Police: Father did not seek help for ill son

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The father of an 8-year-old Crothersville boy who died Thursday never sought medical treatment for the boy and tried to prevent others from calling 911 to help him, police report.

Curtis Gilbert Collman Jr., 41, of Seymour faces a Level I felony charge of neglect of a dependent resulting in death.

He also faces felony charges of pointing a firearm and possession of methamphetamine stemming from the incident that led to the death of Curtis Gilbert Collman III.

Collman III, who died at 2:43 p.m. Thursday at Schneck Medical Center, was buried Tuesday afternoon at Uniontown Cemetery.

The younger Collman became ill early Thursday morning at his father’s home at 10857 E. County Road 400N, Seymour, according to the probable cause affidavit signed by Jackson County Detective Tom Barker.

Collman Jr. contacted a woman at about 10 a.m. and told her his son was not acting right and he needed her help.

She told investigators she arrived at Collman’s residence at about 10:50 a.m. Thursday. After observing the boy and his actions, she told Collman they needed to call 911, according to court records.

The woman told police Curtis Collman Jr. ripped the phone out of her hand and said “I’m not going back to prison” before going into another room, grabbing handgun and pointing it at her, according to court records.

He told her at that time he would kill all three of them and then left the room. The woman fled the home, but told police she didn’t have her phone, didn’t know what to do and was afraid of Collman.

Collman’s landlord said she saw Collman carry his son from the apartment and place him into an Oldsmobile Bravada after breaking a window because he couldn’t open the door. He told her his son was having a seizure.

Collman arrived at his parent’s home at 9731 E. County Road 800S, Crothersville, at about 1 p.m., according to court documents. Police continue to investigate the timeline and the events that led to the boy’s death.

Once he arrived at his parent’s, he was told by his mother and another man they thought 911 needed to be called to get help. Her son told them he did not want to call 911, became hysterical, crying and acting crazy, according to court documents.

He then fled the residence after he learned someone had called 911. That call was made at 1:47 p.m. Thursday and police, medical personnel with Jackson County Emergency Medical Service and other first responders arrived. The boy was then taken to Schneck.

Collman Jr. was located by police at 8795 S. County Road 825E at about 7 p.m. Thursday and was arrested for failure to register as a sex offender. Collman failed to register at his new address after he moved.

The failure to register as a sex offender charge stems from his 2006 conviction on a Class D felony of sexual misconduct with a minor in Jackson Circuit Court. He was sentenced to six years in prison on that charge Sept. 28, 2006. He was released Aug. 13, 2009, after serving nearly three years of the sentence.

A search warrant, signed by Jackson Circuit Judge Richard W. Poynter, was obtained for his home where police found items associated with methamphetamine use including white powder and a glass plate with a brown substance on it.

Collman told police he did not know what his son got into to make him sick, and he should have listened to his mother to get help and he was panicking.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jeff Chalfant described the situation as tragic.

“Mr. Collman is presumed innocent of all charges unless and until he is convicted after a trial,” he said. “Please remember this family in your prayers and hug your children tonight.”

Collman is being held without bond at the Jackson County Jail at Brownstown pending his initial hearing on the charges related to his son’s death.

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