Sheriff: "This Little Boy Died A Horrible, Horrible Death"

[Dakota]

The February death of a St. Bonifacius toddler has been ruled a homicide, a result of neglect and numerous severe injuries, authorities said Friday.

Cottrell Short, who would have been 2 years old this summer, was rushed from his home late Feb. 10 to a nearby hospital, where he died the next day.

"This little boy died a horrible, horrible death," Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek said at a briefing about the report by the Minnesota regional medical examiner's office.
[...]

The boy's mother, Shacara Foster, 27, was arrested last month and charged with felony child neglect.
[...]

Cottrell had various abdominal and head injuries, including a skull fracture and hemorrhages, according to the medical examiner.

He also suffered from sepsis, a severe illness in which the bloodstream is overwhelmed by bacteria, because of a burn, as well as fractures to his wrist, rib, leg, elbow and shoulder. Cuts to his head, torso and other extremities were found as well as elevated sedative medication.

"I'm very angered that so many serious injuries were inflicted on such a young child," Falls said at the briefing in Minneapolis.

Officers from his department went to Cottrell's home on Feb. 10, along with the Sheriff's Office and Ridgeview Ambulance. Falls said Friday he was unaware of any previous calls to the house.
[...]

Stanek and Falls declined to provide further details about what happened that night.

They also declined to say whether new charges might be added. Stanek did say the finding that the death was a homicide changes the nature of the investigation.

"We've been working extremely hard to find out what happened to this little boy to find out who's responsible for his horrible death, and we won't rest until we have answers," he said.

http://www.startribune.com/local/west/149310855.html

Before a west metro toddler died a "horrible, horrible death," the boy was under the care of an admitted pot smoker in a home packed with people living amid garbage and dead animals, according to investigators.
[...]

The residence in the 3700 block of Hillview Lane was home to Cottrell, Foster and her infant daughter, Foster's boyfriend, and his 11 siblings, mother and stepfather, according to investigators.

The home was a scene of squalor, the investigators added, cluttered with garbage, rotting food, animal waste and live and dead animals.

The boyfriend, Kentae Todd, lived in a room in the basement with Cottrell and Foster's daughter using portable cribs for beds that each had "heavy blankets and other bedding in them inappropriate" for babies to use, according to the criminal complaint.

The complaint continued:

He told police that he had smoked marijuana that night and called Foster home because Cottrell had a fever of 102.6 degrees.

Foster, who hadn't been home for days, returned from St. Paul after several calls from Todd to find Cottrell not breathing.

Two people who know Foster told authorities that she had a history of leaving her children with "just anyone" to get away from them, according to the complaint.

An autopsy revealed a long list of injuries to Cottrell, including a skull fracture, several deep bruises, foot injuries, a broken arm, a broken leg, and an "extremely serious burn" on his right hand. The skull injury was fairly fresh, with the other wounds in various states of healing.

The autopsy also revealed that Cottrell suffered from sepsis, a severe illness in which the bloodstream is overwhelmed by bacteria, and had an elevated level of sedative medication in his system.

A doctor's examination about a month earlier revealed that Cottrell was in good health with no apparent injuries.
[...]

Legal proceedings have begun against Foster concerning her parental rights over her daughter, who was examined and found not to have any signs of physical abuse, the complaint noted.

http://www.startribune.com/local/west/149538085.html

 

[Tundratot]

There's no doubt Shacara Foster is a lousy, stinking parent and bares a huge responsibility in her son, Cottrell's death. But it seems, since she was gone for several days and he had a good medical checkup very recently, that the sperm douche Kentae Todd is the abusive killer.

 

[Zazen]

There's no doubt Shacara Foster is a lousy, stinking parent and bares a huge responsibility in her son, Cottrell's death. But it seems, since she was gone for several days and he had a good medical checkup very recently, that the sperm douche Kentae Todd is the abusive killer.

My vote is for bricking up the windows of that entire house and setting it aflame with everyone 18 and older that lived inside it.

