In the city of Philadelphia, an emergency 911 call was placed from an apartment on Chestnut Street. The caller claimed that a young child had fallen out of a window and required immediate medical assistance. Paramedics rushed to the scene, but upon their arrival, they discovered the report was entirely false. Instead of a fall from a window, the godmother of the child claimed that the little boy had fallen down the stairs.
The godmother was Nadira Batson. The victim was a three-year-old boy named Jaquin Brutin. His biological mother, Ashley, had previously handed her son over to Nadira. In March of 2011, Ashley and her other children were moving into a homeless shelter. Needing assistance during a difficult transition, Ashley entrusted Jaquin to Nadira, believing she was a friend who would care for him. Later, a dispute arose between Ashley and Nadira over the legal custody of the boy. Ashley last spoke to her son in May of 2011 and did not see him again until his hospitalization in 2013.
Marcus King, who was Nadira’s boyfriend, began dating her in 2009, and the couple moved in together shortly thereafter. During this period, Marcus briefly met Ashley. Jaquin was Nadira’s godson, and for a time, Nadira and Marcus lived with Ashley and all of her children. In January of 2011, when Nadira and Marcus relocated to a room on Chestnut Street, Jaquin moved with them. At that time, he was three years old.
From that period until his death, Jaquin possessed a limited vocabulary of approximately 10 to 30 words. He called everyone, including Marcus and Nadira, by the name “Mom.” Marcus acknowledged that during the months when Ashley lived with them, he occasionally put his hands on the child. He also claimed that he witnessed Nadira strike Jaquin almost daily. These actions were reportedly taken in response to Jaquin touching objects he was not supposed to touch.
Furthermore, Jaquin was not potty trained when he came to live with Nadira. She would physically hurt him to punish his failures to use his toilet trainer. On a few occasions, Marcus intervened to stop the abuse, which he considered excessive. Marcus claimed he noticed burns on Jaquin’s feet and purchased burn cream and gauze to treat the injuries. Marcus and Nadira discussed taking the boy to the hospital for the burns on his feet, but they decided against it out of fear that they might be arrested if they did so.
One or two months later, Jaquin missed his toilet trainer and defecated onto the floor. In response, Nadira burned his buttocks with a blowtorch that Marcus had brought home from his job. Marcus grabbed Jaquin, took him to the bathroom, and ran cold water over his buttocks. As he did so, layers of skin came off in the flow of the water. Marcus dressed the wound with burn cream and gauze.
The night before Jaquin was taken to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, also known as CHOP, in June of 2011, the boy had trouble falling asleep and kept getting out of his bed. Nadira got out of her bed, began shouting at him, abused him, and forced him to go to sleep.
One of the neighbors who lived in the apartment building at the time when Jaquin was under Nadira’s care noted that the building had shared bathroom and kitchen areas. His room was located directly next to Nadira’s. On several occasions, he heard Nadira refer to Jaquin with profanity. In the weeks leading up to Jaquin’s death, there were several midday episodes where loud music would play from Nadira’s room. Underneath the music, the neighbor could hear the sound of lashes, yelling, and crying. He also heard Nadira say:
“Move your hands.”
“Stop crying.”
“Shut up.”
“Sit still.”
These episodes occurred approximately four times a week and lasted for about one hour each time. At one point, the neighbor’s girlfriend was with him in his room during one of these episodes. The combination of loud music, screaming, crying, and the distinct sound of lashes made her upset. She forced her boyfriend to go to Nadira’s door and knock. When Nadira answered, the neighbor spoke to her.
“Look, this has been going on for a while. Turn the music off.”
At that moment, Nadira stopped. On a similar occasion, the neighbor’s door was cracked open, and through the small opening, he saw Nadira and Jaquin walking to the communal bathroom. He heard Nadira speaking on the phone.
“This little [ __ ] [ __ ] the bed.”
Troubled by what he witnessed through his cracked door, the neighbor visited the website for the Department of Human Services, known as DHS, to learn how to make an anonymous tip about suspected child abuse. He also sent a text message to his landlord in hopes that the landlord might intervene and end the abuse. In the text message, he wrote:
“Look, I’m not trying to get involved in other people’s business, but this woman abuses her kid nonstop and this [ __ ] just doesn’t seem healthy to me.”
At approximately 1:00 a.m. in June of 2011, Lieutenant Dwayne Kondrad of the Philadelphia Fire Department was assigned to respond to an emergency call claiming that a child had fallen down the stairs on Chestnut Street. When Lieutenant Kondrad arrived, he proceeded to Nadira’s room on the fourth floor of the apartment building. There, he saw three-year-old Jaquin Brutin. The boy was dressed only in a diaper, displayed no vital signs, and appeared to be deceased. Lieutenant Kondrad spoke with Nadira, who provided her account of the event.
“I saw Jaquin fall down the stairs, stand up, and then slump against the wall.”
