The sad story of little Jeffrey Baldwin life and tragic death is indeed heartbreaking. But what happened to him changed the way CCAS deals with placement of children in homes.
#jeffreybaldwin #childabuseawareness #childdeath
#jeffreybaldwin #childabuseawareness #childdeath
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00:00Hello and welcome to the Dark Mystery Lounge.
00:03Today we delve into the heartbreaking case of Jeffrey Baldwin,
00:06a young boy whose life was tragically cut short due to severe neglect and abuse.
00:12Let's get started.
00:17Jeffrey Vincent Baldwin was born on January 20, 1997 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
00:24to Yvonne Kidman and Richard Baldwin,
00:27weighing almost 10 pounds when he was born.
00:30He had two older sisters and a younger brother.
00:33While there is very little info on his early life,
00:36from pictures he looked happy, healthy, and smiling.
00:40Superman was his favorite superhero.
00:43He would try to fly by jumping off a chair.
00:45He even dressed up as Superman for Halloween.
00:48He was a little man of steel.
00:50But his parents were young.
00:52They got into arguments and fights with each other,
00:55which eventually led to Catholic Children's Aid Society, or CCAS,
01:00getting involved.
01:02So every day there was someone walking through the door,
01:05either a social worker or a health nurse, just checking up.
01:09In 1998, when Jeffrey just turned 16 months old,
01:13he and his siblings were removed from their parents' care
01:16due to allegations of abuse and replaced with their maternal grandparents,
01:21Elva Botno and Norman Kidman.
01:24Richard said that he was manipulated into giving up their children
01:27by stating that they needed a break
01:29and the kids would be at the grandparents' temporarily
01:32and they would have a chance of getting them back.
01:35Or they could place them up for adoption
01:37and they would never see them again.
01:39They felt like they had no choice.
01:42Unfortunately, Jeffrey's new guardians
01:44were far from the loving grandparents he needed.
01:47Elva and Norman had a history of child abuse,
01:50a fact that was tragically overlooked by CCAS.
01:53At first, everything seemed fine.
01:56The parents would check up on their kids regularly.
01:59They were smiling, healthy, and could even talk.
02:02Anytime they voiced concerns,
02:04they were told if they don't like the way things look, leave.
02:08Jeffrey and his older sister
02:10were subjected to unimaginable cruelty.
02:13They were confined to a small, unheated room
02:16with the windows covered,
02:18forced to live in their own filth,
02:20with only a crib and a mattress.
02:22The door was locked.
02:24They were punished if they couldn't hold it
02:26and soiled themselves.
02:28They were beaten and forced to clean up the mess they made.
02:32Jeffrey was often denied food and water.
02:35The only time that they were allowed out
02:36was for their exercise.
02:39But not in the way you would imagine exercising children.
02:42Like playing outside, riding bikes,
02:45using scooters or roller skates.
02:47No, they were forced to walk around the kitchen in circles
02:50and if they stopped,
02:52they would have objects thrown at them.
02:55They were called pigs by Elva,
02:57Norman, and Jeffrey's other siblings,
03:00forced to sit on a rubber mat
03:01up against what was called the pig wall.
03:04There was what they called the pig bowl
03:06that they ate from.
03:08They were fed table scraps
03:10after the rest of the family was done eating.
03:12They had to use their hands to eat.
03:15If the middle child ate too fast and threw up,
03:18she was forced to eat her own vomit.
03:20Jeffrey and his sister, out of desperation,
03:23drank from the toilet in order to survive.
03:26It's not like there was a shortage of eyes in that house.
03:29There were six adults and six children
03:31living in a small three-bedroom house.
03:33Jeffrey's oldest and youngest siblings
03:35were treated well, even going to school.
03:39But him and the middle child
03:40were singled out as the bad kids.
03:43It seemed like this was rehearsed before.
03:46In 1970,
03:47Elva's five-month-old daughter,
03:49Eva, died of pneumonia
03:51and was found to have numerous fractures.
03:54So Elva was charged with child abuse
03:56and got one year of probation.
03:58Then Elva went on to have two more children.
04:01They were treated like dogs.
04:03They were screamed at, beaten, whipped,
04:06and tied to the bed with chains and starved
04:08and shoved into dog crates.
