Missing Model's Birthday Energizes Search
Richard Gillis' 'Rough Play' With Sickly Newborn Ends Up in Murder
Thursday, June 23, 2011 at 7:58 am
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Infant boy, mom and dad left the hospital together in mid-February. Later that same week, Gillis III posted a quartet of beaming photos of himself and his finacee, along with their newborn.
The glory of the young family celebrating a new birth would be short-lived, however.
By the middle of March, Richard Gillis IV would be back in the hospital due to ongoing bouts with seizures. Medical personnel in Michigan surmised the epileptic-ridden newborn had Ohtahara Syndrome, a progressively debilitating neurological disorder characterized by seizures and severe mental retardation.
"Every one please put the baby on your prayer list," the baby's mother wrote on her Facebook page, "because it looks like things are going to get a lot harder before they get better and there is a small chance that things may not get better."
As the heartache of springtime ceded to the lit evening skies of early summer, Richard Gillis IV's condition stabilized to the point where he was back at home with his parents at their mobile home in Commerce Township, Michigan.
On June 10, the 22-year-old Gillis III -- who had no previous criminal record -- was playing with his enfeebled child when the fun took on a "rough" tone.
Soon, emergency responders were on the scene. Gillis IV had been injured by is dad.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard would later tell reporters what Gillis III had told investigators: "In [Gillis III] own words, he plays rough with the child occasionally. This particular day we believe there was an injury to the child and that the child was crying.... and the crying had inflamed [Gillis III] and he wanted the child to stop crying and as a result of that actually struck the child against the table to make it stop crying."
Showing obvious signs of abuse, which included scratches and bruising, Gillis IV was rushed to the nearby University of Michigan hospital.
He clung to life for three days. On day four, the baby was taken off life support.
An autopsy exam revealed internal cranial bleeding, multiple skull fractures and multiple broken ribs.
His death was ruled a homicide.
On Father's Day, Gillis III was arraigned in the death of his boy.
Citing advice from her lawyer, the infant's mother, who has yet to be identified, has declined to speak publicly.
See our last story from the Degenerate Dads file: James Hawkins Butchers Girlfriend, Forces Daughter to Help Dismember Her.
See our last story from the Degenerate Dads file: James Hawkins Butchers Girlfriend, Forces Daughter to Help Dismember Her.
Tags: Degenerate Dads, Michigan
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88 comments
To the friends and family who cannot possibly imagine that this was more than a tragic accident: By my calendar calculations, this BABY was not even two months old the first time he was hospitalized and was not yet six months when he died from "obvious signs of abuse which included scratches and bruising . . . internal cranial bleeding, multiple skull fractures and multiple broken ribs." Dad claims he "played rough" with his boy. Internal cranial bleeding, multiple skull fractures and broken ribs don't occur during innocent "rough play" at any age - that only happens when EXCESSIVE FORCE is applied. To add to the BS factor of Dad's explanation, how in the hell did he rationalize playing rough with an INFANT. Here was a baby who probably wasn't even yet crawling or able to sit up by himself. He was an INFANT, not a fucking TOY DOLL!
I know it's hard when someone you feel you know so well, shatters your perception of said person, however, you need to step back and look at the events/facts with fresh objective eyes.
There are only two people that know the facts, the mother and the father. EVERYONE else has to assume.
Thank you voice of reason.
A while ago I was talking to someone about my sons and when they were babies. I said, well, babies are boring. They are cute to look at but in the first few months all they do is sleep, eat and poop. You don't "play" with an infant. An infant relies on you 100% - even to hold their head up straight so the whole "playing rough" with a baby doesn't fly - infants don't play much maybe a few rounds of golf when they are six months old but that is only the really talented ones. You are thrilled when your baby gets gas because you think he is smiling but you know they are really just farting - but you take what you can get.
I'm sure the kid - I say kid because he is in his early 20's - is remorseful unless he is a truly evil soul but unfortunately for his son it appears he may have taken his frustrations out on him.
The next time you have an interigator in your face, screaming at you, accusing you of intentionally killing the most precious thing in the world to you, see how you react. Unless you have been in that seat, under that much stress, how dare you to claim to know anything. Your very words are twisted to bring out the most vile reactions from the public. Statements are printed to created chaos and side the public with the prosecution. We are a society who doesn't give a crap anymore. It's all hatred, meanness, selfishness and greed. Nobody waits and LISTENS for the whole story. Nobody cares about the truth anymore. We snag on to the little bits of information that we are allowed to know. Most of the facts remain withheld to be used at trial. You idiots buy into it everytime. Do any of you have a clue as to how many people are wrongly convicted in this country every year? Those who know Rick do know that he is not the type of person to do something intentional to that baby. Those of you who do not know him, how can you sit there and say this or that about him when you don't know anything about him. Why is it alright for you to have your opinions, but family and friends are idiots?
