aberration, not the norm.

[aruanan]

Boy, 11, beaten to death over a 9-hour period [Mom let her abusive boyfriend babysit her child]

The things women will sacrifice for a schlong.

[A_perfect_lady]

My step-dad was better to me than my real dad was. Former Marine, retired from GM... great guy. Didn’t treat me any different than his own two girls.

[christianhomeschoolmommaof3]

It’s a fact that no male should be left alone with a non biological child?!? If so, you contradict yourself in the rest of your post. Cherry said NO male should be left with a non bio child and that is outrageous. No wonder so many men on this site are rabid women haters with posts like cherry’s

[My hearts in London - Everett]

"No wonder so many men on this site are rabid women haters"

I'd say that's a pretty "outrageous" and rabid statement right there.... How demeaning and insulting to the men here on Free Republic!

[christianhomeschoolmommaof3]

Well you obviously haven’t been on any of the child support threads. I have defended women not being lumped into one person’s experience as well. I did say ALL men or even most men on this site. I said so many men as in a shocking amount of men. Quite a few here have been through bitter divorce/custody issue and have some terrible things to say about women; just as terrible as what Cherry said about men.

[christianhomeschoolmommaof3]

Correction. That should say “I did NOT say all men on this site. Sorry but it is not an insult to all men on this site to tell the truth that several men here hate women.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Sick and evil. RIP.

[AppyPappy]

Speaking of sticks, it looks like someone wailed on him with an ugly one. He’s eat up with ugly.

[cva66snipe]

I just have plenty of bad things too say about any father, mother, or mothers BF who would put their pleasures above that of the welfare and safety of a child. I've spent considerable time inside and outside in the halls of court where such cases are heard. It's sad but it's very often true that short of murdering a child the child will be returned too the birth mother. That is many states official policy.

For what it's worth I'm a step dad who helped raise two step daughters where their dad abandoned his family. Also my wife and I at one point were foster parents in a case involving a mother who put boyfriend first above her kids and allowed abuse. The mother was given a choice him or the kids. She picked him. Guilt was not an issue as it had been admitted and the perp had a long criminal history. Guess what? The kids went back.

Now of all the ones involved in the case I described who do you think the judge almost put in jail? I'll give you a clue it wasn't the kids dad, mother, or perp boy friend. It was one person who had heard & seen enough and had the nerve to look straight in the mothers face in court and say I am very disappointed in you and tired of your behavior. I will not tolerate it. Down went the gavel and a contempt fine with a stern "the next time you say such too her you will go to jail" warning. The judge looked like the town drunk. He showed about as much interest in the case as one.

There is a huge problem out there. Mothers are knowingly and willingly picking Perps over their kids. These aren't messed up teenage mothers doing this. These mothers are late 20's on up. In other words they know better and don't care. When their party time is over years later if ever then they get a group hug from Children's Protective Services and as many chances to do it again next boy friend as she wants. As for the perps? Tall tree short rope solution. As far as fathers who don't care it's going on? Same thing.

[christianhomeschoolmommaof3]

I agree 100% that this is a problem. The problem however does not extend to EVERY man that isn’t biologically related to a child. THOSE are the men that I came on here to defend against Cherry’s ridiculous assertion that no child should be left alone with any man that isn’t biologically related to them. It is insulting and ridiculous!

[christianhomeschoolmommaof3]

Waiting for you to retract your statement that I smeared the men on FreeRepublic. I am on this thread DEFENDING all good and decent men everywhere including the one’s on Freerepublic.

Telling the truth isn’t outrageous OR rabid. There are some women haters on Freerepublic. They have been burned in divorce/family court by hateful and vengeful women. Just because you haven’t seen their posts doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

After reading cherry’s post, I understood how some men could feel that way. Men have become second class citizens and frankly I am sick of it.

Waiting......

[aruanan]

THOSE are the men that I came on here to defend against Cherry’s ridiculous assertion that no child should be left alone with any man that isn’t biologically related to them. It is insulting and ridiculous!

Over 20,000,000 children since 1971 in the United States who were left alone with a woman met their doom in her womb by her choice. How does that compare to guys? For comparison, since 1968 to 2009, excluding abortions, there have been about 800,000 murders in the United States. The female is the more deadly of the species. And that was written long, long before quick and easy abortions.