Dominick Calhoun -- Deceased 4/12/10 -- Corrine Baker Pleads Guilty to Second-Degree Murder -- Brandon Hayes Charged With Murder

Torture of Dominick Calhoun began on Thursday, continued for days

April 15, 2010, 12:01PM



Dominick Calhoun - 4 years old

ARGENTINE TOWNSHIP, Michigan — The torture of Dominick Calhoun began on Thursday after the boy urinated on himself as he ate breakfast sitting on the couch, said Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell.

The boyfriend of the four-year-old boy's mother, Brandon Joshua-Frederick Hayes, then allegedly beat the boy about the head, kicked him in the genitals and poked him in the eyes "again and again," as he asked who was going to pay for the couch, said Pickell. The alleged beating continued for days until Dominick was found unconscious on Sunday.

The boy died Monday after he was taken off of life support.

"He was trying to give a sense of discipline for little Dominick," said Pickell.

The joint investigation between the sheriff's department and Argentine Township police revealed that Hayes thought Dominick was "nothing more than a little crack head and he deserved to die."

Dominick was declared brain dead when he reached Hurley Medical Center on Sunday afternoon, said Pickell. Police found him on the floor, moaning and with shallow breathing.

"This case goes beyond torture," said Pickell.

Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said he another other members of law enforcement are "shaken" by what they've seen during this investigation.

"This was simply a vicious killing, as vicious as you can possibly imagine," he said.

Hayes was charged with first-degree premeditated murder, torture and other felonies in Dominick's death. Police said the investigation into the case is ongoing.

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2010/04/sheriff_torture_of_dominick_ca.html

Dominick Calhoun's grandfather hopes charges in 4-year-old boy's death will deter future abuse

April 15, 2010, 1:30PM


Brandon Joshua-Frederick Hayes, 24

ARGENTINE TOWNSHIP, Michigan — Rick Calhoun said he hopes the criminal consequences faced by his grandson's accused killer will deter future child abuse.

Calhoun found his grandson, 4-year-old Dominick Calhoun, severely beaten in his Argentine Township apartment on Sunday. The boy was declared brain dead when he arrived at Hurley Medical Center and was removed from life support on Monday.

"There's a guy out there who's going to try the same thing, but he's going to see this and he's going to see what happened to this guy, and he's going to stop," said Calhoun.

Brandon Joshua-Frederick Hayes, 24, the boyfriend of the boy's mother, was charged today with first-degree premeditated murder, first-degree child abuse, torture and other charges in the death.

"It's going to change a lot of people's perspective on what they're doing to their children," he said, adding he will be glad to have justice for Dominick.


Dominick's Grandfather, Rick Calhoun


http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2010/04/dominick_calhouns_grandfather.html

Yet another one.

Mother of 4-year-old Dominick Calhoun asks for justice

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 at 11:14 p.m.





Mother of Dominick, Corrine Baker

Monday morning at 5:00 a.m. Corrine Baker says she woke up screaming for her baby. She looked around and realized she was in jail.

“When you fight so hard to keep someone alive,” says Baker in tears. “And then be blamed for it...”

Police had locked her up as the investigated the brutal killing of her son, 4-year-old Dominick Calhoun. She learned he had been pronounced dead on the news.

Police say the little boy had been beaten so extensively he suffered injuries to his entire body.

Baker says her boyfriend is responsible. He is still in the Genesee County Jail, while she has been released. He has not been charged.

Sources say the man started torturing the boy after he wet his pants, burning his little hands.

Baker says she wanted to take Dominick to the hospital for treatment, but her boyfriend didn’t want to get in trouble.

She says he held her and her son hostage, brutally beating them.

“I was screaming,” says Baker. “Screaming at the top of my lungs, and nothing… and no, no hope inside. I thought I was going to die.”

Neighbors tell NBC25 they heard her screams, but they didn’t want to get involved in a domestic dispute. They say they didn’t realize how bad the situation was.

“Everytime I'd go to Dominick he’d rip me off him, and I'd go back and try to protect him as best I could.”

Baker says she laid on top of her child to shield him from her boyfriend’s brutality. She suffered broken bones, bruises, and cigarette burns. She says she was in and out of consciousness.

Her 8-year-old son witnessed some of the terror before being sent out of the apartment. He now is in protective custody.

