A 2-one year-mature Alaska boy has been killed by his guardians months after his father strangled his mother, authorities talked about.
Steven Melovidov Jr. and Sophie Myers-Melovidov killed the boy in their home on island within the Bering Sea and tried to lie to investigators, authorities talked about. They were charged with first-stage and second-stage homicide and fourth-stage assault. Pleas of no longer guilty were entered for all of them the strategy thru court docket hearings Thursday.
Earlier this month, the toddler, Joshua Rukovishnikoff, changed into once medevaced from St. Paul Island to Anchorage with a serious head injury, in step with grunt troopers.
The boy died at an Anchorage clinical institution, and an autopsy changed into once performed.
“Both of the suspects made statements to investigators that proved to be unsuitable after extra investigation,” talked about Alaska Speak Troopers spokesperson Austin McDaniel.
The child’s mother, Nadesda “Lynette” Rukovishnikoff, changed into once killed in September on St. Paul Island, and the couple changed into his guardians in October, McDaniel talked about.
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McDaniel talked about he didn’t delight in particulars about the custody arrangements.
The mummy’s husband, Joshua Rukovishnikoff, strangled her and changed into once indicted in her loss of life, in step with the Alaska Division of Law.
He has pleaded no longer guilty to homicide and diversified costs, in step with court docket info. The Alaska Public Defender Company, which represents him, declined to commentary on his case Thursday.
A advise on Thursday appointed a public defender to portray Melovidov, 31, and Myers-Melovidov, 28, at their arraignments. The Public Defender Company declined to commentary after the hearings.
It be seemingly attorneys from another agency will most definitely be appointed later.
Melovidov “all over again and all over again stuck Joshua within the pinnacle, which resulted in a mind bleed and within the wreck resulted in Joshua’s loss of life,” a trooper talked about in an affidavit filed in court docket.
On Dec. 11, St. Paul Police purchased a demand a 2-one year-mature boy having seizures, the file talked about.
The couple advised investigators the boy fell at home.
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An autopsy confirmed as a minimum 5 separate head accidents, in step with homicide, the affidavit talked about. “Additionally, there were more than one suspicious bruises on Joshua’s genitals that weren’t in step with clinical treatment,” the file talked about.
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The file incorporated diverse textual declare material messages between the couple, the set aside they talked about what they advised authorities, a effort of going to jail and deleting their messages.
In a single replace, Melovidov and Myers-Melovidov texted about scanning the boy’s head at the clinical institution.
“Gees and we had been hitting his head. Please delete our texts now,” Myers-Melovidov wrote, in step with the affidavit.
In asking for $250,000 bond, Assistant Prison legit Frequent Sam Vandergaw advised the advise he takes into consideration how the couple talked about deleting textual declare material messages and how ship traffic in St. Paul would possibly moreover fabricate it straightforward for them to cruise on a ship.
Deem Gregory Miller granted the bail quiz of and ordered that the couple don’t delight in any contact with their 8-one year-mature daughter.
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The daughter will not be any longer a sufferer but a doable notice, Vandergaw talked about. In accordance with the affidavit, the couple urged the girl to deceive investigators about what occurred within the home.
In accordance with an obituary for the toddler’s mother, he has a sister who changed into once 16 when their mother died. She listened to the hearings by cellular phone and declined to commentary when the advise requested if she needed to claim something about bail.
Melovidov and Myers-Melovidov participated in their arraignments by cellular phone from jail. Melovidov talked about he works in custodial repairs. Myers-Melovidov talked about she doesn’t work and receives financial strengthen from her husband and an annual verify from an Alaska Native regional company.
