Cory Byrd Indicted in Death of 4-Year-Old

Something tragic happened to Marc Anthony Bookal, on Dec. 14, 2009, when he was 4 years old. He was killed. Despite a massive manhunt for the little boy, his body was not discovered until three months later, stuffed into two plastic bags and hidden under brush in a deserted field in the city of Newburgh, NY. 

The last person to see little Marc alive was his mother's boyfriend, Cory Byrd, who claimed that the boy had disappeared after he left unnoticed through an open door. Cory, who has a violent criminal record, was on parole at the time of the boy's disappearance. He was arrested on charges of endangering the welfare of a child and parole violation. To read more about this case click here.

Almost one year after finding the remains of Marc Bookal, Cory Byrd was charged with his murder. In fact Cory Byrd faces six charges in relation to the death of the 4-year-old:

• Intentional Murder in the 2nd Degree 
• Depraved Indifference Murder in the 2nd Degree
• Manslaughter in the 1st Degree
• Manslaughter in the 2nd Degree
• Two Counts of Tampering with Physical Evidence

According to District Attorney Frank Phillips: “As a result of an autopsy it was determined that Marc Bookal died as a result of blunt force trauma and numerous injuries throughout his body and upon his head.”

“Obviously a very tragic event when anybody dies as a result of a homicide, compounded extraordinarily when that victim is 4 years of age,” the DA continued.

Marc Bookal's biological father, Yul Bookal said:

“Even if I lose my job, [I've] got be there. If I have be at the court, I don’t care, I got to be there for my son. I got to represent him. He’s dead, he can’t represent himself,”

Referring to Cory Byrd, Yul Bookal said:

“He’s just an evil [expletive]. He need to be put to death. I wish New York had the death penalty"

“What could a little four-year-old boy have done to make you kill him?” Yul Bookal said at the funeral last year. “I’m trying to make sense out of it, but it makes no sense.”

Kelly Williams-Bolar: Discrimination or Justice?

Kelly Williams-Bolar, 40, was sent to jail for 10 days and placed on probation for 3 years.

Judge Patricia Cosgrove handed down the sentence after Kelley was convicted on two felony counts of tampering with court records. Her crime - sending her two daughters to a better school district than the one in which she lived.

Kelly Williams-Bolar lived in the projects in Akron, Ohio. Her father, Edward L. Williams, lived in nearby Copley Township - a distance of about 7 miles. She registered her two daughters using their grandfather's address so that they could attend the better schools.

The school district became suspicious of the two girls' residence and hired a private detective, at a cost of about $6,000, to determine where they really lived. When the report came out, indicating that the girls did not actually live in the school district, their mother was arrested and brought before the court.

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Edward L. Williams and his daughter Kelly were also charged with a fourth-degree felony of grand theft. They were jointly accused of defrauding the school system for two years of educational services. The court determined the cost at $30,500 in tuition fees.

In handing down the sentence, Judge Patricia Cosgrove, said that her sentence was appropriate ''so that others who think they might defraud the school system perhaps will think twice.''

To add insult to injury, Kelly had been studying to become a teacher, taking night classes at the University of Akron, so that she and her daughters could have a better life. Now that will not happen. That opportunity was forever closed to Kelly with her felony conviction.

''Because of the felony conviction, you will not be allowed to get your teaching degree under Ohio law as it stands today,'' the judge said. ''The court's taking into consideration that is also a punishment that you will have to serve.''

 Although there are obvious differences, back in 1954 the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that in order to achieve racial integration in schools, blacks were bused into white schools where the standard of education was much higher. In many cases federal troops were sent in to protect the black students from harassment.

Kelly Williams-Bolar, was trying to achieve, albeit illegally, her own personal quest to afford her kids a better education. Her quest failed, most spectacularly, and not only did she receive jail time and a felony conviction to boot, but she also sacrificed any chance she had at earning a teaching degree to improve her own personal situation. Was it worth the effort?

On the other hand one has to speculate on the "diligence" with which the Copley Township school district pursued this case in hiring a private detective and prosecuting Kelly Williams-Bolar to the fullest extent of the law. Did they do the right thing?

