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3 Year Old Killed In Apartment Fire

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By WKRG Staff

M30o93H7pQ09L8X1t49cHY01Z5j4TT91fGfr 3 Year Old Killed In Apartment Fire

Published: Fri, April 18, 2008 - 2:43 am
Last Updated: Fri, April 18, 2008 - 4:19 pm

Mobile Police and Fire officials are investigating a deadly fire that claimed a 3 year old boy. The fire call came out around 1:15am Friday morning at an apartment in the Orleans Place Apartment complex on Michael Boulevard in Mobile. When fire fighters arrived they discovered smoke coming from one of the apartment units and forced open the door to get inside. There they found the boy covered up in his bed. He was transported to Springhill Memorial Hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Test results indicate the CO2 levels for the child was 57 which is above the lethal dose of 40. The fire appears to have started in the child's bedroom.The fire was contained to the bedroom but a downstairs apartment received water damage. It's believed that the fire was accidental but the investigation into the cause is continuing. Officlas say they found what appeared to be an electrical cord tied to the bedroom door which would have prevented the child from getting out of the bedroom. The child's mother, Elzabeth Foster, was questioned and admitted that she was the last person to leave the apartment as she left for work. At the scene Foster told fire investigators that she was the last one to leave the apartment to go to work taking with her, her 3-month-old son, thus leaving her three year old home alone. She was arrested and charged with manslaughter. The child's father, Brandon Gurly, was arrested late this afternoon.

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I agree with you nuff said, Christian should of never been left alone no matter what, no childs life is worth any job or a night out with friends. They both should be held accountable for the loss of the baby. Everyone speaks out now because of the tragedy, but no one spoke for the child while he was alive.

Posted by melandcam on 04/23/08 - 11:44 am • Report Abuse .

What a contrast in news! On one hand, we have a 3 yr old left alone, effectively locked in a room, dying from a fire and on the other a local man who gave his own life in an attempt to save his son! Bigmama, if I remember correctly, you stated on tv that you HAD been asked to babysit but said you COULDN’t. I’m not trying to add to anyone’s grief, but you say that you speak for Christian - the time to speak for him was while he was alive. Both parents are directly responsible for the death of this child - not the community, not DHR, not poverty - the parents. I may have missed it, but I still haven’t had my question answered as to why the mother could take her 3 month old to work but not her 3 yr old.

Posted by nuff said on 04/23/08 - 8:38 am • Report Abuse .

Where did she work that she could take one child and not the other? Was DHR ever called when the eldest child fell from two story window?

Posted by fastwheels on 04/23/08 - 8:33 am • Report Abuse .

I don’t see anything wrong with that child laughing. Her friends were probably trying to cheer her up. What everyone need to do is just pray for the family. Like the Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. If the maintainance lady not in Christ Jesus she’ll say anything just to keep something going. If that child would have felled out of that window there would have been a report from the news after the autopsy was performed. Please use your COMMON SENSE. Just pray and stop finding fault.

Posted by Blessed on 04/23/08 - 8:07 am • Report Abuse .

This young couple will be punished I’m sure,but with compassion I hope. Their punishment will last their life time. From my experience with kids this age,I say kids because they might be legally an adult but still haven’t matured enough mentally to make good decisions,Is that they feel isolated from other people and feel they have nowhere to turn for help in the situation they have gotten them selves into. They usually have no close bonding to family,community or church. Nothing will bring this baby back,even to the end of time .Now is the time for grieving ,then the focus should be on preventing future occurances of this type.When the sun goes down the family and community close their doors and get ready for bed,the churchs usually close and lock their doors and only are available for emergencies.The punishment these kids recieve from the court system will be nothing compared to what they will do to them selves. SAVE THE BABIES,SAVE OUR FUTURE!

Posted by carl on 04/23/08 - 7:07 am • Report Abuse .

A sad, sickening situation all the way around.......

Posted by BamaBob on 04/22/08 - 4:41 pm • Report Abuse .

bigmama, I am assuming that you are elizabeth’s mother.. That is a question that has been in the back of my mind… I KNOW that Brandon has very caring extended family that would have helped him if they had known he needed help with child care. But shes the one who left himi there alone. If you were so willing to take care of Christian, why didnt she ask you to keep him that night? Why didnt she call in sick.. or even late until Brandon got home? I am not saying that Brandon is not at fault (I know from first hand experience that if he has turned out anything like his father, he has no business being a parent) ... It appears as well, that there were plenty of caring people in that complex that would have helped her out if they had known her situation… What made her think that this was her only option?

Posted by Alicia1980 on 04/22/08 - 4:19 pm • Report Abuse .

ok chrissmomi05 this is my family you are talking about.i was there with her at the apartment and we were not laughing .all we were doing was trying to get 1 item out of the apartment for my grandson to be buried with.this is nothing to laugh at.i loved my grandson Christian more than anyone will ever know.my whole family is devistated and dont know if i will ever get over his loss...he was my heart.i had him since he was born i babysat him every day while she worked till i lost my home and had to move.then brandon had to do it.but he was never left alone by her ever befor.and if i had known what was going on i would have had them with me and held on tight forever.if i had know brandon left them alone and my grandson fell out a 2 story window i would have been the first person to get brandon in trouble.he was not home when it happened and elizabeth was working while he was so called taking care of them.i am sorry if anyone dont like what i said but my sweet Christian cant speak!!!!!!!!

Posted by bigmama63 on 04/22/08 - 2:33 pm • Report Abuse .

I just saw the mother at the apt complex yesterday laughing and talking with her friends that live here, she didnt look remorseful. I couldnt bring myself to come back here if I was her, but then again if I was her I wouldnt have left my child alone/tied the door shut. By the way the maintenence lady here at the apt said earlier that day the little boy fell out of the 2 story window and witnesses went to bring him back into his apt and the door was locked and nobody was home then either! He was left home alone numerous times from what I hear, they might have loved they’re son but ANY person with COMMON SENSE- not nessesarily parenting skills, would KNOW not to leave a child unattended! It is not hard to get on family assistance, I did it, and I got off when I knew I did not need it anymore. You do not wait on a waiting list most the time, not if you get on TANF, which provides money each month AND day care had she cared enough to get on it.

Posted by chrissmomi05 on 04/22/08 - 1:11 pm • Report Abuse .

Family, Church and the community are in most cases there for anyone who needs help. Here is a situation where the person either didn’t seek help or quiet possibly was denied help. The result is the death of a child who didn’t have a voice to ask for help himself.
The first questions I would ask is if the woman ask for help and was denied before I started condemning her.

Posted by Madcap on 04/20/08 - 8:42 am • Report Abuse .