Boy, 8, Sustained Long-Term, Planned Abuse Prior To Death: Prosecutors

LAKE COUNTY, IL — A Lake County mother and her boyfriend will remain behind bars as court proceedings move forward in connection with the death of an 8-year-old boy in Round Lake Beach.

Prosecutors on Monday told a Lake County judge that the "particularly heinous" treatment of the boy, who has been identified as Markell Pierce, 8, of Round Lake Beach, occurred over an extended period of time and involved planning, according to media reports.

Pierce's mother, Dominque Servant, 33, and the mother's boyfriend Joey L. Ruffin, 38, are charged with first-degree murder in connection with Pierce's death. On Friday, the day of the boy's death, Ruffin saw the boy wrapped in a plastic sheet on the floor and he struck him with a belt several times because he wouldn't eat and then put him in a cold shower, Assistant Lake County State’s Attorney Jeffrey Facklam said on Friday.

Prosecutors said Ruffin then heard a thump and found the boy slumped over, according to the Daily Herald.

• Community 'Shaken' Over Abuse Death Of Boy, 8: Police

The father of the child called police to report his son had fallen and was injured at a home in the 1900 block of Cedar Lake Road in Round Lake Beach on Friday afternoon, Christopher Covelli, deputy chief for the Lake County Sheriff's Office, told Patch.

Police administered CPR before paramedics responded and took over life-saving measures, police said. The boy was brought to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

First responders noticed signs of bruising and malnourishment, according to a news release from the Lake County Sheriff's Office, and launched an investigation into the death. The investigation revealed what police believe to be long-term neglect and physical and mental abuse, police said.

During an initial court appearance on Sunday, prosecutors said the boy was beaten with a belt and had not been given food for days before his death, according to the Daily Herald.

“There are no conditions which justify the release of the defendant prior to the detention hearing,” Lake County Judge James Simonian said.

Authorities also interviewed the boy's 10-year-old sibling at the Lake County Children's Advocacy Center. The sibling was then admitted to a hospital for signs of abuse and malnourishment, police said. A 3-year-old sibling, who also lived at the home, was placed in the care of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, the Daily Herald is reporting.

Prosecutors said the boy's older sister told authorities both her and her brother were kept in their rooms for months, according to the Lake County News-Sun. They were ordered to ask permission to use the bathroom and there were surveillance cameras monitoring them.

Pierce was forced, sometimes for hours, to hold an 8-pound weight over his head.

Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart referred to the abuse death as a "slow-motion murder."

“We must do everything we can to make sure this type of slow-motion murder is not happening anywhere, and that it never happens,” Rinehart said after Monday’s detention hearing.

The coroner's office noted "evidence of injuries and malnourishment," but "preliminary results are pending further laboratory and forensic testing," according to a news release from the coroner's office.

“The loss of Markell Pierce is devastating. No child should suffer at the hands of those entrusted with their care," Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek said. "We are reminded of our shared responsibility to look out for the most vulnerable among us.”

The investigation remains ongoing.