If you would like to find out more about this situation or lend your support click here and also here.

Pediatrician Abuses 103 Children

Dr. Earl B. Bradley, 56, a pediatrician practicing in Lewes, Delaware since 1994 is a parent's worst nightmare. He was originally charged in December 2009 with 33 felony counts, including rape and sexual exploitation of a child. Bradley was accused of videotaping sexual acts with his young patients and molesting them repeatedly while their parents waited in nearby examination rooms. He has been held in the Vaughn Correctional Center on a $2.9 million cash bond. But that was just the tip of the iceberg.

After reviewing more than 13 hours of video files, computers and hard drives and more than 7,000 patient files; a grand jury charged him with the molestation of 103 children. The 160-page indictment describes in detail Bradley's alleged behavior between 1998 and 2009. Among the 471-count indictment includes allegations that Bradley forced children to perform sex acts on him as recently as Dec. 13.

Dr. Bradley came under suspicion after a 2-year-old girl told her mother that Bradley had touched her genitals and "hurt her" during a Dec. 7 appointment.  The girl's mother said that Dr. Bradley had first examined the little girl in her presence and afterwards "removed the victim to the basement of the office, where a toy room is located." The mother was not suspicious and permitted her daughter to be alone with Bradley "because of his position as a doctor" and because she "trusted him."

"The thing that makes this case so troubling and horrific is the alleged abuse of trust in this matter," said  Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden. "These are highly specialized cases where no one in the community could believe someone could do this to a child, to a child who is voiceless."

"I cannot say certain things that I am feeling, and I am feeling a great deal. I am determined to see that this defendant will never, ever be in a position again to hurt another child." 

Dr. Bradley was seen on numerous tapes undressing his patients and performing sex acts on them in the examination room known as "The Pinocchio Room". In another room "The Little Mermaid Room" he was captured on tape muzzling screaming children as they tried to flee the abuse.

Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden ordered the Delaware Department of Justice to remove all the signs and toys, from the front lawn of Dr. Bradley's practice known as BayBees Pediatrics located at 1503 Highway One, Lewes, DE 19958.

"The community should not be faced with the visual reminder of their pain as they go about their daily lives," Biden said. "We hope that removing these outward displays promoting Dr. Bradley's practice, including toys, figurines, vehicles, a lighted sign and billboard is a small step in helping the Lewes community begin the healing process."

If convicted, Bradley faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. He is represented by attorney Eugene Maurer. 

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12-Year-Old Arrested for Doodling

It's one thing when there are disruptive kids in class: - if a fight breaks out, someone brought drugs to school or a knife or a gun - there may be a need to call the cops. But should kids be arrested and placed in handcuffs for doodling on a school desk? Well, Yes!! say the officials at Junior High School 190 in Forest Hills, Queens, NY.

Alexa Gonzalez, a 12-year-old Queens girl, was arrested for writing with a lime green marker the words “I love my friends Abby and Faith” on her desk. She also added “Lex was here. 2/1/10” with a smiley face. She was scribbling those words on her desk while waiting for her Spanish teacher to pass out homework. That was probably the biggest mistake the 12-year-old Alexa ever made in her entire life.

She was led out of school in cuffs and walked to the precinct across the street, where she was detained for several hours, she and her mother said.

"I started crying, like, a lot," said Alexa. "I made two little doodles. ... It could be easily erased. To put handcuffs on me is unnecessary." Alexa, who had a stellar attendance record, hasn't been back to school since, adding, "I just thought I'd get a detention. I thought maybe I would have to clean [the desk]."

What Alexa got was much more than detention. Alexa was suspended from school. She and her mom, Moraima Camacho, had to go to family court, where Alexa was assigned eight hours of community service, a book report and an essay on what she learned from the experience.

City officials acknowledged Alexa's arrest was a mistake and school principal Marilyn Grant has lifted the suspension, although she says that allowing the arrest was not her fault and was something that school policy required her to do.

"Even when we're asked to make an arrest, common sense should prevail, and discretion used in deciding whether an arrest or handcuffs are really necessary," said police spokesman Paul Browne.