Baker says she wants her older son to know she is thinking of him. She wants him back in her custody.

She says she will focus on healing so she can fight for her surviving child, and for justice for a boy killed too young.

http://www.connectmidmichigan.com/news/story.aspx?id=443448

What a loser! When are these girls going to realize they don't need loser boyfriends, especially when it comes to them being around their children?

#*%!^#@*%!^#@!*%#!!!!!!!!!

"she learned he had been pronounced dead on the news"

"Baker says she laid on top of her child to shield him from her boyfriend’s brutality. She suffered broken bones, bruises, and cigarette burns. She says she was in and out of consciousness."

How HORRIBLE!

This is just sickening, I cannot for the life of me understand these beatings on a child. I would say it wasn't the first beating Dominick suffered. The pain and suffering Dominick endured is horrific. The boyfriend looks like he thinks he's a real bad ass, torturing a 4 year old child...these beasts need to be beaten within an inch of their life every single day of the rest of their lives.....

Dominick Calhoun (PICTURES): 4-Year-Old Allegedly Tortured to Death for Wetting Pants

April 16, 2010 2:35 PM
Posted by Edecio Martinez



PICTURES: Dominick Calhoun

Sheriff Robert Pickell says the case "goes beyond torture."

Brandon Hayes, the boyfriend of the boy's mother, was arraigned Thursday on charges of felony murder, child abuse and other crimes.

Dominick was taken off life support Monday, a day after he was removed from the floor of an apartment in Argentine Township, south of Flint, Mich.

The sheriff says the beatings began a week ago, April 8.

Dominick's mother, Corrine Baker, tells TV station WEYI she was aware of the beatings but claims Hayes wouldn't let her out of the apartment to get help.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20002714-504083.html

Funeral held for Dominick Calhoun, 4-year-old boy who died after beating in Argentine Township

By Laura Angus | Flint Journal
April 16, 2010, 4:30PM



FENTON, Michigan — Lisa DeLong stole one of her last private moments with her grandson as mourners filtered around her into a dimly lit church.

The 50-year-old Fenton woman gently rested her hand on his tiny white casket and cried as she kissed its surface.

She, along with many others, said goodbye Friday to four-year-old Dominick Calhoun.

The Argentine Township boy was found severely beaten on April 11 after days of torture, allegedly at the hands of his mother’s boyfriend. He was removed from life support the following day after he was declared brain dead.

Dominick’s death made national headlines and a Facebook page in his memory — Justice for Dominick Calhoun — had more than 15,000 fans as of Friday afternoon.

Friday, Dominick’s casket was surrounded by teddy bears and a toy dump truck as children no older than him played in the aisles during the funeral service and punctuated the tearful silences at the Fenton Freedom Center.

“It comforts me to know this: That regardless of how awful his last moments were, the very next moment, he saw ... the face of God and he was safe, and he was healed and he was loved,” said the Rev. Jim Wiegand, through tears.

Family members spoke about the little boy they loved, saying he “stole pretty much every girl’s heart,” and they talked about the man they imagined him growing to be.

His aunt, Christine Baker, 16, spoke during the service and apologized to Dominick that his “Aunt ’Stine” was not there in time to help him.

“This bond and love we shared is something I’ll never have again,” said an emotional Baker.

She called the boy her angel and said he had an irreplaceable spot in her heart.

Other family members recounted humorous stories about the little boy who loved to make people laugh, including a time Dominick asked an aunt if her boyfriend was the mailman because he visited so often.

A family friend, Aaron Nash, brought laughter from the crowd when he said that Dominick “definitely knew how cute he was and he used it to his advantage.”

The boy was known for his bright blue eyes, blonde hair and big smile.

Nash remembered a time when he wasn’t feeling well, but Dominick wanted to play basketball.

“‘You better cheer up, Aaron, or I’m going, I’m going to beat you up,’” Nash recounted Dominick’s threat. “I’m sure you can all imagine how scared I was.”

Nash said the little boy then flexed his “guns” to show he meant business.

Wiegand praised Dominick’s fearless spirit and said he was a little boy who always wanted to “do it, and do it fast.”

He said Dominick’s life was short, but “well invested” as he pointed to the outpouring of grief following his death.

