WILLIAMSON CO., Ill. - Apparently, at least in Williamson County, a popular excuse for allegedly battering your own child is becoming "I-blacked-out."
Others have tried it and so far, it's failing, but that's not stopped the latest guy so charged in Williamson from trying it again.
Tyler J.K. Blankenship, 23 of Marion. appeared in court today (Monday, January 7) for a preliminary hearing on charges of Aggravated Battery to a Child under 13 causing Permanent Disability.
Late Wednesday night, December 19, 2018, a 911 call was made and responders dispatched to the Blankenship residence for an infant who was having trouble breathing.
Treatment was denied by Blankenship and his girlfriend, who are parents of the child.
Early December 20, another 911 call was made and responders were dispatched to the residence, where they found 3-month-old baby Isaac to be convulsing.
He was transported to Heartland Regional and later to a St Louis children’s hospital. Baby Isaac was found to have skull fractures and healing rib fractures. There was damage to one vertebra and the ligaments around it, and there was a brain bleed along with bleeding behind the eyes, indicating shaking.
Testimony was given today in court of interviews with Blankenship, where it was related that he'd said he had "blacked out" on at least three occasions and when he came to, he was angry and had shaken baby Isaac and had dropped him.
Some of the injuries appeared to be 2 to 3 weeks old and some appeared to have been caused just before the 911 calls.
Blankenship was arrested on December 22, and is being held in the Williamson County Jail on $50,000 cash bond. A motion to reduce bail hearing is set for January 18 at 9 a.m.
Regular readers will recall that the same lame excuse of "I blacked out" was given in the case of Devin O'Daniell, which you can read about at the hotlink. O'Daniell remains jailed in Williamson County on counts of murder of his infant son.