Media Banned From Visiting Site Where Brendan Creato's Body Was Found

HADDON TOWNSHIP, NJ — Reporters covering the murder trial of David “DJ” Creato likely won’t be permitted to visit the scene in which the body of 3-year-old Brendan Creato was found in 2015, according to published reports. Judge John T. Kelley previously granted Assistant Prosecutor Christine Shah’s motion to allow the jury to visit the scene, with certain conditions. That visit had been set for Tuesday, weather permitting.

Kelley didn’t provide any reason for not allowing members of the media to visit the scene, but court officials have told nj.com he’s concerned that photographers may take pictures of the jurors. Media members had been told they would be allowed to take pictures and video in the courtroom during jury selection last week, but were told at the last minute they wouldn’t be allowed to, for the same reason.

Attorneys told the Philly Voice that case law stipulates a judge must hold a court hearing in open court concerning the issue, and the site has requested the court hold such a hearing in this case, but no notification had been received by members of the media as of Monday afternoon.

A former defense attorney who is now a professor of law also told the site all that has to be done is to draft an agreement that members of the jury won’t be photographed by members of the media. J.C. Lore also said a simple solution is to not take the jury to the scene, and that there’s no reason the same story couldn’t be told through photographs.

Shah’s stated purpose in bringing jurors to the scene has been to show how unlikely it was that a 3-year-old boy could’ve made the trip from David Creato’s Haddon Township apartment to the spot at Cooper River Park where his body was found.

During the first day of testimony last week, Brendan’s mother, Samantha Denoto, told the court the boy’s father said he believes Brendan was summoned to that spot by the “spirit of the lake,” an explanation Denoto called “completely odd and unexplainable."

What makes it less likely in Shah’s view is the fact that Brendan Creato’s socks were clean when his body was found on Oct. 13, 2015. Two investigators who walked the trail the following day came away with dirty socks.

Defense Attorney Richard J. Fuschino Jr. opposed the idea that the jury visit the scene due to a memorial honoring the child that was erected in the area. That memorial has since been removed.

David Creato was indicted on Jan. 12, 2016, on charges of first-degree murder and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child. The trial resumes on Tuesday, and is expected to run through May.