Merrissa Neuroth blames her 4-year-old but Kenneth Durham gets charged

[Dakota Valkyrie]

This happened in April. Not sure how this disgusting mess got missed. He was indicted yesterday.

A convicted high-risk sex offender is accused of severely injuring a 2 1/2-month-old girl by shaking her.

Kenneth C. Durham, 30, was charged with reckless assault of a child, a felony, and resisting arrest, state police said. The investigation started when Skye S. Durham was taken to Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center, Ogdensburg, Wednesday night.
[...]

Skye suffered a possible brain injury, a fractured rib and multiple bruises over her body, according to two doctors' statements.

"Skye Durham has swelling and bleeding on the brain, which is similar to that of one being involved in a car accident," Upstate Medical University Dr. Kevin G. Ragosta said in a police statement. "The child's injuries will be long term if she survives."

Durham, who is not the biological father of Skye, told investigators in a statement he didn't shake her. He said had been watching two other children, ages 4 and 2, along with Skye early Tuesday afternoon. Skye was born Jan. 20.

He had just finished changing Skye's diaper when he allegedly bent over to grab a blanket.

"As I did that, she squirmed and fell out of my arm, onto the floor. The right side of her face may have hit the swing when she fell," Durham told police in the statement.

The infant started crying after hitting the floor.

"When I picked her up, I noticed a red mark on the side of her face, but didn't see anything else," Durham said in the statement. "She stopped crying when I patted her butt and she fell asleep. I put her back in her swing."

Durham told investigators Skye's mother, Merrissa Neuroth, wasn't home at the time. Skye was crying differently and had trouble eating after the fall.

Authorities declined to reveal the reason for the lengthy period between the fall and Skye's hospital visit.
[...]

Durham was sentenced in July 2002 in St. Lawrence County Court to serve a year in county jail on a third-degree rape conviction. He admitted having sex with a then-16-year-old girl in December 2001 in Fowler. He later was classified a high-risk, or Level 3, sex offender.

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/a...WS05/304109973

The mother of Skye Sabrina Lynn Durham blames her temperamental 4-year-old boy for injuries that will likely leave his 2½-month-old sister in need of medical care to survive in a near vegetative state.

Merrissa A. Neuroth claims her son, Christopher, caused the most serious injuries by kicking and punching Skye. The 24-year-old mother of three believes her baby's injuries weren't the result of Skye reportedly squirming out of her fiancé's arms and hitting the floor.
[...]

Investigators asked two Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, physicians treating Skye whether children could have caused those injuries. Both had the same conclusion.

"In my opinion, there is no way a sibling 2 or 4 years of age could cause these injuries," Dr. Ann S. Botash told police.
[...]

"There is a possibility that my 4-year-old son did it because he's very violent. He has raised his fist to her while I was feeding her before and said he was going to kill the baby. He said he didn't want the baby around," Ms. Neuroth said Monday.
[...]

Ms. Neuroth said she was out shopping when the fall reportedly occurred. When she returned, Skye was sleeping and seemed fine. So she decided to go next door to check on Mr. Durham, who was painting a room, while leaving her three young children alone for a time.

Ms. Neuroth said she believes during her absence Christopher attacked Skye, after seeing bruising around the baby's face when she returned from visiting Mr. Durham. Mr. Durham didn't mention Skye's fall to her until the next day.

"He didn't think nothing of it because he figured he thought that drop couldn't have hurt her," Ms. Neuroth said.

Ms. Neuroth said she waited more than a day before taking Skye to Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center, Ogdensburg, because she wouldn't eat. She claims she didn't realize the seriousness of her baby's injuries.

She said she also didn't want to call an ambulance, opting to wait several hours until her sister could drive them to the hospital.

"I didn't know that there was something actually that seriously wrong with her," Ms. Neuroth said. "I thought she wasn't eating. It was just bruises."

Skye was later taken to Upstate Medical and initially was listed in critical condition and placed on life support. She has since been taken off life support, but still needs a feeding tube and constant care.

"They said that she was punched in the back of the head," Ms. Neuroth said. "They said that she had two fractured ribs and has blood on the brain and her brain has shifted to one side of her head. Her one eye is disconnected and someone smothered her and choked her and pretty much beat her."

When she questioned Christopher about Skye's bruises, he reportedly blamed Maria for the injuries. Ms. Neuroth says Christopher is getting help for his outbursts by seeing a mental health specialist, but continues threatening family members.

Ms. Neuroth said she didn't want to keep Skye initially because three kids was too much for her, but Mr. Durham changed her mind. Released from state prison a day before she gave birth to Skye, he offered to help raise the children. Skye was born Jan. 20 at Massena Memorial Hospital.