Lieutenant Kondrad observed that Jaquin had multiple dark markings across his torso and arms. Jaquin was transported to the hospital, where he spent two weeks before succumbing to his wounds. Philadelphia Police Officer Tamika Terry of the Special Victims Unit took a formal statement from Nadira. In that statement, Nadira reiterated her claim that Jaquin had injured himself by falling down a flight of stairs, and suggested that he might have burnt his feet by stepping into a hot bath.
Christine Biggs, a trauma nurse practitioner at CHOP, provided expert testimony regarding her treatment of Jaquin when he arrived at the emergency room. She noticed multiple bruises, cuts, and skin marks covering his face and body. As part of compiling his medical records, she took detailed photographs of his numerous wounds. She noted that the injuries were at various stages of healing; some had progressed to scars, while others remained open wounds or active bruises.
Jaquin’s body was very lean, and his abdomen was severely swollen and distended. He had several partially healed injuries where small pieces of skin appeared to be missing. She observed a burn on Jaquin’s buttocks and, based on its state of healing, estimated it to be around one week old. The burn did not appear to be from a hot object, which would typically leave a defined shape or imprint, nor did it match a hot liquid, which would leave splash marks appearing as dots around the main burn area. She determined that the injury was likely caused by an open flame.
On both of Jaquin’s feet, Christine Biggs observed healed second-degree burns. These were caused by a hot liquid, characterized by splash marks around the periphery of the burn area and on his lower legs. The tops of his feet were burned, but the bottoms remained completely uninjured. This pattern is inconsistent with stepping into a hot bathtub, as stepping into scalding water would cause burn marks on the soles of the feet as well. Nadira had claimed that spilled hot liquid in the bathroom caused the injuries.
Christine Biggs described Jaquin’s pancreas injury as a laceration following severe bruising, and noted a similar wound to his spleen. When she questioned Nadira about the injuries to Jaquin’s feet, Nadira claimed that the boy had been taken to another local hospital for treatment. Regarding the buttocks injury, Nadira offered an explanation.
“Jaquin burned his buttocks by sitting on a hot blowtorch.”
When asked if she meant a cigarette lighter, Nadira insisted on her description.
“No, no, no, no. It was a blowtorch.”
Nadira also informed Christine Biggs that Jaquin had thrown up green vomit the prior week. The nurse practitioner noted that this symptom was entirely consistent with a serious pancreas injury, which can cause bile to appear in a patient’s vomit. Nadira further stated that Jaquin had not possessed much of an appetite in the preceding weeks, which also aligned with the clinical presentation of a pancreatic injury.
Dr. Albert Rosen, an associate medical examiner for the city of Philadelphia, gave expert testimony regarding the autopsy he performed on Jaquin. As part of his forensic investigation, he reviewed the hospital records from the boy’s stay in Philadelphia prior to being pronounced dead. Dr. Rosen noted several unshaped scars across the body. He also reviewed hospital X-ray results indicating a potential healing fracture in Jaquin’s lower left arm.
Dr. Rosen explained that pancreatic injuries, such as the one Jaquin suffered, can cause systemic damage to other abdominal organs. When pancreatic fluids leak into the abdomen, they can cause hypotension and cardiocirculatory impairment. This deprives other organs of necessary bloodborne oxygen. In response, the brain vasodilates to call for more blood, becoming swollen with deoxygenated blood. This mechanism accounted for the severe swelling found in the boy’s brain at the time of death.
Dr. Rosen also described a linear pattern of scarring on Jaquin’s legs and left arm. This pattern was consistent with the application of the metal tines of a comb that investigators recovered from the residence. Furthermore, the medical examiner found no signs of an immersion burn, which would occur from stepping into hot bathwater. Instead, the burn scars on the tops of Jaquin’s feet were consistent with a scalding liquid being poured directly over them.
The healing fracture to Jaquin’s left arm was consistent with an instinctive reaction to reach out and break a fall. Numerous internal organs, including his pancreas, left adrenal gland, and liver, showed extensive fibrosis. This condition was consistent with a rupture of the pancreas that allowed digestive enzymes to escape into the abdominal cavity, severely irritating the surrounding organs.
Dr. Rosen concluded that the injury to the pancreas was entirely inconsistent with a fall down a flight of stairs. Instead, the trauma was consistent with a focused, concentrated force applied directly to the abdominal area, similar to a child falling onto the handlebars of a bicycle or being struck forcefully in the abdomen by a person’s hand or a hard object. He concluded that the abdominal wounds were deliberately inflicted by another person. Because the pancreas is situated deep in the middle of the body, it is rarely injured in this directed manner during a fall down stairs. Stairway falls typically result in injuries to the head and extremities rather than the central abdomen. The medical examiner determined that the cause of Jaquin’s death was blunt impact trauma, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.
In July of 2011, Detective Ronald Saracco tested the hot water temperature in the bathroom next to Nadira’s room. He found that when running only the sink’s hot water for 15 to 20 seconds, the temperature reached 132°F, and it did not burn his hand upon contact. He tested the bathtub faucet in the exact same fashion, which registered at 109°F. During the search of the residence, police recovered several items, including multiple lighters and a flexible neck torch.
