A 2-365 days-feeble Alaska boy has been killed by his guardians months after his father strangled his mom, authorities acknowledged.
Steven Melovidov Jr. and Sophie Myers-Melovidov killed the boy of their dwelling on a far-off island within the Bering Sea and attempted to lie to investigators, authorities acknowledged. They were charged with first-degree and 2nd-degree execute and fourth-degree assault. Pleas of now not responsible were entered for them at some stage in court docket hearings Thursday.
Earlier this month, the toddler, Joshua Rukovishnikoff, used to be medevaced from St. Paul Island to Anchorage with a excessive head wound, in response to notify troopers.
The boy died at an Anchorage sanatorium, and an autopsy used to be performed.
“Both of the suspects made statements to investigators that proved to be unsuitable after extra investigation,” acknowledged Alaska Command Troopers spokesperson Austin McDaniel.
The miniature one’s mom, Nadesda “Lynette” Rukovishnikoff, used to be killed in September on St. Paul Island, and the couple became his guardians in October, McDaniel acknowledged.
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McDaniel acknowledged he didn’t accept as true with facts about the custody arrangements.
The mom’s husband, Joshua Rukovishnikoff, strangled her and used to be indicted in her death, in response to the Alaska Division of Law.
He has pleaded now not responsible to execute and other charges, in response to court docket records. The Alaska Public Defender Company, which represents him, declined to recount on his case Thursday.
A take cling of on Thursday appointed a public defender to portray Melovidov, 31, and Myers-Melovidov, 28, at their arraignments. The Public Defender Company declined to recount after the hearings.
Or now not it is doubtless attorneys from some other agency will doubtless be appointed later.
Melovidov “in most cases caught Joshua within the pinnacle, which resulted in a mind bleed and within the kill resulted in Joshua’s death,” a trooper acknowledged in an affidavit filed in court docket.
On Dec. 11, St. Paul Police bought a demand a 2-365 days-feeble boy having seizures, the doc acknowledged.
The couple told investigators the boy fell at dwelling.
Copper Center, Alaska – August 11, 2018: An Alaska Command Troopers police SUV vehicle is parked open air of a store. These police autos patrol Alaska, particularly in rural areas without its contain police drive
An autopsy showed on the very least 5 separate head injuries, in retaining with homicide, the affidavit acknowledged. “Moreover, there were a pair of suspicious bruises on Joshua’s genitals that were now not in retaining with scientific remedy,” the doc acknowledged.
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The doc integrated diversified textual teach messages between the couple, where they mentioned what they told authorities, a terror of going to prison and deleting their messages.
In a single alternate, Melovidov and Myers-Melovidov texted about scanning the boy’s head on the sanatorium.
“Gees and we now were hitting his head. Please delete our texts now,” Myers-Melovidov wrote, in response to the affidavit.
In inquiring for $250,000 bond, Assistant Authorized reliable Fashioned Sam Vandergaw told the take cling of he is eager about how the couple mentioned deleting textual teach messages and the strategy ship traffic in St. Paul might possibly possibly procure it easy for them to flee on a ship.
Settle Gregory Miller granted the bail quiz and ordered that the couple don’t accept as true with any contact with their 8-365 days-feeble daughter.
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The daughter is now not a victim but a attainable see, Vandergaw acknowledged. Constant with the affidavit, the couple advised the girl to lie to investigators about what took role within the residence.
Constant with an obituary for the toddler’s mom, he has a sister who used to be 16 when their mom died. She listened to the hearings by phone and declined to recount when the take cling of requested if she wished to impart one thing about bail.
Melovidov and Myers-Melovidov participated of their arraignments by phone from prison. Melovidov acknowledged he works in custodial upkeep. Myers-Melovidov acknowledged she doesn’t work and receives monetary attend from her husband and an annual test from an Alaska Native regional company.