The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO

Top Stories

May 5, 2012

OSBI looking into 'suspicious death' of 8-month-old in Commerce

COMMERCE, Okla. — The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation has been asked to look into what is being termed a “suspicious death,” police and OSBI officials confirmed Saturday.

Commerce Police confirmed they asked for the assistance from the state agency after the mother of an 8-month-old boy called emergency crews and reported the child had apparently stopped breathing. She allegedly told police she had put her child down for a nap a couple of hours earlier and went back to check on him and found him unresponsive.

The child has been identified as Randy Kirk III; the mother’s name has not been released.

The call came in to authorities just after noon Friday and emergency crews responded to the home in the 300 Block of S. Walnut St., according to Jessica Brown, spokesperson for OSBI. The child was dead when medical crews arrived.

Bob Baine, Commerce Police Chief, referred all questions on Saturday to the OSBI.

According to Brown, OSBI agents and Commerce officers sought a search warrant on Friday to look for any evidence as to what may have caused the child’s death. Agents also interviewed everyone inside the home at the time of death.

Brown said that because of the age of the child, and because there was no obvious cause a death, it is termed “suspicious.”

“We’re waiting for the medical examiner’s officer to give us some direction,” said Brown. “We might get a preliminary (report) this weekend.”

No other details were available on Saturday.



 

Text Only
Top Stories
  • 052213 Jop tor an4_72.jpg Federal, state leaders salute Joplin’s recovery

    A deadly May twister may have punched a hole in Joplin and Duquesne two years ago, but the resolve to repair it will help other communities stand strong when they face similar disasters. That was the message of state and national diginitaries to a crowd of about 2,500 who observed the second anniversary of Joplin’s devastating May 22, 2011, storm during a ceremony Wednesday in Cunningham Park.

    May 22, 2013 4 Photos

  • 052313 Turner1_72.jpg Content of book, students' access to it at issue in hearing for suspended teacher

    A standing-room only crowd is present at the hearing this morning to decide the fate of suspended Joplin Middle School teacher Randy Turner, who has asked for the hearing before the board of education.

    May 23, 2013 1 Photo

  • Demonstrators show support for suspended teacher

    Most were carrying blue-and-white signs that said “Support Turner,” a reference to Randy Turner, a middle school teacher who was removed from his classroom and placed on administrative leave last month after an investigation by school district officials.

    May 23, 2013

  • Southeast Kansas foundation accepts donations for Moore

    The Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas is accepting donations to assist the victims of the Moore, Okla., tornado.

    May 23, 2013

  • 052213 Jop tor an1_72.jpg Banner from Joplin to be sent to Moore residents

    A giant vinyl banner adorned with heartfelt messages from Joplin tornado survivors to the residents of Moore, Okla., became a centerpiece of Wednesday’s observance of the two-year anniversary of the May 22, 2011, tornado.

    May 22, 2013 1 Photo

  • r052213moorejoplin.jpg Families in Moore, Joplin linked by disasters

    Zach Woodcock knew the storms were going to be bad on May 22, 2011, so turning on the Weather Channel was a natural. What he saw filled him with fear. The Moore resident’s family lived in Joplin, Mo.

    May 22, 2013 2 Photos

  • Nixon: Joplin offers 'a beacon of hope'

    Two days ago, after seeing the devastating destruction in Oklahoma, Nixon said, "I believe that you are something else too, something the people of Moore need right now. A word we all remember seeing, in front of the old high school, made from duct tape: Hope.

    May 22, 2013

  • Awards mark Joplin observance of tornado anniversary

    Joplin will serve as the beacon for resilient recovery from a disaster to communities across the United States, including recently hit Moore, Okla., said the nation’s secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano.

    May 22, 2013

  • Grant enables 20th Street Project to move forward

    A $20 million grant from the Economic Development Administration, announced at Joplin's tornado anniversary event today, will enable the 20th Street Project and the building of a new Joplin Public Library to move forward.

    May 22, 2013

  • Rick Rescorla.jpg Rick Rescorla award named for hero of Vietnam War, 9-11 terror attacks

    The Rick Rescorla National Award for Resilience is named for a 62-year-old vice president of security for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter & Co. who directed an evacuation of the company’s 2,700-person workforce in the South Tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2011.

    May 22, 2013 1 Photo

Facebook
Poll

The Institute of Medicine is recommending that schools provide opportunities for at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day for students and that physical education become a core subject. Do you think schools should adopt that program?

Yes.
No.
     View Results
Parade
Magazine

Click HERE to read all your Parade favorites including Hollywood Wire, Celebrity interviews and photo galleries, Food recipes and cooking tips, Games and lots more.
NDN Video
Raw: Jurors Deadlock on Jodi Arias Penalty Boy Scouts Decision "First Step" Say Activists Raw: Utah Teen Arrested in Death of His Brothers Closer Look at Okla. School Where Children Died Two Suspects in Murder Known to London Police Boy Scouts Mom Supports Gay Inclusiveness "Be Ready": NOAA Warns of Busy Hurricane Season SeaWorld: Penguins Are Coolest Thing in Florida Obama Renews Call to Close Gitmo Obama Offers Drone Strike Defense Raw: Heckler Interrupts Obama on Guantanamo A Slice of Apple History Up for Grabs