A Wentzville man accused of critically injuring his infant son in a horrific case of abuse appeared by video in St. Charles County court here Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the 7-week-old baby clings to life at a hospital, suffering from bleeding on the brain and broken bones, among other injuries.
The boy's father, Robert James Burnette, 19, briefly answered questions from a judge during his initial hearing Tuesday morning. He said he was seeking a public defender.
Burnette told Associate Circuit Judge Matthew Thornhill that he had a history of bipolar disorder and Asperger Syndrome, a form of autism. Burnette, who is on suicide watch at the St. Charles County Jail, said he'd been seeking medication and counseling. He spoke haltingly during the roughly 10-minute hearing.
"You're not talking to me in a way that makes me think you're completely together," the judge said.
Thornhill asked Burnette if he understood the seriousness of the charges. "Uh, yes," Burnette replied.
Prosecutors said they had been told Burnette had mental health issues but they had no confirmation of that. It was unclear whether he would undergo a mental health evaluation as part of the case.
The baby's mother, Megan L. Hendricks, 20, also made a brief appearance by video Tuesday morning. Authorities say she witnessed the abuse and made no effort to get help. She faces the same felony abuse charge and was held with bail set at $250,000, cash-only.
The charge means she is "equally responsible," Thornhill told her during her hearing. "It's a very serious charge. You could do up to 15 years. That's not in the jail where you are, it's the big house."
She told the judge she was trying to hire an attorney.
Outside the courthouse Tuesday morning, about two dozen people held a prayer vigil for a baby they've never met. The boy has been identified only as J.B. in court documents, but social media posts identify him as Jaxon James Burnette.
Some mothers in the group held blue balloons and bounced toddlers on their hips. Others held handmade poster board signs that said "Justice for Jax." They read about the baby in
news reports Friday.
One of the women attending, Michelle James, said: "We want to be his voice."
"We couldn't ignore it," James, 28, of O'Fallon, Mo., said. She held a poster with a photo of the baby at 4 weeks old. "We're asking for prayers, really."
James doesn't know the baby or his family. She and Holly Culver, of Wentzville, started drumming up support for the baby on Friday after reading the Post-Dispatch account of the baby's abuse. They are both mothers of young children.
The abuse is alleged to have happened between Oct. 18 and Nov. 7 at the couple’s home in the 100 block of St. Charles Street in Wentzville. Police got involved after the child was taken to St. Joseph Hospital West and physicians reported the likelihood of child abuse.
Burnette was charged Nov. 8 with abuse or neglect of a child, causing serious emotional or physical injury. The crime is a felony, punishable in Missouri by up to 15 years in prison. His mother faces the same charge, filed Nov. 9.
Lohmar said the child was "in critical but stable condition."
"That's good news," Lohmar said. "It is also sad in the sense...(that) if the child does hang on, the quality of life that the child will have is going to be very, very minimal."