Note: This article contains graphic detail that may be disturbing.
September 10, 2012
September 10, 2012 fatally altered the lives of at least three people in small town Granite City, Illinois. On that Monday morning, Dollie Rusher trusted her boyfriend, John Holman III with the life of her 21-month-old toddler son, Jaesean.
Rusher, 29, left her home around 5 a.m. in order to catch the bus. It was her first day of cosmetology school. Rusher’s mother, 68-year-old Tommie Rusher, was in the home taking care of Rusher’s infant son. Minutes after 7 a.m., the grandmother left the house for Jesus Place Mission Church, a local charity organization for the homeless, where she volunteered in the kitchen and the store.
While the two Rusher women were continuing on with their everyday lives, a vicious murder was occurring in their home.
Jaesean, just shy of 2 years, was brutally murdered at the hands of Rusher’s then-boyfriend, John Holman III. Holman, 42, was left in charge of caring for the toddler. Instead, he embarked on an evil attack of the innocent child.
When Jaesean’s grandmother returned that afternoon, she found the child, lifeless. “Bug,” as he was affectionately called, was then taken to Gateway Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased.
“A crime of unspeakable nature”
Autopsy reports from the Madison County coroner indicate Jaesean’s cause of death was from blunt head trauma and closed head trauma. The toddler had over 50 injuries.
Law enforcement officers who responded to the 911 call ultimately charged Holman in the toddler’s death on September 11, 2012.
During the press conference held to announce the chargers, Madison County State’s Attorney, Thomas Gibbons, echoed the sentiment of many community members:
“This is a crime of unspeakable nature.”
He later said that Jaesean’s death was “one of the worst cases of child abuse we’ve seen in this country.”
In Illinois, sentencing for first-degree murder charges range from 20 to 60 years. Jennifer Mudge served as the lead prosecutor of the case, and argued in court that due to the victim’s age, Holman deserved more time.
70 Years
Mudge’s argument was sustained in court, with one juror actually fainting at the sight of the beaten toddler’s body. The juror was then replaced.
On Wednesday, March 16, 2016, a jury found Holman guilty of first-degree murder after three hours of deliberation. Holman will spend the next 70 years in prison.
Image via: STL Today