This baby saw medical professionals on a regular basis which are obligated to report any signs of abuse. NO REPORTS were ever made for suspected abuse!!! I'm sure that the defense team will use that to great advantage in court.
CPR, even when done correctly can cause rib fractures. This baby had been gravely ill from birth. In and out of the hopital and on several occasions had stopped breathing. So, it is plausible that the rib fractures could have come for the parents performing CPR or even medical staff for that matter.
Brain bleeds and skull fractures can be caused by severe seizures. Which the baby was prone to have. So, please please please get your facts straight before you condemn this innocent man.
By the way, the child had a mother too. She immediately hired an attorney and was advised not to discuss the case. Since, Rick's arrest she has called his family threatening them that if she goes down for this, she will make sure Rick gets life. There are no signs of grief coming from this woman. She just lost her son and the man she planned to spend the rest of her life with is sitting in jail and she goes on about her life as though nothing has happened. Maybe you should think about that some. ***Each and every one of you who have passed judgement on this man shall be judged with the same critisism one day. May you all go to Hell.***
The way you feel about the mother, is the way we feel about the father. He said that he played rough with the baby. Do you honestly believe that it is okay to 'rough play', with an INFANT? Honestly? Those were HIS words to the police, not anyone elses words. Did you know that about him? I can bet you did not know that he 'rough played' with his INFANT. If you did, you should have reported him. If you did not know this, what makes you think you know everything else about him, and how he treated his son, behind closed doors? Is there nothing that your friends don't know about you? No, I'm sure there are things that nobody knows about you, we all have a side of ourselves that we don't show to the world. Not always bad, but private just the same. How many babies die, with those injuries, and that amount of injuries, due to natural causes? If this was a person you didn't know, would you believe he was innocent, after hearing his explanation of 'rough play'? Would you still feel the same after hearing all of the injuries the baby sustained? Be honest, would you be so quick to protect his character, if he were a stranger to you? Also, even if, in your mind, you think it's okay to play rough with an infant, would you feel the same about a 'gravely ill' infant? I have never killed my baby, I have never played rough with my INFANT, I would never play rough with any 'gravely ill' infant, I sleep well at night. I am not worried one little bit to be 'judged' one day, I will not be seeing this child killer in hell. I don't blame you for wanting to believe the best about your friend, I would do the same, but somewhere, deep inside, I would know that there is no innocent explanation for this baby's death. If you were to look at this from a neutral standpoint, I really believe you would feel differently. This baby was murdered. And friend or no friend, he needs to pay for what he did.
Some years back we had a baby murdered locally and the father said he did it. He said he punched the baby in the head. But the injuries weren't consistent with a head punch. So the father then said the mother killed the baby.Later the mother admitted she killed him. She said her baby was crying and she lost her temper and slammed his head on the kitchen counter, then she threw him on the floor. He went into convulsions and spit up and died.The injuries were all consistent with what she said. She got 25 years in prison.
I do suspect abuse here. But I don't rule out the possibility that it could have been the mother. That thought crossed my mind when I first read this story.*If* what you're saying about the mother is true, *allegedly* no grief, then that raises flags too.Back on original points, it's still possible that it was an accident, but probably abuse.
Left out part of the story, the husband said he first claimed he killed his baby because his wife did it and she was a mess and upset and he thought she was remorseful, and that he was willing to take the blame and go to jail for her. The mother in her later confessions confirmed and said her and the father did come up with a false story based on the father trying to protect her.So...never know until all the facts shake out.
I find it kind of funny that dude's got friends defending him on here already, friends that must be just as fucking stupid as he is and should maybe also be held accountable if they knew he was playing rough with his newborn...They do realize that you don't play rough with a baby, newborn or otherwise, right? And saying he doesn't deserve to be charged with murder? Bullshit...he deserves it and he deserves a severe punishment for what he did to that baby. And FYI, when a baby cries you don't hit it's head on anything, ever...If the baby won't stop crying and it's driving you insane, put the baby in it's crib and walk the fuck away until you can deal with it again...Inflicting pain on a child is not going to sooth it or calm it or make it suck it up and stop crying...it makes it worse or it makes it dead...and if someone is fucked up enough to do this to a child, they should be made dead too...You fuck up once that should be the end of the line...this shit happens too frequently for it to be so easily excused...Just because his child was ill and was looking at possibly having a hard life doesn't mean that baby didn't deserve the chance to live it...fuck this guy...and his two bit band of merry followers...good things don't happen to people who hurt babies....
