Mom Caught Disposing Of Son's Body - Omaha, Nebraksa

[Nut44x4]

Prosecutor: Mom Caught Disposing Of Son's Body
Graphic Details Part Of Court Appearance

http://www.kcci.com/news/20088605/detail.html

OMAHA, Neb.-- Details of murder charges against an Omaha mother were revealed in court on Thursday.

Angela Manns is charged in the death of her son, Michael Belitz, 12.

"There was a hatchet, a boning knife and goggles on the counter," said Douglas County, Neb., Attorney Don Kleine. "Circumstantial evidence tells us there was premeditation in this case."  Kleine said Manns got caught while she was in the middle of getting rid of her son's body. He said that when officers found Belitz in her house, he was in a bathtub with duct tape holding his legs and wrists together. Cat litter was covering his decomposing body to help cover the smell.

Kleine said police believe Belitz had been there for up to two weeks.

"I don't know how anybody can do that to their own children," said Michael's father, Lenny Belitz.

He said Manns would drink herself into fits of rage.

"She lost it and she was probably drunk or something," he said.

A Community Mourns

As a memorial set up near the house where Belitz's decomposing body was found on Monday continues to grow, even small children are working to pay respects. A 5-year-old named Persia placed a plush duck at the memorial.

"That's one of her favorite stuffed animals," said Persia's uncle, Michael Johnson. "She said, 'I'm going to miss it,' but she still wanted to put it down. She just knows that something bad happened to the little boy."

Belitz just finished sixth grade at Minne Lusa Elementary School. Grief counselors were scheduled to be at the school on Friday to help children cope.

A community candlelight vigil is also planned for 6 p.m. at the school.

How Could This Happen?

Experts said it was an improbable case in which everyone from neighbors to the child welfare system were found lacking.

"Red flags were all over the place," said Peg Harriott of the Child Saving Institute.

State officials confirmed that Manns called a child abuse and neglect hot line.

Kleine said that Manns was afraid that something bad would happen to her or her son if she didn't get help. He said there was no record of abuse, neglect or concern over Michael's safety.

Harriott said the state was only one of several entities that could have spotted something wrong.

"There's so much positive going on where systems are working closely together, specifically for domestic violence and child abuse, that it just saddens my heart to know that this family didn't get what they needed," Harriott said.

In Lincoln, officials with the Health and Human Services Department declined to go on camera to discuss the case. In a statement, it said, "As a result of this incident, we'll review our processes to make sure they are working as intended to respond to concerns about a child's safety and well-being."

Harriott said the case should give the entire community pause.

"It's our responsibility to figure out what happened here and how this does not happen to another child," she said.

She said that she wasn't sure whether the old Safe Haven Law might have helped in Manns' situation with her son.

State Sen. Gwen Howard said she'd recently asked the new HHS director to put a priority on seniority and experience in case manager positions. She said that's helpful in dealing with cases like Manns'.

Help Is Available

Agencies are available for any family in need of help. The Boys Town National Hotline can take calls at 800-448-3000. Families can also call the Child Saving Institute at 866-400-4CSI or Heartland Family Services at 800-523-3666.

[Nut44x4]

Original story >>>...

Police: Missing Boy Prime Concern After Body Found
Investigation Continues At North Omaha Home

UPDATED: 4:12 pm CDT July 13, 2009

OMAHA, Neb. -- Neighbors said the odor and the flies tipped them off that something was wrong inside an Omaha house. They called police Sunday.

Officers arrived to check on the well-being of Angela Manns, who is now in the medical ward of Douglas County Corrections, and her 12-year-old son.

Police found Manns inside with a severely decomposing body.

It may take a week of investigating dental records before the body can be identified. Neighbors have been left with a sickening feeling; they know they haven't seen the boy, Michael Belitz, in almost a month.

Manns has not been charged, but police said they are holding her on suspicion of first-degree murder.

Her son is still missing. Neighbors have not seen the boy since June 17. They last saw his mom about a week later.

"I haven't seen no activity go on in that house for like a week," said Melissa Mereno. "We haven't seen no cars come in and out of that driveway ... no traffic, nothing."