"I didn't want to keep her when she was born because I didn't trust her around Chris," Ms. Neuroth said.

Doctors say the long-term prognosis for Skye isn't promising, but her mother isn't giving up.

"They said no matter if she survives, she will be a vegetable," Ms. Neuroth said. "I'm not going to (sign a do not resuscitate order). I'm not going to let her die. I am still believing that she will come through this."
[...]

"His rape charge was on me," said Ms. Neuroth, noting wedding plans are on hold until the case is resolved. "He's not a sex offender in my eyes. We have been on and off together since I was 16."

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/a...WS05/304139931

Dr. Ann S. Botash, a pediatrician at Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, testified Tuesday in Morristown Town Court during a preliminary hearing that Skye Sabrina Lynn Durham had suffered a rib fracture before the April 6 injury. She said she believed the now-healing fracture probably occurred within the past few weeks.
[...]

A social worker testified that she visited the Terrance Park home in Morristown unannounced on April 5 and found no problems with the living conditions or Skye.
[...]

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/a...WS05/304149967

Skye Durham, who turned 3 months old on Tuesday (April 20), is back in St. Lawrence County after being released from a Syracuse hospital late Monday.
[...]

Merrissa Neuroth, 24, is barred by a protection order from seeing the child, but said Tuesday that her sister, after visiting the baby, told her she is doing well.

The infant is in the care of Merrissa's adopted mother, Diane Neuroth.

http://www.ogd.com/article/20100421/OGD01/304219904/

[momof3]

This egg donor has to be the dumbest bitch I have read about here on DD hands down. I hope the stupid (insert vulgar word here) never sees her children again. Wonder where the 4 yr old learned such violence? I am so upset that she would actually put all of this on the shoulders of a 4yr old...shame on u! Heal completely little one.

[Cholita]

Fuck this bitch Merrissa Neuroth! It's been a while since I've beat some bitches ass! She seems like a good one!

[cheeseburgersanchez]

Throw the 4 year old under the bus to save the penis. What a fucking winner. I bet she thinks the person he raped framed him too.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

I bet she thinks the person he raped framed him too.

She says SHE is the one that was the victim in that case. Probably a statutory rape cuz he was sleeping with a teen slut.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

A St. Lawrence County judge rejected a defense motion to dismiss charges against Kenneth C. Durham, a Morristown man accused of severely injuring an infant girl by shaking her.

Judge Jerome J. Richards ruled in a decision Tuesday that "the motion to dismiss the indictment either due to legally insufficient evidence or to defective instructions is therefore denied."
[...]

Skye suffered brain damage, several fractured ribs, an eye injury and multiple bruises on her body, a pediatrician testified last month in Morristown Town Court. She was released from Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, on April 21 after spending 13 days there for treatment.

Mr. Durham, who is classified a high-risk sex offender, is not Skye's biological father.
[...]

The infant's mother, Merrissa A. Neuroth, 24, is barred by a protection order from seeing the child, but said recently that her sister, after visiting the baby, told her she is doing well. Ms. Neuroth is Mr. Durham's fiancee.

Mr. Durham remains in St. Lawrence County jail on $20,000 bail or $40,000 bond.

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/a...63/0/FRONTPAGE

I can't believe she is still playing "stand by your man".

[Ninja0980]

I'm sure when it goes to trial she'll be standing firmly behind him and his defense that the four year old did it. I truly can't believe she tried to set up her four year old son to take the blame for all of this.

[badfish76]

Maybe the 4 year old DOES have behavioral problems, but what she isn't grasping is the amount of force it takes for injuries like this to occur.

If the 4 year old DOES have behavioral problems I wonder why, hmmmmmm. . .

[agir1calledkill]

ughhh. Ogdensburg is such a fucked up place. I hate it. There is a prison there, so when they get released, alot of them stay there. Icky icky town. Nothing good comes outta there. Nope.

[Ninja0980]

ughhh. Ogdensburg is such a fucked up place. I hate it. There is a prison there, so when they get released, alot of them stay there. Icky icky town. Nothing good comes outta there. Nope.

A couple of my close friends from college are from there, so I have to disagree with ya on that one.

[agir1calledkill]

A couple of my close friends from college are from there, so I have to disagree with ya on that one.

Well fair enough. I lived 45 minutes from there my whole life. I suppose I shouldn't say NOTHING good comes from there, but very little. My brother worked up there for several years as well, and other than his job, he really didn't have anything good to say about the town.

[AngelFire]

She's vile. I can't even see myself blaming my child for anything other than what he has done. To think that this whore blamed these injuries on her 4 year old, makes you almost forget laws exist.