The baby was not crying before the accident occured. The babies head was not slammed into a table. I will not tell you what happened because according to the law enforcement and the people involved it is best for me not to say anything. Hell it wouldnt matter if i told you what happened and it was 100% logical because even if i did you would not beleive it you would try to twist words just like the media. You people honestly dont matter to me in the end because what you say will not actually change any outcome of my life, rickys life or his sentencing. I simply am trying to open your eyes and show you that accidents happen it is possible for accidents to happen. We all know what the media does to stories yet we still let it hype us up. The sherrif is accusing him of purposely slamming the babies head into the table he never said that ricky has confessed to doing so. If ricky did this on purpose i will hop on the train Load up the gun and fire at him right there with you. But according to the law any man is innocent until proven guilty and i am judgeing him based on that and the fact that i know ricky is one hell of a nice guy. He took care of his family and fought for his son to be as healthy as possible, he lost two jobs just being in the hospital with him when he was born and diagnosed with the epaleptic syndrome the baby had. There is no way they will prove ricky to be guilty of first degree murder (to kill with the intent to kill). The man is innocent until proven guilty.
I don't have children. I have a few friends my age who do. I know, from their related experiences, that there is no guide for child-rearing that answers a new parent's questions in full covering all contingencies. I know, too, that those new parents who have close relationships with functional family members with children do a lot better at parenting than do those who are cut off from family or who were on the receiving end of bad-parenting episodes growing up.
I know, too, that it's really easy to judge in cases like this. I had a gut reaction to the story, but then I've never held MY newborn son whom I'd fiercely celebrated on his arrival in the world. I've never felt the soaring love and pride at having participated in the creation of a new life. And I've never suffered the pain of being informed my child has a progressive neurological disorder with a bad prognosis. I can't imagine not having my entire outlook changed by the news.
I have known and observed parents who've gotten bad news about their kids' health. Some are extraordinarily mature about it, knuckle down and move mountains for the kid while devoting just as much time and energy to their other children; it's the rest of the world that their lives encompass that take a little hit from their re-directed focus. Others, and I suspect this is based a little in educational and economic factors, don't react so well, but do the best they can. No one's perfect; not all parents are cut out to deal with ongoing, burdensome tragedy.
My intent isn't to justify or rationalize anything that happened. Gillis III will be tried and judged according to the appropriate statutes and, if found guilty, sentenced accordingly. Rather, like trying to squeeze blood from a stone, I'm trying to find the guy just a mote of empathy. In the deepest, darkest crevices of my mind, I can imagine being pretty torn up about having a tiny child with a bad prognosis. I can imagine being stressed by my economic condition in the face of mounting medical expenses. I can imagine further stress if I didn't have a family safety net or other people I could count on in a crisis. Combine all that with having different values of common sense, and I can imagine that accidents happen. Accidents that others would explain away as purposeful, savage brutality.
I like what you said. And accidents do happen, but most innocent people, who accidentally harm someone, will say right away "It's my fault, it was an accident. I dropped the baby, his head hit the table..." or whatever the situation was.The problem I have, with believing this was accidental, is his admitting that he played rough with the baby. It's just common sense not to do that with an infant. Especially an infant who was as sickly as this baby was. Parental instincts would cause you to protect the child from injury, not to play with it roughly and cause the injuries. If the baby had only one or two of the injuries described, I would be more inclined to believe the death was accidental. However, with so many injuries, I am more inclined to lean towards chronic abuse, over a period of time, not a one time accident.
Thank you for your post. I knew there had to be some intelligence out there somewhere.
Accident? Cranial bleeding. Fractured skull. Broken ribs.Baby's bones are flexible, God makes them that way to handle all the trips and falls and bangs of childhood play. It's like the oak and the willow trees in the storm, oak breaks but willow flexes.Multiple skull fractures and broken ribs on a baby don't happen from "rough play", where a father might be doing the traditional throw-the-baby-and-catch-it while Mom nervously tells Dad to take it easy.Bruises, scratches, fractured skull, cranial bleeding, broken ribs, there's no accident here, something was happening to that baby. Sad. The rest of us get to live long full lives while so many babies and kids are robbed before they get the chance.
this baby has been sick sense birth in and out of the hospital and seeing multipal doctors so over this time line they would notice child abuse and it was never reported. i disagree with the child abuse no doctor is that quacked out to not notice it blindly. Causes of seizures can include: Brain tumor or bleeding in the brain. and CPR done the right way can cause rib fractures none of the articals say anything about broken ribs.