For the past 24 hours, detectives and crime lab technicians have been combing the house with cameras, stainers and even six orange buckets for evidence collection.

"We don't really know, it kind of makes me feel sick to my stomach," said a neighbor who refused to be identified.
http://www.kcci.com/news/20037698/detail.html

[Nut44x4]

Mother Charged With Murder In Son's Death
Angela Manns' Daughter Says She Suspects Abuse, Neglect
POSTED: 6:20 pm CDT July 15, 2009

OMAHA, Neb. -- Douglas County attorney Don Kleine has filed a first-degree murder charge against a mother in connection with the death of her 12-year-old son.
 
Angela Manns, 46, is accused of killing Michael Belitz, whose decomposing body was found in Manns' home at 28th Avenue and Ida Street on Sunday.

Manns' oldest daughter, who asked to be identified only as Carrie, said she last saw her brother a year ago. She said her mother wouldn't let Michael spend time with her.

She said that she suspects her mother was abusing or neglecting her brother and said she repeatedly asked social workers to check on him dozens of times.

Carrie said that her mother battled an alcohol addiction for close to 30 years.

"Obviously, she needed some help financially and mentally," she said. "She didn't ask for that help. If she would have asked, we would have helped her."

KETV NewsWatch 7's Farrah Fazal asked Carrie if she thought her mother killed Michael.

"I hope to God she didn't, but the way it's going, yes. In some form, yes," she said.

Carrie is the legal guardian for her 17-year-old sister. The girl lived with their mother until a few years ago.

"I wish I was Michael's guardian so he would still be here."

She said that she and her husband plan to ask Michael's biological father to make burial arrangements. She said she may also asked her church to help raise money for funeral expenses.

"He was loved. He was a wonderful friend and uncle," she said. "He will be missed."
http://www.ketv.com/news/20066740/detail.html

[Nut44x4]

Angela Manns Asked About Foster Care, Agency Says
HHS: Manns Called In March
POSTED: 12:26 pm CDT July 17, 2009

OMAHA, Neb. -- An Omaha woman charged in the death of her 12-year-old son had called a child-abuse caseworker in March to ask about placing the boy in foster care.

An official with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services on Friday confirmed the call placed by 46-year-old Angela Manns. Manns was arraigned Thursday in Douglas County Court on a first-degree murder charge in the death of 12-year-old Michael Belitz.

Health and Human Services said Manns left a message at the end of March asking about foster care and other options. The agency says a caseworker called back and left a message but didn't hear back from Manns.
http://www.ketv.com/news/20089789/detail.html

[Nut44x4]

Posted: 1:55 PM Feb 3, 2010

June Trial Date Set For Mom Accused Of Killing Son   
Decomposing body of 12-year-old found in bathtub

The Omaha mother accused of killing her son whose decomposing body was found in the bathtub of her home last July was bound over for trial Wednesday.

Angela Manns, who was deemed competent to stand trial on Monday, has a pretrial motion hearing scheduled for May 6th. Her trial for first-degree murder is set to begin on June 1st.

The body of 12-year-old Michael Belitz was found in the residence at 28th and Ida Street. He had been bound in duct tape and covered with kitty litter.

The body had been there for several weeks. Officials said it was so badly decomposed they couldn't figure out the cause of death. Police removed buckets of evidence including a knife, hatchet and goggles.

http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/83470797.html

[FlGRLFVR29]

no matter what addictions you have , there is no excuse for such  horrific behavior, instead of being in a medical ward , she should be strapped to the chair, no child deserves this   this world sure is filled with a lot of evil things

[Nut44x4]

Estate of decomposed Neb. boy files claim
Associated Press - July 10, 2010 2:25 PM ET

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The estate of a 12-year-old boy, whose decomposing body was found in his mother's home last summer, believes state officials are partly to blame for his death.

The estate of Michael Belitz filed a claim with the state saying the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services ignored reports of abuse and failed to follow-up with the boy's mother after she requested help.

If the claim is denied, the boy's estate will be allowed to file a lawsuit.

