Parents detention; Sudden Death of Baby
Kaylee Burgess
A two year old girl was found dead in a bucket of water late on Wednesday night in the Japan area of Ladyville. The toddler was found by her grandmother while the father was in detention for damaging the family’s house and the mother had just been released by police. It is a tragic end to an ongoing dispute between an estranged couple that shares two other children, but the relationship had a pattern of abusive behavior. Things got out of hand on Tuesday night when Kevin Burgess’ house was set ablaze allegedly by his ex, Deidra Pratt. Freelance reporter Duane Moody picks up that story.
Duane Moody, Reporting
Early this morning, family members of Kevin Burgess were at the Ladyville police station waiting for him to be charged for damage to property to the house of his estranged common-law wife, Deidra Pratt. While the drama unfolded, their young daughter laid motionless in the Belize City morgue.
Marion Bainton
Marion Bainton, Aunt of Kevin Burgess
“They come and dehn pick up Kevin because they say dehn di accuse him of kidnapping the lee gial—dehn can’t find the lee gial because dehn kidnap ahn. So the police come pick up Kevin and bring ahn and lock ahn up dah di station yah so. While we deh down yah soh di try get information from dehn, we hear say they find di child back here by the house, by the mom’s house—signifying that that is where the child was the whole time.”
The news of the sudden death of the child has sparked an investigation by authorities who say foul play is suspected.
Fitzroy Yearwood
Insp. Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer
“The police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a one year and eleventh month old child. What we can say is that this all stems from an incident that occurred two days ago where Deidra Pratt was detained after she has been accused of burning down the house of her ex-common-law, Kevin Burgess. She was in custody yesterday and left the child in the custody of her sister and mother and when she was released she found the child allegedly or apparently drowned. We are waiting for doctor Estradabran’s post-mortem results for us to know whether or not that child actually died from drowning. But I can tell you off the bat that we do suspect foul play in the death of this child.”
To back track: A case of domestic dispute between the estranged couple started back on Tuesday night when the home of Burgess went up in flames. This charred structure is all that is left from a fire around ten that night. It is alleged that that Deidra, the ex-common-law wife of Kevin Burgess set his house on fire.
Diana Betancourt
Diana Betancourt, Cousin of Kevin Burgess
“Me and my aunt were standing on her verandah and we saw the alleged person outside of the yard standing for a while, she apparently left and came back on a bicycle. At this time she parked the bicycle against this place that my aunt had and proceeded to walk into the yard. I didn’t know if my cousin was at home but she was walking towards his house. When I turned to look again I saw her enter into the house, went inside leaving the door open. Not even five minutes, I heard my cousin hollering fire, fire. I looked through my bedroom window and I saw the house was on fire.”
The fire was three houses away from the fire station so firefighters immediately got into action. Benisford Matura says more.
Benisford Matura, National Fire Service
“A plywood house totally engulfed and got into operation and extinguished it. Yesterday morning, we did an investigation and according to our procedures and what we revealed was that one of the windows was opened and at some point some kind of fire was placed in the rear bedroom leading us to suspect some form of arson or malicious intention to burn the building.”
Brother of Burgess, Jason Young, says that everything was lost in the fire.
Jason Young, Brother of Kevin Burgess
“It’s been a long time since Kevin has been going through stuff with his ex. Ih come here, burn ih house, stab ih vehicle tire, bruk ih windshield, stab him in ih neck—all kinda thing ih get from her. He lost everything; his clothes, everything—house is totaled.”
But it turned deadly when, twenty-four hours later, Kaylee Burgess, their daughter who was to turn two on Friday was found dead in a bucket of water. The discovery was made during a search by the grandmother at the residence in the Japan Area of Ladyville. Pratt’s family initially declined comment, but late this afternoon spoke to News Five off camera. Uncle of the deceased says that the dispute overshadowed the death of the baby.
Voice of: Uncle of Deceased
“I came home and I understand that there were some officers here investigating the damage to property that he did to our house. And during that time I also understand that they are also investigating kidnapping; that he had kidnapped the girl. This was like about minutes to nine after I reached home. Around ten my sister came home and she mentioned that they still haven’t find the child. And during this time we weren’t making it a big scene because we thought he took the child as I mentioned. So when my sister and my mom came back they asked if the baby had reached as yet and they said no the baby hasn’t. So we understood that they detained him. So while they were questioning him about the kidnapping, he immediately denied he had the girl. So that was strange for us and kinda perplexing because he never denied it. We started to search, actually my mother started to search because at this time I was in bed did.
Kevin Burgess
I was awaken by this loud commotion, noise and crying and when I went outside I went to the back of the house and I saw my mother holding the little girl in her hand and screaming and then everyone started screaming and immediately I started crying—couldn’t believe because I knew that she was dead. And I asked weh happen and ih said she was in the bucket; all this while my baby mi deh ina di bucket. We couldn’t believe it, we couldn’t believe it because if we had contacted him during this time that we thought he had this child, then we would have understood that she was somewhere else.”
A postmortem was scheduled for this afternoon. It is suspected that the mother will be charged with arson. Duane Moody for News Five.
