Apr 17, 2009 3:44 pm US/Central
Boyfriend Charged In Elwood Baby's Death
ELWOOD, Ill. (Sun-Times Media Wire) ―
A southwest suburban man has been charged with the fatal beating of the 18-month-old daughter of the live-in girlfriend he met over the Internet.
Halli R. Burton, 18-months, of Elwood, formerly of White Hall, Ill., was pronounced dead at 8:05 p.m. Wednesday at Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, according to the Will County Coroner's office.
Preliminary autopsy results found Halli suffered blunt force trauma to the head and her death was ruled a homicide, according to the coroner's office.
On Friday, Elwood police announced that Lee K. Ponshe, 25, of 503 Beattie St. was arrested late Thursday night and charged with first-degree murder in the case. He is expected to appear in bond court Friday afternoon.
The victim is the daughter of a woman Ponshe met over the Internet, according to a release from Elwood police. Halli and her mother had moved in with Ponshe on Monday, according to police.
Elwood paramedics responded at 7:40 p.m.Wednesday to a 911 call of an unresponsive child, the release said. Halli was taken to Provena St. Joseph, where she was pronounced dead, police said.
Elwood police and Will County Sheriff's deputies executed a search warrant at the Beattie Street address Thursday evening, and Ponshe was arrested later that night.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2009. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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