04:11They, too, drank from the toilet.
04:14But what saved them was the school.
04:16They saw bruises on the little girl
04:18and immediately social services took them away.
04:22Of course,
04:23Norman was arrested for child abuse
04:25when the children were beaten so bad
04:27that they had to be hospitalized.
04:29But he only got a small fine
04:31and he was able to remain with the family.
04:34Elva went through a psychological evaluation
04:36after those kids were taken away.
04:39She admitted hitting her kids
04:40and was incapable of coping with their demands.
04:44She was a danger to herself and to others.
04:47Elva and Norman had three more daughters,
04:49but this time CCAS was closely monitoring them.
04:53There was some abuse,
04:54but it was mostly ignored.
04:56Even though she had multiple child abuse charges
04:59and admitted that she's in danger to herself and or others,
05:03CCAS deemed those two fit
05:05to take care of their grandchildren
05:07and paid her as a daycare provider.
05:10Along with money from welfare assistance,
05:13Elva knew how to play the system.
05:15Those grandkids were only living with her
05:17so she could get paid.
05:19She knew how to get the social workers on her side,
05:22spreading rumors and accusations
05:24about her daughter not being a mid-parent.
05:27She would just come in and save the day
05:29by rescuing those children.
05:32Elva and Norman got permanent custody of them
05:35and so CCAS stopped checking up as much.
05:39Jeffrey's aunts and their boyfriends,
05:40who lived in the house,
05:42knew what was going on and said nothing.
05:44Visits from their parents decreased
05:46due to Elva making excuses.
05:49When Yvonne and Richard took the kids for the weekend,
05:52the smell was so strong on the two middle children
05:54that it took three washings
05:56just to get the smell off.
05:58Jeffrey was eventually excluded
06:00due to Elva's excuse that he was sick,
06:02so he couldn't go.
06:04Yvonne and Richard were even barred
06:06from going into the kids' room
06:08and they knew it was locked.
06:10Elva explained that it was because
06:11Jeffrey and his sister had bedwetting issues
06:14and drinking water before bed.
06:17At some point,
06:18the parents noticed that the youngest child
06:20was outgrowing Jeffrey
06:21and expressed concerns.
06:23Elva said it was the steroids
06:25in the baby's eczema cream
06:26that was making him grow so fast.
06:29Plus, she said there was a lot of short people
06:31in the family,
06:32so Jeffrey was just going to be short
06:34when he grew up.
06:35He never got to go to school
06:37due to not being potty trained.
06:40Which, if you're being locked up
06:41for 18 hours a day,
06:43yeah, that potty training is not going to happen.
06:45Even though Jeffrey's aunts
06:47and their boyfriends
06:48witnessed everything that was going on,
06:51but when one of them,
06:52James Mills,
06:53voiced his concerns,
06:55Elva pointed to the two middle children
06:57and said,
06:58those two right there
06:59bring in $600 a month
07:01into this house.
07:02He didn't say anything further
07:04or he would lose his free room and board.
07:07On Jeffrey's final days,
07:09he was wrapped in a blanket
07:10and propped up on the couch,
07:12but he couldn't hold up his head anymore.
07:14He was yelled at for being lazy.
07:16On his last night,
07:18he was seen crawling up the stairs,
07:20too weak to even walk.
07:22It took him 10 minutes
07:23to get up the stairs,
07:25his PJ pants falling off of him.
07:27James Mills said
07:28it was a death march.
07:30He could hear him coughing
07:31and sobbing.
07:32At around 2 a.m.,
07:34the noise stopped.
07:35That's when Jeffrey's suffering
07:37finally came to an end.
07:39He died the same way he lived,
07:41cold,
07:42unloved,
07:43and alone.
07:43On the morning of November 30, 2002,
07:52emergency services were called
07:54to the grandparents' home.
07:56Jeffrey was found unresponsive.
07:58Elva called emergency services
08:00and she said she had a problem.
08:03And what's the problem?
08:04The grandparent's not breathing right now.
08:07Is he able to talk or cry at all?
08:10No.
08:10Is he making any sounds at all?
08:12No, he's not.
08:14He's very cold.
08:16The ambulance is on the way.
08:18When paramedics arrived,
08:19there was no relatives outside
08:21and the first knocks went unanswered.