Cranial bleeding, fratured skull are from the accident that occured, the broken ribs are from trying to recesitate the child when he was not breathing with CPR. The scratches and bruises are from the babies seizures. This baby was at the doctor multiple times a week and no one every suspected the kid being abused. this all occured in one day. Accident, seizure, not breathing, recesitation attempt (ribs). It all adds up whether you beleive it or not. Open your eyes people yea there is a possibility that he did this on purpose in your eyes, but why cant there be a possiblity that there was an accident? IT ALL ADDS UP. I am sorry that the media has twisted and turned this and in every paper there is a different story. first he slammed him, then he dropped him, then he threw him, then he beat him. The numerous things that these papers are saying differently should show you. There is more to this than meets the media's eye. They dont know what happened. They are just corrupting our minds as they usually do, mis-conscruing everything that can be turned into a story.
Where did the cranial bleeding and fractured skull come from? What accident? Slamming the kid around by rough playing? Sorry, I'm not buying it.
The article doesn't mention resuscitation. Doctors and EMTs don't break baby's ribs, so who performed CPR incorrectly and broke the ribs?Are you reading from another source? Maybe you found more info on the case, I'd be interested if you have any links.It states there were "several" skull fractures. One skull fracture could reflect an accident. But multiple skull fractures don't happen from one accident, unless that accident was putting the baby in a paint shaker.The scratches and bruises may be from seizures, it's possible. And yes there can be a *possibility* it was an accident.But multiple skull fractures and broken ribs introduce *probabilities*. If it was an isolated incident and all the injuries *allegedly* happened during that one incident...what are the probabilities that it was an accident? Probabilities that i was abuse?I agree the media twists things so they can catch readers/viewer's attention and pull them in. And that people jumping to judgment can cause a chain reaction of blame.
I don't rule out the possibility that it was an accident, but I think there's a good probability that there was abuse. Time will tell.
I understand your point b/c the media does have a bias in most cases, but when this guy tries to make his son stop crying by hitting him on a table, the media doesn't have to twist my arm in any way to make me think the child wasn't safe...
you keep referring to the "accident that occurred". what was the "accident"? what accident caused..... "Cranial bleeding, fratured skull are from the accident that occured"?
I dont believe it was an accident. -kc- has no point. I call bullshit on all of it. And if we are wrong then we can hold hands and apologize to everyone. Sounds like a defense attorney to me... It is very sad..
if there was an accident and the media is wrong then kc needs to tell us what "accident occurred". as far as i'm concerned kc has no argument on this if he cant back up what he's saying. from what i read the dad fucked up and killed his baby. it's sad....too sad!
@ KcKevin Even if you're argument was correct that the scratches and bruising were from him trying to administer CPR, then how do you explain the 'rough play'. Out of his own mouth he admitted that he played rough with the baby from time to time. Even if the child did not die, that itself is enough to be charged with child abuse. There is no such thing as 'rough play' with a newborn. Or any child for that matter. Why would you play rough with a newborn that just became well enough to come home? While we're on the subject, Mom should be arrested too for allowing rough play with her newborn baby. Sorry about your friend but somebody needs to be the voice for the child because clearly his parents aren't it.
this baby has been sick sense birth in and out of the hospital and seeing multipal doctors so over this time line they would notice child abuse and it was never reported. i disagree with the child abuse no doctor is that quacked out to not notice it blindly.
Could not agree more on the fact that he should not be playing rough. Just so you know rough was Not punching him or squeezing him. I agree he should be charged with child endangerment that is a certainty. But 1st degree murder means he killed with the intent to kill. He didnt slam his baby anywhere, my brother did live with him for the first month of the baby being born we kbow what he is like behind closed doors. We know what happened. And it will all be brought up in court. He did not kill with the intent to kill that is what we are fighting. We are not saying he shouldnt do any jail time he just shouldnt be charged in the first degree.
Hmmm...so based on your previous comments, and now this one, you agree that he killed the child, but didn't intentionally murder the kid, so therefor should not be charged with 1st degree murder? Are you suggesting manslaughter instead?
