Boy, 11, beaten to death over a 9-hour period
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Anthony Bush
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A Knoxville man left to watch over his girlfriend's 11-year-old son while she was at work beat the boy to death over a span of nine hours on Saturday, according to Pittsburgh police.
The 29-year-old boyfriend, Anthony Bush, told police that he began beating the boy, Donovan McKee, with wooden sticks shortly after noon when Donovan failed to vacuum their apartment at 107 Knox Ave. in Beltzhoover as Mr. Bush had instructed, according to a police criminal complaint. The beatings, Mr. Bush told police, lasted until about 9 p.m.
"During the beatings, at times, the sticks would break and Bush would order Donovan to clean up the pieces of the broken sticks," the complaint states, "Bush stated he would take breaks, get new sticks, and continue beating the child throughout the day."
The Allegheny County medical examiner's office has ruled Donovan's death a homicide caused by blunt force trauma to the head, trunk and extremities.
Mr. Bush, who has been charged with endangering the welfare of children and criminal homicide, told police he used at least three sticks, and that he struck Donovan with at least "one clean" head shot during the incident, according to the complaint. Donovan's 5-year-old brother was home at the time and witnessed some of the attacks, but was not harmed, according to the police.
Mr. Bush told police he had been having problems with Donovan lately and knew that he was going to have to discipline him for his behavior. He also told police he had to wait until after the boy's mother, Cynthia McKee, left for work because she often stopped him when he disciplined the children.
Mr. Bush lived at the apartment with Ms. McKee and her sons.
First Published February 13, 2012 12:21 am
