Four years old boy suffering from beating, then seizures

Homicide detectives are building the case against an Indianapolis mother and her boyfriend. They face charges in the death of her four-year-old son. Christopher Montgomery and Courtney Simpson are scheduled to have an initial hearing Tuesday at 8:30 am.

Police say Courtney Simpson stood by and watched as her boyfriend beat her four-year-old son to death inside an east side motel room Friday.

Montgomery was arrested on murder charges and Simpson was arrested on A felony neglect of a dependent charges after the death of Simpson's four-year-old son Elijah. The prosecutor's office has filed a 72-hour motion. No formal charges have been filed. Prosecutors are meeting with the detectives assigned to the case and reviewing evidence.

Doctors say Elijah Simpson was already dead upon arrival from a skull fracture Friday. Metro homicide detectives found restraint marks on Elijah's wrists and ankles. Detective Markus Kennedy says Simpson eventually admitted her boyfriend hog-tied Elijah for sucking his thumb.
Simpson now says she's sorry and says her son wasn't the only victim.

Indianapolis Metro Police say Simpson watched Montgomery pick up and threw Elijah to floor. The little boy suffered a fractured skull, went into seizures and later died.

"I'm guilty of not getting them out of the situation quick enough. (I) should have left years ago," said Simpson.

Courtney Simpson spoke with Eyewitness News Sunday evening at the Marion County Jail where she is being held on a $100,000 bond.

Her four-year-old son, Elijah, died Friday of a skull fracture. Police say the fatal injury was delivered by Simpson's boyfriend, Christopher Montgomery.

The situation Simpson and her two children found themselves in, according to her, was one of violence, fear and intimidation at the hands of Montgomery.

But she adds, "Don't have pity for me because I'm just as guilty as he is, because I didn't leave. But understand I was scared. And if you are in a situation like that, I ask you to leave right now, I mean right now, because it could be you sittin' here or your child there or vice versa and your kids don't have anybody and your family left with unanswered questions."

The morning Elijah died, Simpson says her boyfriend was upset with the little boy for faking sleep and sucking his thumb. At four in the morning he had Elijah stand in the corner.

"He told him to come here and he was movin' slow," said Simpson. "So he got out of bed and picked him up and threw him down."

Elijah landed on his head and started having seizures.

"I picked him up and asked Chris to let me take him to the hospital," said Simpson. "I said 'I need to take him to the hospital.' He said 'I don't know how you gonna get there.' And he said, 'Now you in a Catch 22 because if you call the ambulance or the police over here, you gonna be dead before they get there.' And he was gonna hurt my family."

The fear and intimidation she says kept her from getting her children out also kept her from getting the help Elijah needed.

She continued, "But when you love somebody and you believe them and think they gonna change."

Now her youngest son is dead, and Simpson is charged with felony neglect of that son.

As the interview ended, she said, "There's not enough love in the world , because it ain't supposed to hurt."

Carlene Richardson at the Julian Center Shelter wishes Courtney Simpson had called for help. "She has to want safety enough that she says I am going to take a chance and get out of here," Richardson said. "We have emergency numbers to call." (What to do in a domestic violence situation.)