Reflecting on the investigation, Police Captain James Clark noted that the little boy took all the pain he could until he could no longer survive his injuries. He stated it was one of the saddest cases he had ever witnessed in his 22 years on the force, noting that seeing the photographs of the injuries was truly heartbreaking.
During the trial, Nadira sat in court consulting with her defense attorney while District Attorney Bridget Kirn detailed the allegations for the court. The prosecution outlined how Nadira and her boyfriend, Marcus King, had systematically abused Jaquin by repeatedly attacking and burning him until he lapsed into a coma and died.
“He was small, he was frail, and he was brave. He didn’t have that many words, but he could feel pain, and he did.”
Only a few weeks after Jaquin’s death, Nadira rejected a plea offer from the prosecution. The deal would have resulted in a sentence of 30 to 60 years in prison, but by rejecting it, she faced a maximum penalty of life without the possibility of parole. Marcus King had already pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and agreed to testify against Nadira in exchange for a reduced sentence.
District Attorney Kirn described to the court how the abuse of the child began almost immediately after he moved in. Fists, hot water, belts, shoes, and hairbrushes were used to inflict injury from head to toe. The prosecutor then turned to Marcus’s defense attorney, Lee Mandell, and requested Marcus to stand up to demonstrate his physical stature to the courtroom. Marcus stood 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighed 270 pounds. The prosecution presented him to the jury.
“Look at Marcus King. He’s huge. Then you tell me if you think he’s the one that inflicted these fatal wounds to this child.”
The defense argued that Marcus was the primary culprit rather than Nadira. Lee Mandell told the courtroom that it was unreasonable to suggest Nadira intended to kill Jaquin when she had willingly welcomed him into her home and agreed to care for him. He asked the jury not to allow their natural sympathy for Jaquin to overshadow what he argued was a lack of direct evidence against his client.
Through videotaped testimony, another neighbor came forward to corroborate the descriptions provided by other residents. They testified about sending text messages to the police and the landlord regarding the frequent sounds of lashes, whipping noises, yelling, and crying emanating from the apartment. The witness confirmed that the abuse occurred at least four times a week and would frequently awaken neighbors in the middle of the night, often accompanied by loud music.
When Marcus King took the stand, he testified that he rarely touched Jaquin, claiming instead that Nadira was responsible for the physical discipline.
In December of 2013, the 25-year-old Nadira was sentenced to up to 57 years in prison for third-degree murder. Judge Barbara McDermott presided over the sentencing.
“Ninety-nine out of one hundred Philadelphia citizens would agree that what Nadira has done was pure evil.”
Marcus King, having pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, received a sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison.
The horrific nature of the crime prompted a comprehensive investigation into the Department of Human Services by long-time social workers. According to the resulting report, DHS missed several scheduled visits to check on the welfare of the child. The report alleged that timely intervention could have uncovered the ongoing abuse taking place within the home.
During the trial, Police Officer Theresa Sanas testified about an encounter she had with Nadira and Jaquin. She struggled with emotion as she expressed her profound regret to the jury, wishing she had been able to save the boy. Officer Sanas and her partner had spotted Nadira pushing Jaquin in a stroller inside a pharmacy just days before his death. On that afternoon, Jaquin’s unkempt appearance drew her attention. His thick hair was far too long for the warm weather, and he appeared heavily overdressed in jeans and a long-sleeve shirt. Furthermore, he was wearing only one shoe, and his left foot, which was covered in a sock, appeared visibly swollen.
Officer Sanas walked over to Nadira and questioned her about a visible mark. Nadira dismissed the concern.
“Oh, he is only getting these things. It’s nothing.”
Using her professional judgment, Officer Sanas sensed that something was amiss. In court, she explained that she radioed for a supervisor, but the supervisor was unavailable at that moment. She then placed numerous calls to DHS, but no one answered the line. She left a detailed message with the agency.
Hoping to assist, she provided Nadira with the address of a local barber who cut children’s hair for free. She also recorded Nadira’s phone number and address to conduct a follow-up check. Officer Sanas stated that she attempted to call Nadira approximately nine times that same day to verify the boy’s welfare, but she did not physically travel to the Chestnut Street residence. When she returned to duty three days later, she learned that Jaquin had been hospitalized and declared brain dead.
“It made me feel that I could have done a whole lot more.”
City and state reports, alongside interviews with Jaquin’s biological mother, Ashley, revealed that DHS had established months prior that Jaquin was missing from his mother’s care and living elsewhere with Nadira. However, the agency did not initiate a search or notify the police that the child might be in danger, which constituted a direct violation of DHS policy.
A DHS manager had learned that Jaquin was unaccounted for while investigating an unrelated report of neglect made against Nadira. During that initial investigation, Ashley informed DHS that she had placed her son with Nadira when she relocated to a homeless shelter.
“I needed help. I thought she was my friend, so I gave him to her.”
According to official reports, Ashley informed DHS that she was no longer in contact with Nadira following a personal dispute. She explained that she did not know the exact apartment number but knew that Nadira resided somewhere on Chestnut Street.
Nadira remains incarcerated serving her sentence, while Marcus King’s subsequent applications for parole have been denied, ensuring he remains in prison.