That outpouring was visible Friday as a sea of people wearing blue ribbons for child abuse awareness month and blue hats with Dominick’s name stitched on the front followed his casket out of the church after the service.

“We should all grow up like him,” said Wiegand. “He was a brave little boy.”

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2010/04/mourners_remember_dominick_cal.html

Pure evil exists among us. How could a human being harm that precious little boy with the face of an angel. Where does the hatred come from to cause these beasts to torture and kill these children. It's heartbreaking to think how many other children are being subjected to beatings and abuse as I sit here and type.

Defense attorney: Brandon Hayes is not competent to stand trial in Dominick Calhoun beating death case

By Laura Angus | Flint Journal
June 08, 2010, 11:22AM

FLINT, Michigan — An opinion from the Michigan Center for Forensic Psychiatry may have found Brandon Hayes to be competent to stand trial, but his attorney says that's not so.

"I don't think he's competent in talking to him," said Saginaw attorney James Piazza, who intends to request an independent evaluation during a hearing scheduled for June 21.

Hayes, 24, is accused of killing Dominick Calhoun, 4, who was found severely beaten April 11 in his Argentine Township apartment and died the next day after he was removed from life support.

Hayes is accused of beating Dominick about the head, kicking him in the groin and poking him in the eyes repeatedly for days after the boy wet himself and soiled the couch. He was charged with eight felonies including torture, first-degree child abuse and first-degree premeditated murder
DOMINICK CALHOUN_02.JPGCourtesyDominick Calhoun, 4, died April 12 after police found him severely beaten the day before in his Argentine Township home.

Piazza said in court today that he's concerned Hayes is not capable of assisting in his defense. He also said the forensic center did not review reports from hospitals where Hayes was committed because he suffered paranoid delusions earlier this year.

"How can you make a determination without (that)," said Piazza after court this morning.

Assistant Prosecutor Marcie Mabry said the prosecution is "ready to move to the next step" and said an independent evaluation can be done at any time in the court proceedings.

"(Piazza) requested an evaluation to determine if his client is competent, that has been done," said Mabry. "He's been found competent."

A hearing is scheduled for June 21 where testimony on Hayes' competency will be heard, the prosecution will present motions about handling witnesses — including Dominick's 8-year-old brother who was home the time of the beating — and the preliminary exam will begin if Hayes is found competent.

Dominick’s mother and Hayes' girlfriend, Corrine Baker, 25, is also facing second-degree murder and child abuse charges after officials accused her of intentionally disregarding Dominick’s well-being and placing him in a dangerous environment.

She will undergo another interview for her competency exam tomorrow and is expected back in court June 29.

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2010/06/defense_attorney_brandon_hayes.html

Local Hearing Delayed For Mother Charged In Young Son's Death

June 18, 2010






6/18/10 - The probation violation hearing for the mother of a 4-year-old Argentine Township boy who was beaten to death has been postponed pending results of a forensic exam. 25 year old Corrine Baker is charged with 2nd degree murder and 2nd degree child abuse in Genesee County in the death of Dominick Calhoun. She also faces charges in Livingston County for violating probation on a previous drug conviction. A hearing in that case was adjourned until next month while authorities await a report to determine whether she’s competent to stand trial. Authorities say Baker willfully disregarded the condition of her son, who died April 12th, following repeated beatings by her boyfriend Brandon Hayes. He’s charged with numerous counts in Dominick’s death including torture and first-degree murder and was recently found competent to stand trial. He’ll appear in Genesee County court on Monday for a competency hearing as his defense attorney is fighting the state report that determined Hayes was able to stand trial. Prosecutors say Baker had a responsibility to protect her son and remove him from an obviously harmful situation. However, her attorney says his client suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and severe depression. She remains held without bond on the murder charge. (JM)

http://www.whmi.com/news/article/10377

Where do they live????? Most of the articles we take from local newspapers fail to show the city and state where these horrible stories take place.

Sitemama, they lived in Argentine Township, Michigan which is near Flint, Michigan.

Dominick Calhoun's alleged killer to appear in court

by Kim Russell
Posted: 06.20.2010 at 11:45 PM

The man accused of torturing a 4-year-old boy to death is scheduled to appear in court Monday morning.