So you know what happened? Were you there, personally, that day? Not sure if you're aware, but "behind closed doors" can be very different when it comes to how one behaves. I suppose you feel rough play with a sick infant is ok?
You're probaly right, he didn't INTEND to kill the kid, he just wanted to rough him up to get him to be quiet, and the outcome was much more serious than he imagined. Perhaps he should have considered that when he was roughing up the kid. Just sayin'
I have to say that you finally said something that I will not disagree with - even though we don't know for sure - I imagine you are correct that it was never his intent to kill his son.
if the baby was a month old or so when the seizures started is it possible that "dad" "played rough" with him from the day he was born and that is what started the seizures in the first place?
Maybe in sex-ed class instead of teaching abstinence like all these whacked out schools, they should teach that hitting a baby doesnt make it stop crying. In fact they probably cry more because it hurts. Fucking dipshit, you dont "play rough" with a baby, maybe a dog who's at least 50 lbs. I think this trailer trash was just mad his baby was going to be a challenge, and probably never was taught a healthy way to let out his frustration. Where was the mom during this incident? Im guessing neither one of these 2 are the brightest bulbs in the tanning bed.....
It would be cool if every kid, had to take a class in school, where they had to take care of one of those pretend infants for a month or two. If you neglect, harm, or kill your fake baby, you fail. If you fail, they sterilize you. Oh, and each kid has to do it individually, no 'couples'.It seems to me I might have gotten this idea from someone posting on TCR a while back...if so, sorry, not trying to steal your idea, just think it's a good one. =)
problem with guys taking child care classes. some folks still think that child care is only for women to do. and that no 'real'(in their opinion) male would 'lower' himself to learn what they consider to be "women's work". .doesn't help when you get folks like the Pearls of No Greater Joy who put the work of child care on the women only.
thing is, there are some women who also think that child care should only belong to the woman as well. .you can hear it here too at times. when something happens to a child. and some posters here scream on "where is the mother in the case". and not for "where is the parents". .or if the kid is injured by the dad's gf/current wife. they also blame the dad. as though he knew what was going on. when he might have been kept in the dark by the gf/current wife of the situation. .thing is, child care belongs on BOTH parents. not just the mom, and not just the dad. unless one of them is dead from something. .and we need to educate folks on that. from the youngest to the oldest.
Yeah Sange, that's kinda my point. Boys and girls taking a fake baby home, to care for alone. If the boys think it's woman's work, then they would fail, therefore they should never be parents.
He admitted that he hit the child up against a table to make the baby stop crying. Ah helloooo. Since I am a mother and like to think that I am an intelligent person mixed in with a little touch of asshole - I can safely say that I know for A FACT that is NOT the way to quiet a baby.
No, he didn't admit to anything. The investigators sumized it. Listen to the news feed again. Read the articles again. The only part that was "his own words" was that on occasion he played rough with the baby. Which has by far been taken out of context.
How does playing rough with a gravely ill infant, ever get taken out of context? He said it, it was in the context of his statement. You do not EVER play rough with an infant, ill or not.
The reports also show that the baby had older injuries - what about those injuries? Let me guess, it was someone else who did that.
He did not admit to hitting the childs head on the table, re-read before posting ignorant commemts. The babies head was injured from an accident when ricky tried to recesitate him is where the other injuries (ribs) were injured. Scratches and bruises are from the child's seizures that he had multiple times a day. If your so certified you would read between the lines. Make sure you study for your test hard because at this point i dont know if you would pass.
"This particular day we believe there was an injury to the child and that the child was crying … and the crying had inflamed him and he wanted the child to stop crying and as a result of that actually struck the child against the table to make it stop crying." these were not rickys words these words came from the medic that assisted the child. according to other reports he came home to resesitate the child. i find it funny the child got injured the week the father goes babk to work meaning the mother was home all day with the child. so if the child was hurt when he arrived home and the mother clams she was not home what did she do leave the baby at home alone? wft people only wanna look at the father they need to look at her also. she would get mad if he spent to much time with the baby but would aslo leave him at home all the time at the time when he was not working to go do god only knows what.
My asshole side tells me you are full of shit - takes one to know one.
The sheriff said the father tried to explain the injuries.
"In his own words, he plays rough with the child occasionally," he said. "This particular day we believe there was an injury to the child and that the child was crying … and the crying had inflamed him and he wanted the child to stop crying and as a result of that actually struck the child against the table to make it stop crying."
