Murder of Nixzmary Brown
| Nixzmary Brown | |
|---|---|
| Born |
July 18, 1998 Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | January 11, 2006 (aged 7) Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Resting place | Cypress Hills Cemetery |
| Known for | Child abuse |
| Parent(s) | Nixzaliz Santiago (mother) Micheal Brown (father) |
| Relatives | Cesár Rodriguez (stepfather) |
Nixzmary Brown (July 18, 1998 – January 11, 2006) was a seven-year-old American abused child and murder victim from the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York City. Her death impacted the city's Administration for Children's Services and prompted reforms in the system.
Brown had endured torture, and was later learned to have been bound, molested and beaten and killed by her stepfather, César Rodriguez in a spate of rage that began over a cup of yogurt and a broken printer that he claimed was her fault. Her stepfather, quoted in an article published in USA Today, called her a "troublemaker".
On the night of January 10, 2006, Rodriguez beat Brown to death with both fists and his thick leather belt. Her mother, Nixzaliz Santiago, ignored Rodriguez as he slammed Brown's head into a bathtub and doused her with cold water. Both Santiago and Rodriguez were charged with second-degree murder and child endangerment. Rodriguez was convicted on verdict of first-degree manslaughter and other charges, and was sentenced 29 years in prison. Rodriguez and Santiago each accused the other of inflicting the final, fatal blow. Traces of Brown's DNA were found on Rodriguez's belt. The indictment also alleged that Rodriguez abused the little girl for months and smashed her head against a bathtub.
Evidence of previous abuse inflicted on Brown came to light, and the news coverage of her murder case later drew public attention on New York City Administration for Children's Services (ACS). ACS had received two complaints about Brown's family. The first, made in 2004, remained unsubstantiated. The second complaint was made on December 1, 2005 when Brown showed up at school with a black eye. Another story in January 2006 brought more details of the ACS involvement. Blame was eventually assigned to the ACS by the news media and six Children's Services employees were disciplined. There were also stories that investigators were "swamped" with cases and the Bloomberg administration noted that the ACS was responding by hiring 525 more workers.
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Wikipedia