08:24Elva told them to keep their voices down
08:26as they were escorted to the kitchen
08:28in the back of the house.
08:30Jeffrey was laying on a kitchen table
08:31wrapped in a blanket.
08:34The first thing that paramedics noticed
08:36when they entered the house
08:37was the strong smell of urine.
08:39It was so strong
08:40that it doesn't come off of clothes.
08:42They rushed Jeffrey to the ambulance
08:44and was taken to the hospital
08:46for sick children in Toronto.
08:49He went alone.
08:50Even though they tried to revive Jeffrey,
08:52it was too late.
08:53He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
08:56His frail body was covered in a rash,
08:58sores, and bruises.
09:00He weighed only 21 pounds,
09:02less than he did on his first birthday.
09:05Jeffrey was only two months away
09:06from his sixth birthday.
09:07The cause of death
09:09was septic shock
09:10and bacterial pneumonia
09:12brought on by years
09:13of neglect and starvation.
09:15Homicide detective Mike Davis
09:17went to investigate
09:18the home on Woodfield Road.
09:20The house was spotless
09:21and well furnished,
09:22except for the room
09:23Jeffrey and his sister lived in.
09:25It was freezing,
09:27and there was a high stench
09:28of urine and feces in that room.
09:30When the coroner squeezed
09:31one of the two mattresses
09:33that were covered in dry feces,
09:35urine literally poured out.
09:37The other children in the house
09:38were immediately seized
09:39and put into foster care.
09:42And that's how the police
09:43found out the details
09:44of life in that house.
09:46While at the foster parents' house,
09:48the foster mothers said
09:49that they had a glazed look
09:51on their faces,
09:52like they were shell-shocked.
09:53The kids wouldn't speak at first,
09:55but once they were comfortable enough,
09:57they opened up.
09:59The other kids were horrified
10:00to see their sister
10:01sitting at the dining table to eat.
10:03That's when the oldest asked
10:05where the pig wall was
10:06in their house
10:07and where is the pig bowl
10:08that the children eat from.
10:10The middle child didn't know
10:11how to use utensils,
10:13so she was taught
10:14how to use them.
10:15The night they were taken away,
10:17the foster mother noticed
10:18ulcers and sores
10:19on the little girl
10:20and a bright red rash
10:22on her feet and legs
10:23from sitting and standing
10:24in urine for too long.
10:26She was told to brush her teeth
10:28and prepare for bed.
10:29She asked her to get some water
10:31to rinse her mouth out with,
10:32only for her to start drinking
10:34out of the toilet.
10:35The foster mother was horrified,
10:37but calmly corrected her
10:39on how to properly get a drink.
10:41The middle child told investigators
10:43that she thought
10:44she was going to die too.
10:46The kids were together
10:47for a little while
10:48until after the trial.
10:50Then they were separated
10:51and put into separate,
10:52permanent foster homes.
10:54For a couple of months,
11:00nothing was done
11:01about Elba and Norman.
11:02They stupidly thought
11:03they got away with murder.
11:05So in their ignorance
11:06or stupidity,
11:08they deep cleaned that room
11:09and set up new beds
11:11with sheets and warm blankets,
11:13thinking they were going to
11:14get the kids back soon.
11:16But that didn't happen,
11:17obviously.
11:18On March 19, 2003,
11:21Elba and Norman
11:22were arrested
11:22and charged with
11:23first-degree murder.
11:25During the trial,
11:26everything came out
11:27about Elba and Norman's scam,
11:29about using the children
11:30to get more money
11:31from assistants
11:32while offering
11:33little in return.
11:35And why?
11:36Because Elba claimed
11:37that he was mentally slow.
11:39The other adults
11:40in the house
11:40were never charged
11:41with anything
11:42because they had
11:43no duty imposed on them.
11:45Dr. Gregory Wilson testified,
11:47who reported
11:48that when Jeffrey died,
11:49he had no body fat.
11:51He was around
11:523.1 feet long
11:54and weighing
11:5521.3 pounds.
11:58He described
11:58how his face
11:59was bruised
12:00and had abrasions
12:01around his left thigh
12:02and neck.