The boy's body was found in his mother's bathtub in July 2009 with his wrists and legs bound together with duct tape. Belitz' mother, Angela Manns, has been charged with first-degree murder and is awaiting trial.

http://www.action3news.com/Global/story.asp?S=12785042

[MuffyBee]

http://www.ketv.com/r/24531281/detail.html
(With Video)
Details Emerge In Angela Manns Arrest
Mother Charged With Killing Son, 12
POSTED: 5:51 pm CDT August 5, 2010
UPDATED: 10:39 am CDT August 6, 2010

OMAHA, Neb. --
A hearing in the case of a mother accused of killing her 12-year-old son and letting his body decompose in the family home began with testimony from the first officers who responded to the scene.

Angela Manns is charged in the death of Michael Belitz in July 2009.

In direct testimony and through unsealed search warrants, Omaha police officers described the steps they took at the crime scene that led to the discovery of Belitz's remains.

Police said they first went to the home after a neighbor reported not hearing from Manns or Belitz for more than a week.

Officers said they saw flies swarming inside Manns' home at North 28th Avenue and Ida Street. They said they first went into the home after officers smelled a foul odor from outside the house. They said the odor was consistent with a decomposing body.

Once inside, officers said they saw a discolored human foot sticking out from under a dark, plastic cover in a bathtub. They said they also found a hatchet, a knife, goggles and buckets, pieces of bone and pieces of hair.

Also in court and in the police affidavit, officers said they saw Angela Manns' Dodge Stratus drive past the home at the same time of the investigation. They said it didn't stop to see why officers were at the house.

Manns was found behind the wheel when the car was stopped at 30th and Bondesson streets. She was taken into custody. Police said they found cat litter and high-yield fertilizer in the car, along with a court summons document and a letter from child protective services.

Police said during the interview, Manns told them that her son was in Tennessee with her half-brother. A call to Tennessee determined that the half-brother hadn't seen Manns or her son for three years.

Defense attorneys said they hope to keep a lot of the details of the police reports out of the trial. They claim that officers didn't have probable cause to enter the house.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100806/NEWS97/708069903/1009408
Details revealed in boy's slaying
August 6, 2010

Angela Manns asked for a cup of coffee before her interview inside a gray room on the fourth floor of Omaha Police Headquarters.

The cops had pulled her over for speeding moments after she rolled past her house at 2857 Ida St., saw the cruisers parked outside and bolted.

They had already found her son's rotting corpse inside the house, in the bathtub.

Manns agreed to go downtown to talk. She wasn't under arrest.

Now a video camera rolled while homicide Detective Christopher Spencer asked questions. He wanted to know about Manns' background and her medications.

He wanted answers about the whereabouts of her 12-year-old son, Michael Belitz.

Manns said the boy was in White House, Tenn., with her half brother, Jimmy Arbogast. She told the detective how to reach him.

Wrong number.

The detective took Manns' cell phone and looked up the number himself. Arbogast picked up the line this time.

But he told the detective he hadn't seen Manns, or her youngest son, for at least three years.

These and other details from the first few hours of the Michael Belitz homicide investigation — pulled from court testimony, documents and investigation files — are now at the center of a legal battle that could affect what information jurors hear if Manns ever faces trial.

A little more than one year after the homicide case began, the defense team assigned to the 47-year-old woman wants Douglas County District Judge Mark Ashford to throw out all of the authorities' findings from the first few hours of the investigation.

The defense believes the discovery of Michael's body, statements Manns made to police and evidence seized from subsequent search warrants were all obtained without sufficient probable cause. Her eventual arrest was also unconstitutional, the defense argues.

Manns said nothing aloud during a court hearing Thursday. She occasionally whispered to her defense team. She sat alone in the courtroom during a recess, shoulders trembling as she drank a cup of water.

“My argument would be that at the time she was detained, there was no probable cause to detain her,” said Gary Olson, an assistant public defender for Douglas County. Arguments on the motion to suppress the evidence will resume next week.

Officer Philip Anson was the first person inside Manns' white house on July 12, 2009.