In this case neither common sense nor discretion prevailed. One would think that that law enforcement officials would have more important things to do than arresting and traumatizing 12-year-old girls for writing on their school desk.

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Where is Marc Anthony Bookal?

Marc Anthony Bookal, aged 4 of 11 Benkard Ave. in the city of Newburgh, NY has been missing since Dec 14, 2009. His mother, Christina, the police and indeed the entire city is wondering: Where is little Marc?

Marc was last seen around 1pm on Dec. 14. He was in the care of Cory Byrd, 30, Christina Bookal's boyfriend. He said that the little boy had slipped outside while they were getting ready to go visit relatives. Byrd said he followed the boy outside just a few minutes later and found that he had disappeared.

The city of Newburgh Police Dept. were notified and they began an intensive door-to-door search for Marc. That search was later widened. They brought in search dogs, helicopters and received assistance from the NY State police and other agencies. Marc Anthony Bookal has not yet been located.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children issued the following notice regarding the Newburgh youngster:

MARC A BOOKAL
Case Type: Endangered Missing
DOB: Oct 7, 2005	Sex: Male
Missing Date: Dec 14, 2009	Race: Black
Age Now: 4	Height:  3'6" (107 cm)
Missing City: NEWBURGH CITY	Weight:  42 lbs (19 kg)
Missing State :  NY	Hair Color: Brown
Missing Country: United States	Eye Color: Brown
Case Number: NCMC1137211
Circumstances: Marc was last seen at his home on December 14, 2009 at approximately 1:00 p.m. He has a gap between his front teeth. Marc's skin is discolored on the back of each hand. He was last seen wearing a red long-sleeved shirt, gray Rocawear sweatpants, and white Nike sneakers.

The day after admitting that 4-year-old Marc Bookal went missing while under his care, Cory Byrd was arrested by the City of Newburgh police on misdemeanor child endangerment charges. Byrd was also charged with violation of parole. He was arraigned in City Court and sent to the Orange County Jail in lieu of $2,500 bail or $2,500 bond on the misdemeanor charge, but he won't be able to leave the jail while his parole violation proceeding is pending.

Cory Byrd has a violent criminal record with at least one incident involving his own child.

Cory Byrd served five years and five months in state prison for the 2002 attack of an 18-year-old. Now 25 years old, the victim in that attack remembers Byrd as a “vicious animal” who brutally beat him and slashed his face even though he did everything Byrd asked.

The young man, who asked that his name be withheld, had come from out of town and stopped on Benkard Avenue to buy $10 worth of marijuana. Byrd and another man got in his car and stuck a gun against his ribs. They told him to drive. He was taken to a secluded street and they beat him nearly unconscious before Byrd delivered a final blow. It looked like a punch, but Byrd had a knife in his fist and opened a gash that split the young man's face from his right eye to his left ear.

“After I got cut, they left me there to die,” the young man said.

Doctors at Westchester Medical Center needed about 250 stitches to close the 7-inch gash.

At the request of the police Christina, the boy's mother, and Yul Bookal, the boy's biological father both took a polygraph test. Both were found to be truthful in their responses said Police Sgt. Paul Weber.

The police made a similar request of Cory Byrd through his lawyer, Erik Indzonka. However, according to his lawyer, Byrd has refused to participate.

In the meantime two anonymous donors have stepped up and offered a reward for information leading to the safe return of 4-year-old Marc Bookal. One donor offered $10,000 while the second one offered $5,000.

One other donor, the Carlie’s Crusade Foundation has also added $1,000 to the reward increasing the amount offered to $16,000. However, echoing what has been unsaid so far, the money is offered for the safe return of 4-year-old Marc Bookal or the recovery of his remains. 

Anyone who wishes to contribute to the Carlie's Crusade reward may contact www.CarliesCrusade.org or at (800)496-6720 or 309-2961. Donations are in addition to the organization's contribution and tax deductible, officials said. To report any information about Bookal's whereabouts, call City of Newburgh police at 561-3131.

 

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