12:03Parts of his abdomen,
12:05inner thighs,
12:06and legs
12:06were encrusted
12:07with a dry,
12:08scaly rash.
12:09Additionally,
12:10he had ulcers
12:11on his genitals.
12:12He went on
12:13to describe
12:13how Jeffrey
12:14developed pneumonia
12:15a few days
12:16before his death.
12:17Fecal bacteria
12:18had gotten
12:19into his bloodstream,
12:20causing septic shock
12:21that would have
12:22made it difficult
12:23to breathe.
12:24Jeffrey had most likely
12:25placed his fingers
12:26in his mouth,
12:27transferring the bacteria
12:28into his lungs.
12:30Dr. Stanley Zluckins
12:31of Toronto's
12:32Hospital for Sick Children
12:34testified that he had
12:35never seen a child
12:36so malnourished
12:37in his 25 years
12:38of practice
12:39in Canada
12:40and in developing countries.
12:42Quote,
12:42During cross-examination,
12:50he pointed out
12:51there was no iron
12:52in his bone marrow,
12:54which would have
12:54taken at least
12:55a year to develop.
12:57Osiris Villalobos,
12:59an investigator
12:59with CCAS,
13:01wiped away tears
13:02as he recollected
13:03the lifeless body
13:04of Jeffrey
13:05at the hospital.
13:07Villalobos
13:07and police officers
13:08visited the home
13:09after leaving
13:10the hospital.
13:11He described
13:12how all of the rooms
13:13inside the home
13:15were heated,
13:15properly furnished
13:16and cleaned.
13:18The bedroom of Jeffrey
13:19and his sister
13:19was barren,
13:21freezing and disgusting.
13:23The mattress
13:23was soaked in urine
13:24and caked in dry feces
13:26and blood.
13:27The floor around
13:28the mattress
13:28was urine stained
13:29and rotten.
13:30A back of soil diapers
13:32lay on the floor
13:33and there were food remnants
13:35in a dog bowl.
13:36A latch was placed
13:38about 1.5 meters
13:39off the ground
13:40outside the bedroom door
13:42so that it could be
13:43locked by adults
13:44and not opened
13:45by children.
13:47Evidence was also
13:48presented during trial
13:49that within an hour
13:51after learning
13:51that Jeffrey was dead,
13:54his mother,
13:54Yvonne Kidman,
13:56questioned whether
13:57she would receive
13:58his $50,000
13:59life insurance policy.
14:01A conversation
14:02had been overheard
14:03between Yvonne and Elva
14:04during which Yvonne said,
14:06I wonder if his insurance
14:08will cover him.
14:09I have insurance.
14:10Elva replied,
14:11that's accidental death.
14:12I don't know
14:13if he's covered.
14:14Michelle Keene,
14:16a neighbor of the family,
14:17testified that
14:18shortly after
14:18Jeffrey's death,
14:20Elva told her
14:21that Jeffrey poisoned
14:22himself by swallowing
14:23lead paint.
14:24On April 7, 2006,
14:27Elva Bottono
14:27and Norman Kidman
14:28were convicted
14:29of second-degree murder
14:30for their role
14:31in Jeffrey's death
14:32and forcible confinement
14:34of Jeffrey's sister.
14:36Sentencing was delivered
14:37on June 9, 2006.
14:40Elva was sentenced
14:41to 22 years imprisonment
14:42until 2028
14:44and Norman 20 years
14:46until 2026
14:47before they respectively
14:48become eligible
14:49for parole.
14:51Like clockwork,
14:52those two appealed
14:53their sentences
14:54and their reasons
14:55were just mind-boggling.
14:57In 2011,
14:58appeal hearings
14:59took place.
15:00Elva's lawyer stated
15:01that his client
15:02had an IQ of 69,
15:04which is deemed
15:05borderline mental retardation,
15:07preventing her
15:08from understanding
15:09that malnutrition
15:10was likely to kill the boy.
15:12That's just BS.
15:13There are serial killers
15:15that have similar IQs
15:16and they know
15:17what they're doing.
15:18Now, Norman,
15:19on the other hand,
15:20I hope you're sitting down
15:21for this one.
15:22He claims that
15:23Jeffrey did this
15:25to himself
15:25as a form of suicide.
15:28I kid you not.
15:30Because he was upset,
15:31about something.
