53 YEARS LATER, MOTHER CONFESSES “I KILLED THAT BABY”

Homicide detectives in Battle Creek, MI are re-opening the case of an 8-month-old baby boy who died 50 years ago. This is because, according to WFAA, the baby’s mother Janice Summerfield, recently revealed she is responsible for his death.

Summerfield, who is now 77-years-old confessed her dark secret to her family in September. WFAA said Summerfield’s daughter, 54-year-old Paula Gastian, knew she had to do the right thing and that’s when she contacted the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department. Detectives took Paula’s claims seriously because reports said only weeks later, on Oct. 16, authorities exhumed the body of William Earl Summerfield III.

William’s death is listed as aspiration of regurgitated formula WFFA said. Summerfield confessed that she was the one who killed William, not her other son, who she blamed the decades old murder on at the time.

This surprising revelation is now causing Summerfield’s other children to wonder if their mom could be responsible for the death of three of their other siblings between 1961 to 1970.

As for William’s case, at this point, it may take some time to determine William’s actual cause of death and authorities acknowledge because of the amount of time that has gone by, they may not be able to figure it out at all.

Summerfield’s daughter arranged an interview with the Battle Creek Enquirer and when Summerfield sat down with the reporter she denied hurting William. She claimed she was coerced to confessing.

It was the next day when the Enquirer said they received a call from Summerfield saying she did in fact kill her child. Reportedly Summerfield confssed, “I didn’t know what I was doing. All these years I had forgotten. I am going to die. I hate myself so much. I am ready to die.”

According to the Enquirer, “For years Gastian and her two brothers have wondered about the death of their infant brother and later their twin sisters, who died as small children while the family was living in Battle Creek. A fourth child, a baby boy, died on Aug. 20, 1961, at Oaklawn Hospital in Marshall, five days after birth.”

Paula said her now 58-year-old brother Phil Summerfield has lived with the guilt of thinking he killed his little brother all these years. When Phil was only 4-years-old he woke up and his dead brother was in his bed. Phil said his mother told him it was his fault – and since then, he’s lived a tough road.

Paula claimed she too was accused by Summerfield of killing one of her twin sisters when the baby froze to death in a crib in their home.

The NY Daily News said, 86-year-old William Summerfield, Janice Summerfield’s husband, who is now behind bars for sexually abusing a child, knew about his son’s murder. He said, “Well, I haven’t been there for you and I guess life goes on.”

Phil and Paula say although it’s been a tough road, they hope in the end the truth will be revealed.

Read more: WFAA

Read more: NY Daily News

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