Saginaw attorney James Piazza has said he plans to request an independent psychiatric evaluation for accused child killer 24-year-old Brandon Hayes. He says his client was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia just weeks before the brutal beating that killed his girlfriend’s son and is unable to assist his attorney in his defense.

At a hearing earlier this month the Michigan Center for Forensic Psychiatry issued an opinion that Brandon Hayes is competent to stand trial.

If Hayes is found competent it is possible a preliminary exam will begin. Several witnesses have already been called to appear.

Argentine Township Police say Hayes severely beat 4-year-old Dominick Calhoun at his Argentine Township apartment after the child wet himself on the sofa in April this year. Doctors told police the child appeared to have been kicked in the face and groin.

The child’s mother, 25-year-old Corrine Baker, faces second degree murder and child abuse charges for her little boy’s death. Police say she did not do enough to protect him from her boyfriend.

http://www.connectmidmichigan.com/news/story.aspx?id=472680

I say bullcrap, he is competent to stand trial.

Dominick Calhoun's brother, 8, to testify away from Brandon Hayes in beating death case
Published: Monday, June 21, 2010, 3:57 PM Updated: Monday, June 21, 2010, 5:16 PM

FLINT, Michigan
Judge John L. Conover ruled today that Brandon Hayes, who is charged with first-degree murder, torture and first-degree child abuse in Dominick's death, will not be in the courtroom for the brother's testimony on June 28, but will be able to watch and interact with his attorney.

Hayes, 24, of Argentine Township was charged with torture and first-degree premeditated murder in the death of his girlfriend’ son, Dominick Calhoun.


Dominick was found severely injured by Argentine Township police April 11 and died the next day after he was removed from life support. Officials said Hayes beat the boy for four days after Dominick wet himself and soiled the couch.

His attorney argued that Hayes has a constitutional right to confront his accuser, and the prosecution argued that the boy is afraid of Hayes and had endured enough trauma.


http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2010/06/dominick_calhouns_brother_8_to.html

Thank God this 8 year little boy has been spared having to testify in front of Hayes and his evil face.........

His attorney argued that Hayes has a constitutional right to confront his accuser, and the prosecution argued that the boy is afraid of Hayes and had endured enough trauma.

Thank God for a judge with a heart, who considers the kids before letting them endure any more trauma.

Preliminary exam underway in torture, beating death

Witnesses testify against boyfriend
By Sharon Stone
Published: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 10:16 AM EDT



A preliminary exam got underway Monday after Genesee County District Court Judge John L. Conover ruled that the court would accept Dr. Thomas Brewer’s testimony that Brandon Hayes is competent to stand trial.

Brewer is a forensic psychologist for the Center of Forensic Psychology. He conducted a forensic evaluation on Hayes in May and concluded that Hayes, the man charged with beating, torturing and killing his girlfriend’s 4-year-old son, Dominick Calhoun, in April is competent to stand trial.

Patricia Green, a contract social worker for the Department of Human Services, was the first witness to testify on Monday. She has been a social worker for approximately 27 years and has been seeing Dominick’s 8-year-old, half-brother, Tyler Baker, since Dominick’s death.

Green has been helping Tyler cope with the grief and loss of losing his little brother and being removed from his home. She said even though Tyler is a strong little boy, he is experiencing a lot of anxiety.

The social worker’s testimony was sought to determine the best way for Tyler to testify in court against Hayes. Prosecution asked that Hayes not be in the courtroom, however, his defense attorney, James Piazza, argued that his client had a constitutional right to confront witnesses testifying against him.

Read more: http://www.tctimes.com/articles/2010/06/23/news/doc4c220e8d68bb2259909388.txt

Little Dominick's brother to testify

Posted: 06.26.2010 at 1:12 AM



4-year old Dominick Calhoun's older half- brother, 8-year old Tyler Baker, will be testifying in Brandon Hayes' preliminary hearing Monday.

Hayes is accused of beating, torturing, and killing little Dominick.

Tyler was living with Hayes, Dominick, and their mother, Corrine Baker in an Argentine Township apartment and is believed to have witnessed the alleged abuse.

Fearing emotional damage, prosecutors requested that Hayes be put in a separate room when Tyler testifies.

Hayes faces life in prison if found guilty.

http://www.connectmidmichigan.com/news/story.aspx?id=475248