15:33He didn't even elaborate
15:34on what that something was.
15:36Huh?
15:37What's this guy smoking?
15:39No five-year-old
15:40understands
15:40the concept of suicide.
15:42They barely know
15:43about death,
15:44but don't really
15:45understand that much either.
15:47By the way,
15:47these two never showed
15:48any ounce of remorse
15:49for what they did.
15:51Needless to say,
15:52their appeals were denied
15:53and they were even called
15:54morally bankrupt.
15:56That's putting it mildly.
15:58In February 2014,
16:00a coroner's inquest
16:01was conducted.
16:03Not to cast blame,
16:04but to find out
16:05how CCAS
16:06let Jeffrey slip
16:07through the cracks
16:08and make recommendations
16:09for change.
16:10After hearing from doctors,
16:12Jeffrey's parents,
16:13a lawyer representing
16:14the other three children,
16:16and yes,
16:17even Elba was there
16:18to chime in
16:19with her two cents.
16:21Although,
16:21I don't think anyone
16:22took her seriously.
16:24The jury made
16:25104 recommendations,
16:27one of them being
16:28background checks
16:29and more frequent monitoring
16:30for caregivers
16:31that are family.
16:32Put them through
16:33the same process
16:34foster parents
16:35and adoptive parents
16:36have to go through.
16:37Because if they would
16:38have checked their files,
16:39CCAS would not have
16:41recommended Elba
16:42and Norman
16:42due to their extensive
16:43history of child abuse.
16:45Since there is no policy
16:47of doing background checks
16:48on family,
16:49that was a major failure
16:50on CCAS's part.
16:52Ontario's Ministry
16:53of Children and Youth Services
16:55looked into penalties
16:57for non-professionals
16:58who don't report
16:59serious child abuse.
17:01An advertising campaign
17:02to be created
17:03to improve awareness
17:05about the duties
17:06to report child abuse.
17:08A 1-800 number
17:09to be created
17:10to report child abuse.
17:12The jury also recommended
17:13that a permanent memorial
17:15to Jeffrey be built,
17:17such as a parquet,
17:18so that this will
17:19never be forgotten.
17:20The family's caseworker
17:22testified that she
17:23had no concerns
17:24about Elba.
17:25She thought she was
17:26a reliable pillar
17:27of support
17:28when compared to
17:29Jeffrey's often
17:30volatile teenage parents,
17:32so she never conducted
17:33any records checks
17:34on her or Norman.
17:37No kind of punishment
17:37was ever given
17:38to any of these
17:39social workers
17:40who were involved
17:41in the case.
17:42It's rare that they
17:43ever faced
17:43any serious punishment.
17:45Overall,
17:46it was a major overhaul
17:47of a child welfare system
17:49that was clearly broken.
17:54In 2006,
17:56an interview was conducted
17:57with Jeffrey's parents
17:59by the TV show
18:00Fifth of State.
18:02Yvonne stated
18:03she was shocked
18:03because she knew
18:04nothing about
18:05her parents' abusive past,
18:07but now it was all
18:08coming out
18:09during the murder trial.
18:11She feels like
18:11her whole life is alive.
18:13She's understandably
18:14pissed at her parents
18:15and CCAS.
18:17Richard recounted
18:18how Jeffrey looked like
18:20a few months
18:20before he died,
18:22telling Elba
18:23that he looked
18:24like an Ethiopian child,
18:25but because they
18:26were deemed
18:27bad parents,
18:28they felt that
18:28reporting what they knew
18:30would do nothing
18:31since no one
18:32would believe them.
18:33Both of them
18:34have expressed
18:35that they feel guilty
18:36every single day
18:37since Jeffrey died.
18:39Elba's son,
18:40Fred,
18:40who was also
18:41interviewed on the
18:42same show,
18:43that got taken away
18:44along with his sister
18:45after being hospitalized
18:46for a severe beating.
18:49He reached out
18:49and reconnected
18:50with Elba
18:51to get an explanation
18:52for his abuse,
18:53only to find out
18:54in horror
18:55that she had custody
18:56of all four
18:57of her grandchildren.
18:58He saw Jeffrey
18:59and how thin he was,
19:01saying,
19:01quote,
19:02I remember looking
19:03like that,
19:04unquote.