 

[VAS1326]

There's no doubt Shacara Foster is a lousy, stinking parent and bares a huge responsibility in her son, Cottrell's death. But it seems, since she was gone for several days and he had a good medical checkup very recently, that the sperm douche Kentae Todd is the abusive killer.

It had been a month since his doctors visit and who knows what happened in that month. Either one of them or both could be responsible. She is a crappy parent either way that is for sure. I guess it depends on how long the mother was gone for. Was she gone the entire month or just a week or so. Ugh either way I don't understand how anyone lives in such nasty conditions let alone raise their children in them.

 

[Whisper]

Mom, boyfriend charged with killing St. Bonifacius toddler

Two people were charged Thursday with killing a St. Bonifacius toddler in what authorities called a horrific case of child abuse.

The boy's mother, Shacara Foster, 27, and her boyfriend, Kentae Todd, 20, were charged with second-degree murder. Todd, who was arrested Thursday morning in Coon Rapids, was also charged with child neglect, a gross misdemeanor. Foster had been charged with neglect in March. Both are in the Hennepin County jail.

Authorities said the victim, Cottrell Short, and his younger sister slept in portable cribs in the basement of a duplex packed with 17 people living amid garbage, rotting food and dead animals.

An autopsy report said the boy, who died Feb. 10, suffered from sepsis, in which the bloodstream is overwhelmed by bacteria, and had an elevated level of sedative medication in his system. The report also detailed a long list of injuries to Cottrell, including a fresh skull fracture, several deep bruises, foot injuries, a broken arm, a broken leg and an "extremely serious burn" on his right hand.

The Minnesota regional medical examiner's office has ruled the boy's death a homicide.

At a news conference Thursday afternoon, Minnetrista Police Chief Paul Falls said the case was "one of the most horrific things I've seen" in his 18 years on the force.

Foster was charged in March with neglect of a child. At that time, no one had been arrested in connection with the homicide. Foster remained in jail without bail because the neglect charge violated her probation on a previous robbery conviction.

[...]
Cottrell, who would have been 2 this summer, stopped breathing and was rushed from the duplex Feb. 10 to a nearby hospital, where he died the next day.

"As a parent, words fail me," Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek said at the news conference. "I wonder how one boy survived so much abuse."

http://www.startribune.com/local/west/157873245.html

 

[CbabyRKO]

Pear of Anguish is what these two deserve. And a nice pair of custom made Spanish Boots to complete the look.
And is that the mother or the boyfriend? I've taken shits that look better than her. I thought Nadya Sulleman and that Asian guy were the only men that could give birth lmao.
Filthy cur. I'd gladly beat their asses gleefully.

 

[Dakota]

A woman has pleaded guilty in the death of her toddler son, allowing the abused boy to be kept confined to a St. Bonifacius home’s basement that reeked of raw garbage, rotting food and dead animals until his death in February 2012.

Shacara Foster, 28, admitted to second-degree manslaughter in the death of her 18-month-old son, Cottrell, Tuesday in Hennepin County District Court.

Foster’s boyfriend, Kentae Todd, 22, of Coon Rapids, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced in July to nearly 12 years in prison. Foster will be sentenced Oct. 8, with prosecutors anticipating a prison term of nearly eight years.

An autopsy found that Cottrell had a broken leg and broken arm, a fractured skull, fractured ribs and other bruises. But what killed him was a blood infection caused by a severe burn on his right hand, according to the criminal complaint.

In court Tuesday, Foster acknowledged leaving her son with Todd, and that when she returned home she knew the child had been burned but did not check on him for hours.
[...]

The Minnesota Regional Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death a homicide due to neglect, specifically the infection from his burn.

The autopsy report listed broken bones, cigarette burns on his feet, bruises across his body and brain hemorrhages. Toxicology tests showed high levels of adult cold medicine. Photos, the medical examiner added, depict a “desperately ill, battered and injured child.”

Cottrell’s younger sister had no signs of abuse.

http://www.startribune.com/local/west/222397541.html

 

[Mata Hari]

I don't understand how he went from being healthy to all sorts of fucked up in a month. He looks clean and happy in that pic. Also, how does she only get 8 fucking years? She will get out and make more babies after that. Bitch.