He was barely out of the police academy that Sunday afternoon, training in the field with a seasoned officer, when a neighbor called 911 because she hadn't seen the mother or son for a week. Another recruit-officer team joined Anson and his partner at the scene.

“That's when we … both noticed just a horrible, strong odor coming through the windows,” Anson said in court on Thursday. “I've never smelled anything like that before.”

Every window was blackened by flies, he said. No one answered when the officers banged on doors and windows.

“We just knew something wasn't right,” he said. The officers contacted their commanding sergeant, who authorized their entry into the house.

Anson used a chair to boost himself through a bedroom window on the house's west side and was immediately swarmed by flies as he entered.

He drew his pistol, looked to his left and glanced inside the adjoining bathroom. Something inside the tub was covered with a black plastic garbage bag.

“Are you OK?” Anson said his fellow officers asked him once he unlocked the front door. “You look like a ghost.”

A human leg and foot, both rotted almost to the bone, protruded from the plastic and black water in the tub. Kitty litter had been spread on the corpse. There were buckets in the bathroom, too, along with a small hatchet.

The officers searched the rest of the house for anyone else, then exited to secure the scene for homicide investigators.

“I've never seen anything like that before,” Anson said. Manns was detained a couple of hours later.

The items authorities found inside her maroon Dodge Stratus included unopened bags of kitty litter, bug spray, a filled 2.5-gallon gas can and a bottle of Prozac.

Inside the house they found rubber gloves and surgical masks, fly swatters, safety glasses and knives. They also found letters from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and her bankruptcy attorneys.

Spencer, the homicide detective, testified that after speaking with Manns' half brother, he advised her of her Miranda rights.

She said she understood.

He continued to press her about her son's whereabouts.

“Am I under arrest?” Manns said.

Then she asked for a lawyer.

Contact the writer:

444-1068, johnny.perez@owh.com

[MuffyBee]

http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/100571114.html?ref=114
(with video)
Defense Wants To Suppress Evidence In Murder Trial
Angela Manns accused of killing 12-year-old son
August 12, 2010

A district court judge heard arguments Thursday from the defense, which wants to suppress certain evidence in the first-degree murder case against Angela Manns, accused of killing her 12-year-old son last summer.


Michael Belitz

The evidence in question concerns the initial entry into Manns’ home and what made police go inside. Officers found Michael Belitz's decomposed body in the bathtub of their 28th Avenue and Ida Street home in July 2009.

The remains, covered with kitty litter, had been in the tub for several weeks. The body was so badly decomposed authorities could not figure out the cause of death. Police removed buckets of evidence, including a knife, a hatchet and goggles.
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In Thursday’s hearing, defense attorneys questioned why police entered Manns’ home in the first place.

“That’s a question defense attorneys have raised, if it was proper for them to enter the residence and then also there’s an interview, whenever the defendant gives a statement to police, officers at any time that they be subject to Miranda issues, she should have been advised of her rights, that’s the issues they've raised,” said Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine.

Police were questioned. They were called to the home to check on the well-being of Mann and her son. They believed they had to go inside to check when they noticed an intense odor and a large amount of flies around the area.

"The cruiser officers who went to the scene were made aware of the 911 call from neighbors of what they observed, why they did what they did and why the defendant was stopped and taken to police headquarters.”

The judge will receive briefs on both sides of this motion in about two weeks. Manns’ murder trial is scheduled to begin on October 25th.

[Sister]

I hope the judge does the right thing!  They knew something was wrong -- what were they suppose to do, wait for a search warrant?
I feel sorry for the young police recruit -- he's right, he will never forget the smell (contrary to what the anthonys say is similar to pizza, not!)
I believe everyone is entitled to a fair trial, but these loopholes needed to be sewn up with the carcasses of these murdering POS.

[KittyMom]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20110427/NEWS97/704279828/0

Sentencing in son's death delayed

Manns, 48, pleaded no contest to second-degree murder in the death of her son, Michael Belitz. She faces 20 years to life in prison.

[KittyMom]

http://www.ketv.com/r/27294236/detail.html
Mom Told Doctors She Strangled Son With Phone Cord