‘I Hate Him’: Mother Arrested For Murder In 1970 Cold Case Death Of 16MO Son

[Sugar Cookie]

On March 27, Alice Bunch Idlett, 75, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder for the death of her son on Jan. 20, 1970.

In 2022, the Sulphur Police Department opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Earl D. Bunch III at the request of the child’s family.

Detectives said 16-month-old Earl Bunch III received injuries that were initially reported to be from falling out of a crib. At the time of the child’s death in 1970, the father was serving overseas during the Vietnam conflict.

In a document from the Third Circuit on the hearing for the child custody case involving Alice Bunch and her child’s father, Earl Bunch Jr., Alice wrote many letters to her husband while he was stationed overseas expressing her feelings towards her son.

In a letter on November 4, 1969, she wrote:

“... I just got through whipping that little basdard (sic). I hate him. That’s the honest truth. I can’t stand this life. God had to punish me by letting me have that little brat. I wish I would have died when he was born. I hate myself. Do you think I’ll ever be happy? Now I know how those people feel that get rid of their kids. I believe I could do it. I’m serious ...”

In another letter on December 9, 1969, she wrote:

“What is wrong with me darling. I should love my own son but I really don’t think I do and if I did I would know it. I feel as if he would die tomorrow I wouldn’t care. I can’t help it. To me he is the one who ruint (sic) my life.”

Alice denied to Earl that she had anything to do with the death of her son, and he “probably fractured his skull when he fell out of bed at his grandmother’s house.”

The document also shows that when Alice took her son to the hospital, he was “limp and gasping for breath” and the physician who examined the baby said he observed “bite marks on Earl Dwayne’s body and a burn mark on his buttocks” and “multiple bruises over his body.”

He died the following morning during emergency surgery.

‘I hate him’: Mother arrested for murder in 1970 cold case death of 16-month-old son

A mother in Louisiana has been arrested in a 1970 cold case involving the death of her 16-month-old son, according to authorities.

www.knoe.com

 

[the cat did it]

I am glad that someone never gave up for justice for this poor abused baby-even 50+ years later-gives me some hope in humanity,

 

[Aedia]

Imagine being overseas, serving in a war, and you get these letters!

I'm confused on the child custody case though. Was it for the son this bitch murdered? Because she calls him darling in a letter from Dec '69 and he died in '70, so it doesn't seem like they're fighting yet. How would dad be fighting for custody in good 'ol Nam? Maybe he had someone file for him?
I feel horrible for the dad if he really was trying to figure something out to save his boy, but he was stuck fighting in that war, no way to do anything.

I am glad that someone never gave up for justice for this poor abused baby-even 50+ years later-gives me some hope in humanity,

I agree. It seems an absolute travesty it took so long, but I'm glad it at least happened!

 

[Alxprkrkrls]

@Aedia hmm you bring up a good point about the custody timeline. Maybe it was after and they had other kids? Also, relationships are complicated, maybe he was ‘darling’ sometimes and ‘you bastard’ other times.

 

[Symmachus]

When you kill a child...

...you will be found and held accountable...

...no matter how long it takes.

 

[Freyja]

I am sure this skanky bitch was probably out there partying, getting high and "fucking for peace" while her husband was getting shot at in Vietnam and the baby got in her way of doing so.

 

[AliCatClick]

How the fuck did it take 50 years to charge her? Ridiculous

 

[Kitsune Faye]

5 decades to charge this hag! Bullfuckinshit. All you guys hear from me is how much I love my son; I’m wondering if she hated her husband, and the baby looked like him. No excuse for what hag did, but there’s so many cases of that happening.

 

[BooBooBen]

I didn't know they bit babies way back then lol.

 

[Crazy Cat Lady]

I didn't know they bit babies way back then lol.

What are you talking about?

 

[HEREIBE22]

@Aedia hmm you bring up a good point about the custody timeline. Maybe it was after and they had other kids? Also, relationships are complicated, maybe he was ‘darling’ sometimes and ‘you bastard’ other times.

Yes, they had a daughter afterward. The daughter kept her brother's case alive all these years.

 

[Beautiful Disaster]

I didn't know they bit babies way back then lol.

What are you talking about?

Right? Babies have always been biteable.