NASSAU- The murder of four-year-old Bella Walker has sparked outrage across the country. Bella’s death evokes memories of a similar case 14 years ago: the death of one-year-old Levano Brown. He, too, allegedly sustained serious injuries at the hands of his mother’s lover while she was at work.
Police arrested and charged Makisha Brown, 22, and her 17-year-old live-in boyfriend, Leroy Rolle, with his murder.
Here’s what happened.
On March 16, 2007 Brown and Rolle took Levano to the Skoorb’s Medical Centre, which was across the street from their apartment on East Street South.
He had a faint heartbeat and was not breathing. Dr Maurice Brooks asked Brown what had happened to the child. She told him that his “daddy”, meaning Rolle had beaten him with a belt.
The doctor noticed bruises on Levano’s chest, abdomen, legs and a mark on the forehead. Dr Brooks called an ambulance and Levano was taken to the Princess Margaret Hospital.
Dr. John Neely and a team of pediatric doctors attended Levano on admission to the Accident and Emergency Department. Dr. Neely said that Levano appeared to suffer from trauma. He was admitted to the intensive care unit, where he died from his injuries.
Old and recent injuries
Pathologist Dr. Caryn Sands found that his death was due to blunt force injuries to the head, torso and legs. He had broken ribs and bleeding in the brain.
The pathologist also saw healing scratches on the right shoulder, the upper of the right side of the chest, superficial healing scratches on the abdomen and multiple haphazard scratches on the left side of the lower back, and healed marks on the buttocks and the back of both legs.
In a statement to police, Rolle admitted to beating the toddler with a belt on either March 6 or 7 when he caught him trying to open the front door. Brown was not home.
He also claimed that the child fell in the tub during a bath and scraped his stomach on the faucet and bucked his lip. On that occasion, he was also alone with the child.
Trial and appeal
They were tried before then-Supreme Court Justice Anita Allen in 2010.
The jury acquitted the pair of murder but found them guilty of manslaughter. Rolle was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment and Brown was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment.
However, at an appeal in 2011 the prosecution conceded that there was not enough evidence to charge Brown with murder. The prosecution also accepted that her case should not have gone to the jury. As a result, her conviction was overturned and she was released from prison.
In 2012, the Court of Appeal upheld Rolle’s conviction but reduced his prison sentence to 10 years.
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