RIP Cottrell

 

[Tundratot]

I don't understand how he went from being healthy to all sorts of fucked up in a month. He looks clean and happy in that pic. Also, how does she only get 8 fucking years? She will get out and make more babies after that. Bitch.

No, that was her boyfriend who got a 12 year sentence but will probably serve only 8. She hasn't been handed a sentence yet. Given that the BF was guilty of murder and she's guilty of manslaughter, we can expect she'll get even less.

She had a history of leaving her children with just anyone. She was lucky up to the point that she took Kentae into her children's lives. Just lucky. Too damned uncaring for it to be anything else.

Foster acknowledged leaving her son with Todd, and that when she returned home she knew the child had been burned but did not check on him for hours.

Photos, the medical examiner added, depict a “desperately ill, battered and injured child.”

Though it was the ME who said this, I infer that these were pictures of the child shortly before he died. Obviously not the photo we have seen here.

These skin bags were just human garbage. Pity they were allowed to fester and spread their filth.

 

[TKaz]

I know babies are work, that they try your patience. But I'll never understand hurting someone so young and so defenseless. They're so sweet, inquisitive & so CUTE most of the time...surely it isn't so hard to guide them when they're not?

 

[Chinchillazilla]

Wow, some of the details are eerily reminiscent of the Sylvia Likens case.

Cigarette burns? Ugh.

 

[loonywop]

nueter this bitch

 

[pamilita]

what a beautiful little boy. bastards - all of them. you'd think out of 17 people living in that place that SOMEONE would have protected him.

 

[Momzilla]

Mother of Murdered Toddler Sentenced
Oct 9, 2013

Shacara Foster was sentenced to 93 months in prison, with credit for 565 days served, for her role in the death of her 18-month old son.

Foster, 28, of St. Bonifacius, had previously pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and was sentenced Tuesday by Hennepin County District Court Judge William Koch. Her boyfriend, Kentae Todd, 22, of Coon Rapids earlier pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death and was sentenced to 140 months in prison.

“This is a sad ending to a sad case,” Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said. “All child homicide cases are difficult, but there is something particularly heart-wrenching about sending a mother to prison because she left her baby in the hands of a wildly inappropriate caregiver while she went out and had fun. An 18-month-old baby is dead for no reason.”

During the hearing Foster mother’s, Kimberly Short, gave a victim impact statement and a letter from her aunt was read aloud. Both women asked the court to be lenient, noting that Foster has already lost custody of her surviving children and indicated that she needed mental health services that might not be available in prison.

Before issuing the sentence, Judge Koch explained: “Neglect cases are difficult for people to understand. It’s not a situation anyone wanted to happen, it was not a willful act where she wanted her son to be hurt, let alone die. But her actions have criminal consequences.”

Judge Koch also noted the treatment services at Shakopee Prison, which would be available to Foster and hopefully provide the tools to be successful upon her release.

Judge Koch imposed a sentence of 48 months for a probation violation, which will be served concurrently. He dismissed a misdemeanor charge for receiving stolen property.

Foster’s relatives have custody of her children.

Hennepin County Atty Press Release

Boo-friggin-Hoo! I guess I'm not as sympathetic to Shacara as the judge & her family seem to be!

I have no sympathy for family members who used their 'victim impact statement'' to beg leniency for a murderer rather than beg for justice for the actual victim!

My sympathy begins & ends with baby Cottrell. RIP baby boy

 

[giantblue]

That's it?? should be locked up longer in my opinion

 

[Krystal]

Did I read this right, the little one lived with "mom" and her boyfriend and his 11 siblings and "mom" was only 28? So, she has had 12 children by the time she was 28?

And, while I'm asking stupid questions, the little one had an elevated level of sedatives, what exactly would be an acceptable level for a child less than 2 years old with no medical need for sedatives?

 

[Rockin Ma]

Is that the adult cold medication mentioned in later articles? I would say nothing is an acceptable level. They make baby cold medicine.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Remembering Cottrell Short