Detective: Belt believed used in 1-year-old boy’s beating death found in home

By Dave Toplikar

Wednesday, April 27, 2011 | 4:39 p.m.

A Metro Police detective testified Wednesday she was able to find a belt during a search of a Las Vegas home where a 1-year-old boy died in November — a belt that fit the description of what other children in the home said was used to beat their baby brother.

Detective Monique Bulmer, who investigates abuse and neglect cases, testified in Las Vegas Justice Court for about 40 minutes during the preliminary hearing for Clyde Biggs, 30.

Biggs has been charged in connection with the Nov. 1, 2010, child abuse death of Larry Boyd, his girlfriend's son, and for allegedly dealing drugs out of the home.

After hearing testimony from Bulmer and from another police detective, Justice of the Peace Joseph Sciscento continued the hearing until 1:30 p.m. May 4 in Las Vegas Justice Court.

Biggs has been charged with murder and child abuse with substantial bodily harm in the death of the baby. He has also been charged with three counts of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to sell, one each for methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana.

During her testimony Wednesday, Bulmer described getting a search warrant for the home in the 4000 block of Broadriver Drive in northwest Las Vegas on Nov. 1 and beginning her search.

She said during the initial search, police were looking for evidence of what might have caused the death of the boy.

Police had responded to the home earlier that day, at 1 p.m., after getting a call from the boy's mother, Lolita Marshall, that her son was unconscious and unresponsive. The toddler was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

The Clark County Coroner’s Office determined the boy died as a result of blunt force trauma.

Metro’s Crimes Against Youth and Family Bureau determined Marshall was away from the home and left the boy and his five siblings in the care of Biggs, police said. Officials said Marshall was aware of previous incidents of child abuse involving her children and Biggs, which led to her being arrested.

Biggs initially told police that Larry Boyd became unresponsive while taking a nap after lunch and that he tried to "shock" him with cold water, according to the warrant for his arrest.

The boy's 10-year-old and 4-year-old siblings, however, told police that Biggs struck Boyd with a belt multiple times before he became unresponsive, according to the warrant for his arrest.

Marshall's 10-year-old son told police he heard Biggs strike his baby brother with a belt at least twice, then he heard his brother's cries being muffled, according to the arrest report.

Bulmer testified that on their first search of the home on Nov. 1, she noticed that there were several broken plastic clothes hangers scattered around the home. She said they were in pieces, so she thought they might have been something that could have been used to strike a child.

She testified that officers returned to the home the following day after they had received information from the children in the home that Biggs used two belts to strike the children. She said they were looking for one belt that was pink and one that was "funky," a black and yellow belt.

Bulmer said there were many belts around the house, but they were able to eventually find the black and yellow belt. She said they did not find the pink belt.

Bulmer also testified that in the master bedroom, there were two nightstands. One nightstand's top drawer contained Biggs' wallet, plus small plastic bags of what looked like cocaine, crystal methamphetamine and marijuana. She said they also found weighing scales on that nightstand.

Det. Matt Campbell also testified. Campbell, a member of Metro's abuse-neglect detail, said he took the small bags of what looked like drugs back to his office, weighed them and tested them.

He said there were seven small bags that weighed 2.5 grams, including the contents, that tested positive for methamphetamines.

Another bag containing what looked like narcotics tested positive for rock cocaine, he said. The bag and the cocaine inside it weighed 1.5 grams, he said.

The five bags containing what looked like marijuana buds weighed 11 grams, including the weight of the bags, he said. They tested positive for marijuana, he said.

Biggs, who sat next to his attorney, Dan Winder, during the testimony, is being held without bail in the Clark County Detention Center.

The boy's mother, Lolita Marshall, 31, was also charged in the case and has entered a plea agreement with the Clark County District Attorney's office. Marshall has taken an Alford plea of guilty to the charge of attempted child abuse and neglect with substantial bodily harm.

Marshall has been released from custody on her own recognizance and must report back to district court for sentencing at 8:30 a.m. May 12 before Clark County District Judge James Bixler.

The boy’s five siblings were removed from the home and are in the custody of Clark County Child Protective Services.