19:05But he too
19:06didn't report
19:07what he saw
19:07because he thought
19:08that CCAS
19:09was still doing
19:10their checkups
19:11so they would know
19:12what was going on.
19:14The three siblings
19:15were placed
19:16into separate foster homes
19:17after the trial.
19:18They grew up
19:19happy and healthy,
19:20even the middle child
19:21that suffered
19:22alongside her brother.
19:24One of the most
19:25heartbreaking things
19:25I learned
19:26is that for a year
19:28after Jeffrey's death,
19:29his sister
19:30would name
19:31every stuffed animal
19:32she got
19:33after her brother.
19:34In the summer of 2006,
19:36a plaque was placed
19:37on a bench
19:38in Toronto's
19:39Greenwood Park.
19:40But after the inquest,
19:42where one of the
19:43recommendations
19:43was to have
19:44a permanent memorial
19:45for Jeffrey.
19:46So after hearing
19:47about Jeffrey's
19:48love for Superman,
19:49Todd Boyce from Ottawa,
19:51who has no connection
19:52with the case,
19:53started an online campaign
19:55raising more than
19:56$50,000
19:56to build a life-size statue
19:59of Jeffrey
19:59dressed as Superman,
20:01calling the statue
20:02Super Jeffrey.
20:04In July 2014,
20:06DC Comics
20:07denied permission
20:08to use the S
20:09in the Superman logo
20:10on the statue.
20:12However,
20:12the decision
20:13was later reversed
20:14and the use
20:15of the logo
20:15was allowed
20:16after learning
20:17about what
20:17the statue was for.
20:19The statue
20:20was unveiled
20:21on October 18,
20:222014
20:23at Greenwood Park
20:24with people
20:25dressed as superheroes.
20:27The Little Man of Steel
20:28finally got
20:29a permanent memorial.
20:31Among the many
20:32sad things
20:32about Jeffrey
20:33is the fact
20:34that in death
20:35he proved
20:36far more important
20:37than he did
20:38to anyone in life.
20:39I couldn't find
20:40any burial info
20:41so I'm not sure
20:42what happened
20:43after the autopsy.
20:45If anyone has
20:46any information
20:46about that
20:47please let me know.
20:49If he would have
20:49somehow survived
20:50that house of horrors
20:51Jeffrey would have
20:52been 28 years old.
20:58It's baffling to me
20:59how so many people
21:00failed this poor boy.
21:02In photos
21:03when he was an infant
21:04he was happy
21:05and healthy
21:05so the parents
21:06were obviously
21:07taking care of him.
21:08If some patience
21:09was given to
21:10Yvonne and Richard
21:11parenting classes
21:13therapy
21:13anything to help them
21:15rather than
21:15to snatch them up
21:16and place them
21:17in a worse home.
21:19If one person
21:19would have made
21:20that call
21:20to save Jeffrey
21:21even a few weeks
21:22before his death
21:23he could have
21:24been saved.
21:25It was possible.
21:27As for the grandparents
21:28I don't think
21:29they got enough time
21:30and I hope
21:31they get denied parole.
21:33I believe
21:33that anyone
21:34that harms
21:34or kills a child
21:35should get the same
21:37if not more time
21:38in prison.
21:39Of course
21:40if it was me
21:40I would give them
21:41the same treatment
21:42that they gave
21:43to that child.
21:44Freeze them
21:45beat them
21:46starve them
21:47and lock them
21:48in a cold
21:48smelly rotten room
21:49just to give them
21:50a taste
21:51as to what Jeffrey
21:51went through.
21:53Child death
21:53as a result
21:54of abuse
21:54or neglect
21:55should be taken
21:56more seriously.
21:57Give them
21:58harsher punishments
21:59as if they killed
22:00an adult.
22:01If these countries
22:02truly cared
22:02about their kids
22:03then actions
22:04speak louder
22:05than words.
22:06If you found
22:07this video interesting
22:08please smash that
22:09like button.
22:10Subscribe if you are
22:11new to the channel.
22:12Thank you for
22:12hanging out with me
22:13in the Dark Mystery Lounge.
22:15This is Phoenix
22:15signing out.
22:17Have a good evening
22:17and stay safe.
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