ROUND LAKE BEACH, IL- An Illinois mother and her boyfriend have been arrested in connection with the death of her 8-year-old son, who was found unresponsive by the pair, police say.
Dominique Servant, 32, and her boyfriend, Joey Ruffin, 38, have been charged with the boy’s murder after first responders responded to the home in Round Lake Beach on the report of an unresponsive child. Ambulance personnel transported the child, Markell Pierce, to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Law & Crime reports. Investigators say the child showed signs of long-term abuse and malnourishment.
Servant and Ruffin appeared in court on Sunday, where prosecutors provided additional details about what they believe led to the boy’s death.
The Daily Herald, citing courtroom reporting, said prosecutors accused Servant and Ruffin of beating the boy with a belt and withholding food from him in the days leading up to his death on Feb. 6. Ruffin found the child unconscious and attempted CPR before calling 911, prosecutors said.
Assistant Lake County State’s Attorney Lillian Lewis told the courtroom that Servant told police she had allegedly seen Ruffin punch her son the day before. She also said the child had been on a liquid diet starting on Feb. 4.
An autopsy showed the child had evidence of bruising all over his body and was suffering from malnourishment.
In a Facebook press release, the Round Lake Beach Police Department said officers were dispatched to a residence on Cedar Lake Road at approximately 2:05 p.m. on Feb. 6. Officers immediately began CPR, which was taken over by paramedics, who transported the child to an area hospital.
Due to the suspicious circumstances surrounding the child’s death, the Lake County Major Crime Task Force responded and assumed the investigation.
Investigators found the boy had been subjected to long-term neglect and physical and mental abuse. The victim’s 10-year-old sibling was interviewed at the Lake County Children’s Advocacy Center and was admitted to a hospital due to also showing signs of abuse and malnourishment.
Police said an autopsy was being conducted by the Lake County Coroner’s Office, and while results are not yet finalized, “preliminary findings indicate signs consistent with long-term malnourishment and physical abuse, consistent with the evidence uncovered by investigators at the scene.”
Ruffin is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of child endangerment causing death; Servant is facing the exact same charges.
In a Monday court appearance, Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim found the treatment of Markell as “particularly heinous” and ordered Ruffin and Servant held in jail pending trial, the Daily Herald reported.
Assistant Lake County State’s Attorney Jeffrey Facklam described the “truly horrific” evidence in the case. It is believed the abuse took place over an extended period, saying evidence indicated the siblings were isolated in their rooms and rarely saw each other. They needed permission to use the restroom, and their bedroom doors were alarmed. There were also security cameras located throughout the house.
Facklam said Markell was regularly struck with a belt and was forced to hold an eight-pound weight over his head as “a regular form of punishment,” sometimes for hours at a time.
On the day Markell died, Facklam alleged that Ruffin saw him on the floor wrapped in a plastic sheet and a pillow, which he was not supposed to have. Ruffin allegedly struck the child several times with a belt because he would not eat and forced him into a cold shower.
Ruffin soon thereafter heard a “thump,” and the child was found slumped over.
“There should be one more eight-year-old alive in this world today. This horrific death was preventable,” Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said after the court hearing. “We must do everything we can to make sure this type of slow-motion murder is not happening anywhere, and that it never happens again.
Ruffin and Servant are scheduled to return to court on March 3 for a preliminary hearing.
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