DALYIRE McFADDEN - 1 yo - Baltimore MD

Invited over to help celebrate his son's first birthday, 25-year-old Hari P. Close III had been a no-show.
But
overnight Tuesday, Close crept into the home where his son lived and
climbed into bed with the boy's mother, records show. On Wednesday
morning, 1-year-old Dalyire Damion McFadden was missing, and he was
later found by police wrapped in a deflated air mattress in the
basement. He had been stabbed in the neck, police say.
Close, who
was an aspiring male model, was charged Thursday with first-degree
murder in his son's death and was being held without bond. Police say he
admitted hiding bloody evidence, which was later foundwith the murder weapon.
The arrest stunned Close's father, a well-known funeral home director
in the city and president of the state morticians' board. He said he
never saw any signs that his son was troubled.
"He's been raised
in a Christian church, a two-parent home, with great opportunities for
education," said Hari P. Close II. "Who really knows their children? All
we can do is pray."
Police said they were called to the home of
the boy's 23-year-old mother in the 2700 block of Riggs Ave. in
Southwest Baltimore for a report that Dalyire had been abducted.
Officers found a pool of blood in an upstairs bedroom and followed a
blood trail to the basement, charging documents show.
There, they
found Dalyire's body wrapped in a deflated air mattress, in a pool of
blood, according to records. He had suffered multiple stab wounds to the
neck area and was not breathing.
The boy's mother, Jessica
McFadden, told detectives she had asked Close to come over to celebrate
Dalyire's birthday, records show. Close never responded to the
invitation, and later McFadden locked the doors and went to bed.
But
early Wednesday, McFadden awoke to the sound of the boy crying and saw
Close carrying him out of her bedroom, according to court records. She
said she did not know how he got inside. Close returned the child to the
bedroom and got into bed with McFadden and spent the rest of the night
with her, records show.
When McFadden walked her 6-year-old son to
a nearby school, Close also left the residence, traveling west on
Riggs, she said. Dalyire had been left alone on a bed in the master
bedroom.
When McFadden returned 10 minutes later, the boy was
missing. She searched the home without finding him and then called
police. Police officers discovered the boy's body behind the closed
basement door.
Attempts to reach McFadden on Thursday were not
successful. Police say McFadden had been extensively questioned
Wednesday night, but she is not facing charges.
Close has no
criminal record other than traffic tickets. He attended the Piney Woods
School in Mississippi, a boarding school for African-Americans where
tuition runs between $7,000 and $15,000 per year. He then went on to
attend the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, though his father said he did not graduate.
According to his Facebook page, Close billed himself as a male model.
"My
ultimate goal is to make my mark within this modeling industry and
become the worlds top super model," he wrote on the page.
Seth
London, a New York-based photographer, said he worked with Close, who
seemed to be a "good kid." They kept in touch after doing a photo shoot
and had communicated as recently as a few days ago, London said.
"He had told me he was on a break from modeling because he was trying to get his personal life in order," London said.
Close's father said he was working at the funeral home, where he helped with operations and transportation.
Police
records show that McFadden told police that Close had harmed Dalyire in
the past, once attempting to choke him. In April, McFadden told police
he'd bitten the boy on the ear. An officer was sent to the scene, but
saw no signs of injury to the child and said the child did not appear to
be upset. Close was not there, and the officer marked the case
"unfounded." Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the officer gave
McFadden a form outlining how to get help.
Molly McGrath, the
director of the city's social services agency, did not have firsthand
knowledge of the April call to police, but said it appeared to have been
handled correctly. She said the agency did not have any history with
McFadden or Close.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-infant-killing-arrest-20110908,0,5522037.story