Sailor admits killing son to shut him up

[Makya]

Full story. I tried to find it online, but I couldn't so I am typing it from the paper in front of me.
Stars and Stripes Wednesday, September 22, 2004

Seaman said fussy infant kept him fron concentrating on video game.

Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan - Seaman Robert Howard sat on his timy baby to shut him up, playing Pokemon on his Game Boy as the infant suffocated and died beneath him, Howard testified on Monday.

In the base's main courtroom, Howard, a 21- year - old hospital corpsman who'd been assigned to the USS Kitty Hawk, pleaded guilty to the March 9 murder of his 28 - day - old son, Logan. Howard also pleaded guilty to assault and aggravated assault for attacks on the baby days before the killing, including one in which he strangled Logan until he lost consciousness and another in which he suffocated the infact with his hand until he saw the color drain fron the infant's face.

Howard also admitted to sitting on the infant's chest on a previous occasion, saying he was practicing wrestling moves he'd seen on television. "He seemed to be enjoying the moves," Howard said. "He didn't seem to be hurt."

Howard pleaded guilty to a type of murder that, under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, is commited by an act "inherently dangerous to others" and with a "wanton disregard of human life." The maximun penalty is life in prison without possibility of parole.

Under the military judge;s questioning, Howard said he knew there was a great likelihood that his baby would be killed or be seriously injured if he sat on his but he did so anyway.

"Please tell me why it is you decided to sit on him," military Judge John Maksym said to Howard.

"He was making sone noise. He was a little fussy," Howard said. "I wanted complete concentration for the game."

Howard's guilty plea was part of a plea bargin struck with Commander, Naval Forces Japan. In return for his guilty plea, some charges against Howard were dropped and he and his military lawyers agreed with CNFJ on his maximum penality.

The sentence won't be announced until after a sentencing hearing Nov. 17. Maksym is to make another, seperate determination of a proper sentence than that sanctioned by CNFH, Howard would recieve the lesser sentence.

Howard enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 2001, straight out of Colfax High Xchool in Washington state, according to court documents read by the judge in Monday's hearing.

In 2002, he completed his corpsman training, and the same year married a fellow sailor, also in the medical corps, after they'd known each other for one month, according to the court record.

The couple lived at the Kyuban Tower apartments. Logan was born in Feburary, part of a baby boon that month at the base hospital following the Kitty Hawk's 2003 deployment in the OPersian Gulf during the Iraq war.

By the time if the baby's killing, the Kitty Hawk was at saw again, but Howard had stayed behind, on leave for the baby's birth, The baby's mother, who worked at the base hospital, was sleeping when her husband hurt and killed their infant, Howard said. He said that after he got off the baby and saw he wasn't breathing, he preformed CPR and alerted his wife. She called an ambulance.

His wife, reched at her apartment on Monday night, said she was inb the process of divorcing Howard. She declined to comment further.

Howard has been in the brig since his arrest the night of the killing. His presecution was based in part on statements he gave to naval investigators.

In a several - hour hearing on Monday, Howard, wearing metal - rim glasses and a blond fade haircut, shed no tears or showed any emotion. He spoke about his son
s death and the preceding assaults.

He said he's also previously smothered the baby , for somewhere from 90 seconds to three minutes, because he was trying to cure the infant's hiccups. But the day before the killing, when he grabbed the baby's collar and twisted it until the baby list consciousness, it was because he was angry the baby was fussing while Howard wasn't feeling well, he told the judge.

"I started yelling at my son, "You wont eat. You don't want to sleep I need to really use the toilet but you wont let me,'" Howard said


Personally, having two children and another on the way, I am too pissed off for words.

[CableMonkey]

Originally Posted by Makya

Seaman said fussy infant kept him fron concentrating on video game.

Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan - Seaman Robert Howard sat on his timy baby

he suffocated the infact with his hand

Logan was born in Feburary, part of a baby boon that month at the base hospital

she was inb the process of divorcing Howard.

His presecution was based in part on statements he gave to naval investigators.

Do not try to type while drinking.

[Makya]

I'll keep that in mind CM.

[Bloo]

That literally made me cry.

I'm going for a fucking cigarette.

[Maximal]

Let's send CM to Japan, he can sit on the guys face until he dies from lack of air (or the smell)

[Orin]

Originally Posted by Maximal

Let's send CM to Japan, he can sit on the guys face until he dies from lack of air (or the smell)

I bet he could chastise him to death.

[evl0ne]

Originally Posted by Maximal

Let's send CM to Japan, he can sit on the guys face until he dies from lack of air (or the smell)

Or we could force him to read your posts on MTW. The guy would kill himself in no time.

[Maximal]

As long as his last few hours were painfull, I'd be happy

[MD Willington]

pull a fargo on him...fire up the TORO...

[Meagan]

What happen to beating the crap out of someone with a ball bat!! GEEZ! I think that would be fun for sure....... More so after what he did dumb bastard...I bet when he goes to prison he wont be alive long after they find out what he did......