Jasper Henderling-Warner, 3
The death of a 3-year-old Vader boy Oct. 5 has been ruled a homicide, and a man and woman who were caring for the child have been arrested and are expected to be charged with homicide by abuse, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
Brenda Wing, 27, and Danny Wing, 26, both of Vader, were arrested this morning at the Child Protective Services office in Centralia and booked in the Lewis County Jail.
The couple had been caring for Jasper Henderling-Warner for several months, according to the sheriff’s office.
On Oct. 5, Brenda Wing called 911 from the 400 block of Main Street in Vader to report that the boy was unconscious and not breathing. Life-saving measures were attempted, but the child was pronounced dead at Providence Centralia Hospital a short time later.
According to authorities, the boy had “severe and obvious” bruises and injuries to his entire body. He was with the Wings while his mother had moved to Vancouver, Washington, according to the sheriff’s office.
The couple’s explanation for the injuries were not consistent with the results of the investigation and autopsy, according to the sheriff’s office. They’ve each provided differing details to investigators.
Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod ruled the cause of death as chronic battered child syndrome, and the manner of death as homicide.
Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer issued a statement in a press release by the sheriff’s office Friday afternoon.
“No child should be forced to endure the pain and agony that Jasper suffered,” he said in the release. “Although he can now rest, it is important that we hold those that are responsible accountable. As a result, Danny and Brenda Wing have been charged with homicide by abuse for their role in Jasper’s death.”
Meyer said his office wanted to make sure it had as much information as possible before charging the Wings.
“Although we haven’t received a final report, we did get preliminary results just recently so that’s what put us in a position to move forward,” he said.
If found guilty of the class A felony charges, the maximum sentence is life in prison. The standard range with zero points against someone found guilty of a crime of this degree is 20-26.5 years, Meyer said.
Meyer declined to comment on whether his office would pursue charges against Jasper’s mother.
The Wings have three children of their own, including an infant and a 6-year-old. All are in the custody of Child Protective Services.
“Jasper was a victim of severe abuse, neglect and betrayal from those responsible for the care, love and guidance that every child deserves and is entitled to,” Sheriff Steve Mansfield said in the release. “The appalling manner in which he was treated and cared for ultimately caused his death. To think this poor little boy went through months of pain and suffering is heart wrenching. This case is a solemn reminder of the sickening and tragic consequences surrounding a life of drugs, alcohol and abuse. We are working hard to ensure justice is served and those responsible for his death are held accountable.”
According to court documents, Brenda Wing said she and her husband picked up Jasper from his mother on Oct. 4. She claimed that at 4 p.m. on Oct. 5 while caring for Jasper, she tried to wake him. She lifted his arm and it fell limp to the floor. She said he was not moving, but believed he was breathing, according to the report.
She gave him a bath and said while washing him she thought he had makeup on him and realized he was covered in bruises. Initially Brenda Wing told detectives that once she put cold water on him, Jasper stopped breathing. Then she and Danny Wing called 911 and began CPR.
In his statement, Danny Wing said they picked up Jasper on Oct. 3, not Oct. 4 as Brenda Wing told officials. He told deputies they noticed the makeup-covered bruises on Oct. 4, the day before 911 was called, according to court records.
Zackery Kidder, 18, who lived with the Wings, initially told officials the Wings had picked up Jasper two days before his death. Later he admitted Danny Wing told him to tell law enforcement that information. Kidder said he stayed with the Wings seven to 10 days before the child’s death and Jasper was at the home the entire time, according to the report.
Detectives interviewed Jasper’s mother, who said she was homeless and couldn’t care for her child. She gave them a note that stated from July 31, 2014, to July 31, 2015, Danny and Brenda Wing were Jasper’s guardians. She said she hadn’t seen her son since mid-September, according to reports.
According to the forensic pathologist who conducted an autopsy on Jasper, he had several abuse-related injuries that were weeks old.
Danny and Brenda Wing were arrested on $500,000 warrants. The Wings are scheduled to appear in court at the Law and Justice Center in Chehalis on Monday at 4 p.m.
Anyone with any information on this incident is asked to call Detective Kevin Engelbertson at (360) 748-9286, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-748-6422.