This afternoon, thirty-two year old Kevin Burgess, a mechanic, was taken to court to answer a charge of damage to property for allegedly punching in three glass louvers on Pratt’s mother, Martha Mejia’s house. Burgess pleaded guilty, but did not agree with the facts presented so Magistrate Aretha Ford entered an equivocal not guilty plea. Burgess is to return to court on October eighth.
dont make no sense, and very careless….. who, notices that their child is missing, then just assume that someone has her, without searching high and low, before and even after asking the father if he has the child?????? I think the mother was so caught up in her crazy ways, that her priorities were messed up. she was focusing on the man instead, and not paying attention to her children!
This is truly a sad story. The stupidity and carelesness of adults ended in the death of an innocent child who has not even began to live. How could this baby who was not even two years old be left to wonder around a yard with no adult supervision. Every adult that was left to watch that child should be charged with negligence.
The women of Belize really need to get their pride, morality, and self respect back, and stop being so sexually common.
The sad story last week about the beautiful young woman, who let satan robbed her of her life, by filling her with such anger that she ran him over, she wasted her life, I ask the question for what? she goes to prison, the man is dead, the other woman finds another man, the child is without father and mother. He would have done the same thing to the new girl, she was just the temporary flavor of the moment.
Young women you need to realize that men want sex not babies. Because you are having sex with a man it does not mean he is in love with you. A man will take his sex where ever he can find it and there are a ton load of women ready to accomodate.
I pray for my country, only prayers can change the course my people are traveling. Wake up people the Bible says that Satan roams around seeking those whom he can devour, he is devouring the future of the country. Pray hard.
Could it be that this beast drown the child?in revenge.or to hurt his X?
Negligence, Negligence, Negligence on the Stupid Granny, Uncles, Aunts and Mother. They were the caretakers of the child and had the child to roam by herself. They were so caught up with fooling around with the father that they forgot about the kids. Rest in peace baby.
Child neglect, what else?
Sorry @$$ parents forced innocent children into battered and unhealthy relationships way too often in Belize. The mother of this child should be banned from producing any more children, and the father should spend the rest of his life under the prison.
If you are finish with your wash bucket, then empty the wash bucket to secure your child’s safety.
This is not the first time a child was found dead in a bucket of water by the same type of parent/s…………..pathetic, and useless.
you are safe now Kaylee.
“AL” I agree with you 100% Belize women should stop putting so much importance on having a man. First, get a very good education go as high as you are able. Second, make sure you can support yourself financially by yourself and the grace of God. Third, take time to teach your children morals and manners and honesty. These are the things that are important not some low life man. This way of life will attract a real man not a …… Real men take very good care of their women and respect and protect their women and their children, even if the children are not their’s biologically. If a man, a real man loves a woman he will love her children. Stop making these low life losers feel like they are so important because they are not worth it.
She kill that child and she will burn for it. Girls who want to be women what the hell, really a man that’s what made you do these crazy things. To everyone of you girls, GOD and yourself first and if you dont believe in GOD still put yourself first. It’s not hard to love you and who you are and I think if you can even do this for yourself, how in the world can you love someone else. Wake up people.
The mother of the child’s entire family is spiteful and bad minded. It’s truly sad what happened to the baby girl. But my fingers are pointing to the mom.
Who wouldn’t be upset if someone burnt their home. He broke a window, she burnt his home. Unfortunately they both paid with their child.
Sad sad story. Sad to see comments generalizing men also. Not a very smart thing to do. But on the real note; what these grown people did untimely ended the life of a child and will scar this family forever. What is our country coming to? its now a place where life is valueless, and anyone, even a child can lose theirs over petty arguments and misunderstandings. Wake up my people. Its time to get back to the basics of life.
that’s what we call children having children..yes both parents have their own problems..but why should the innocent children pay for the *** their parents do!!! I would send the mother to jail for child abuse, child neglect, and for the death of the baby..because if she wasn’t caught up in acting childish and fighting with her ex..she would have had more time to pay attention to her child..I would also take away the rest of her child. burning down the man’s house could never be compared to breaking a window. sometimes when people do us things we just have to laugh it off and let go..now she pays the price with the life of her child!
a teen ager was chopped to death with a machete and no charges were brought on the attacker, aminor engaged in sex with a high school principal and a church pastor and no charges were brought on the accused even after he confessed. now a child is found upside down in a bucket of water and the police quickly and openly states that they suspect foulplay. only in Belize.
I’m with Al on this one, 110%.
And the coincidence is too great for me to believe a baby dies by accident within 24 hours of the mother burning down the baby-daddy’s new home. I’ll bet my last dollar that she was murdered, and I hope the murderer hangs, and quickly.
I notice mother had 3 babies in 3 years — all with the same man? That really underscores Al’s point, which is one of the greatest problems in Belize and in most other countries around the world: women getting pregnant with no husband, and raising babies with no fathers. They just throw away all the potential of a good life for themselves and all of their babies.
So sad mein,i say just do u mein its crazy there are both stupid stupid
If women don’t have a heart for children, they should not have any. It’s a shame of how some careless parents mistreat their children. Parents who neglect children deserve to be punished. I will not judge because both are accountable, it takes two to make a quarrel. Who will lead children to live the Ten Commandments? Parents be Responsible!!!!!
we just found out the baby was murdered so what they kill her to hurt her dad