Ouachita Sheriff makes arrest in death of child
MONROE, La. (KNOE 8 News & OPSO)- The ongoing investigation by Ouachita Sheriff?s Investigators of a reported child drowning July 3rd has led to an arrest.
Russell E. Flowers, age 59, of Monroe has been arrested.
Ouachita Deputies responded to a report of the drowning during the afternoon of July 3rd. The resulting investigation has led to the arrest of the suspect.
According to the police report obtained by KNOE, Clarissa Hector reported that her daughter, Brooklyn Scout Brister, had drowned in the Ouachita River behind her residence on Hooter Road in Monroe.
Initially, police were told the girl had fallen out of some trees along the river into the water. Hector told police she turned her back for a moment when the girl fell. She said she then pulled the child from the water, forced water out of her mouth, then took her inside and put her in a warm bath because she was cold.
According to the report, Hector called 911 and performed CPR, but never changed the child's clothes. When police arrived Brister had already been taken to University Health in Monroe where she was pronounced dead.
In the days that followed, police interviewed other children living at the residence and placed them in foster care. The children initially told authorities their sister had drowned, but later admitted they told that story so they wouldn't be taken away. Two of the children said they were whipped with a belt by Flowers, and placed in warm water so the bruises would be less visible. A six year-old says Brister was whipped the day of the incident and then told to get in a tub of hot water.
Tuesday, Clarissa Hector admitted that she lied about the drowning in the river because Flowers, who owns and lives at the residence, threatened to kill her if she did not lie.
In the police report, Hector says she saw Flowers striking the child with a belt and tried to stop him by grabbing the belt. Flowers got struck in the eye as a result and he pushed her down.
She says Flowers forced her daughter to lie with her stomach in the water for about five minutes, while Flowers held a gun to Clarissa's head. Hector says the child's face at some point was submerged in the water, until Flowers removed the girl from the tub.
From there, Flowers performed CPR and told Hector to call 911 and told her to lie or he would kill her and the other children. Flowers is father to one of the children, but not Brooklyn.
The report says a preliminary autopsy report shows the child had belt marks on her legs. Her brain was swollen, and the pathologist says she died from heat exposure. There were no signs of water in the child's lungs or of sexual abuse.
Hector says she was in extreme fear and that she had been abused in the past. Previous police reports confirm a history of domestic abuse involving Flowers.
Meanwhile, family has set up a Go Fund Me account to pay for Brooklyn Scout Brister's funeral expenses. A link to that site is posted with this story.
Flowers has been booked, and is currently being held in OCC on the charges of 2nd Degree Murder and Domestic Violence Abuse Aggravated Assault. The investigation is continuing. No bond has been set.
KNOE spoke with an expert on domestic abuse who says Hector's fear of Flowers was legitimate. Terrie Queen Autrey with the Domestic Abuse Resistance Team in Ruston says fear is one of the main reason women stay in abusive situations.
"That fear is well founded because when a woman leaves an abusive relationship, her risk of being murdered is increased by 75 percent," said Autrey.
Autrey says this tragic situation could have been prevented. DART and other domestic violence programs provide assistance to victims of abuse and their children. Many times these services are free and confidential.
"Until they can decide what their next step will be, they have a safe place to think," said Autrey.
She says these victims need to reach out for help before they find themselves in an even more violent situation.
"Is that others will hear of this story, read of this story and know I've been living with this and I've been afraid to get out, but i'm not going to let this happen to my family. i'm going to go and get some help," said Autrey.
http://www.knoe.com/home/headlines/S...vice=phone&c=y
Go Fund Me
http://www.gofundme.com/BrooklynBrister
Obit
http://www.richlandtoday.com/obituar...-scout-brister
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