In 2017, a father accused of killing his three-year-old son because the boy had become an impediment to his relationship with a teenage girlfriend, pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter. Following his plea, the New Jersey native was given a jail term, suitable for his offense. Here are the details of the tragic story.
Inside David’s Background Story
At the time of his offense, the culprit, David Creato Jr was only in his early twenties. He was also a father to his three-year-old son, Brendan, whom he shared with his ex-partner Samantha Denoto. The pair had parted ways and weren’t staying together but shared custody of their little son and tried to be on good terms with each other. At the same time, David was in a rocky relationship with a teenager, Julia Stensky, who surprisingly was by his side until the end.
Details Of David’s 911 Call
At about 6 a.m. on October 13, 2015, David called the authorities to report that Brendan had disappeared from his home in Westmont. According to the dad, the toddler was nowhere to be found when he woke up that morning. About three hours later, investigators began canvassing the area, and eventually found the little boy’s lifeless body in Cooper River Park, eight blocks from their home.
Inside The Events Following The Discovery
After discovering Brendan’s body, further investigations showed that there was no indication of forced entry into David’s home. This meant that Brendan may not have been kidnapped and murdered by an outsider. The Camden County Prosecutor’s Office continued with the investigation while private services were held for Brendan. The deceased’s mother, Samantha also set up a GoFundMe to help with her son’s burial expenses.
David Is Charged With Murder
In January 2016, David was charged with the murder of his little son. At the time, the authorities did not say how they believed the toddler died. However, they were sure it was a murder case, as investigations already showed no signs of forced entry. Also, the prosecution revealed that Brendan’s socks were neat, meaning he didn’t wander from home.
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The Culprit’s Possible Motive
Not long after his arrest, David was arraigned in court, and for the first time, authorities presented a motive. According to assistant prosecutor Christine Shah, David killed his son to hold onto his relationship with Julia. Christine argued that the defendant didn’t want to end his romance with Julia, who had noted several times that she didn’t like being around Brendan and wanted David to give up custody.
The Case Ends In A Mistrial
On the other hand, the defense argued that David was simply wrongly accused. The jury was eventually sent to deliberate on the issue and spent days trying to put the pieces together. But in the end, they were deadlocked and the judge was forced to declare a mistrial and a new trial date was set. But before the trial, something surprising would occur.
David Pleads Guilty To Murder
On August 23, 2017, David pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter in his son’s death. He admitted in court that he “recklessly caused his son’s death under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life by depriving Brendan of oxygen.” In the end, David was sentenced to ten years in prison.
