By Barbara Vitello
Ibrahim Kibayasi insists he never intended to hurt his son, let alone kill him.
“I didn’t want to kill my son,” said the Mount Prospect man, wiping away tears as he testified in his own defense Wednesday to conclude the third day of his first-degree murder trial. “I didn’t bring him into this world to kill him.
He testified he was happy to learn in November 2008 that his girlfriend was carrying their son.
“It’s the dream of every man to have a boy,” said Kibayasi, who came to the U.S. from Tanzania in 2002 to attend college in Atlanta. After a year, he testified that he relocated to Illinois and worked at a Bloomingdale nursing home, as a phone technician for Motorola and as a transportation analyst.
Under direct examination from defense attorney Robert Callahan, Kibayasi testified that Dylan had slept fitfully the night of Sept. 2 and had been ill for several days with a slight fever, diarrhea and vomiting. Kibayasi admitted he had a lot on his mind that day and that he “got a little frustrated” with Dylan’s crying.
“I just lost my mind,” said Kibayasi describing how he grabbed the baby and shook him three or four times, saying, “Why are you crying?”
He said he freaked out when Dylan lost consciousness and attempted CPR on the baby. The baby opened his eyes and started crying which Kibayasi said he believed was a good sign. As they drove to the hospital, Dylan appeared to revive, so Kibayasi went instead to pick up his girlfriend, Dylan’s mother, from work. On the way home, Dylan suffered a seizure and was transported by paramedics to Lutheran General Hospital.
Emergency pediatrician Dr. Clifford Spanierman testified that he determined the baby suffered an intracranial injury to the brain consistent with shaken baby syndrome,
“Due to the dramatic onset of symptoms, it appeared to be very recent, within hours,” Spanierman said.
Spanierman further testified that Dylan’s injury would have required “considerable force” and would not have resulted from an infant’s daily activities. However, he added that the baby suffered no skull fracture, neck, spinal cord or soft tissue damage.
Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney Mike Clarke minced no words in cross-examining Kibayasi, challenging his claims that he lost his mind and didn’t realize what he was doing at the time.
“You realize now you killed your son,” Clarke said.
“I can’t say I killed him,” said Kibayasi who testified for about one hour. “I didn’t know anything at the time. I didn’t know it would cause his death.”
Under Clark’s cross-examination, Kibayasi admitted he had problems controlling his anger. He also said he didn’t tell his girlfriend because he felt guilty.
“I was in denial. I kept telling myself ‘I didn’t cause this,’” he said.
Kibayasi claimed he didn’t tell paramedics or emergency room physicians about the shaking because he believed they were experts who knew what to do.
“I sit in my jail cell thinking, ‘How did it happen?’ ‘What was I thinking?’” Kibayasi said.
Closing arguments are scheduled for Thursday afternoon at the Rolling Meadows courthouse.
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20110420/news/704209796/#ixzz1KC6OpjLs“I didn’t want to kill my son,” said the Mount Prospect man, wiping away tears as he testified in his own defense Wednesday to conclude the third day of his first-degree murder trial. “I didn’t bring him into this world to kill him.
Authorities say Kibayasi, 31, shook 5-month-old Dylan Kibayasi on Sept. 3, 2009, causing a subdural hematoma that resulted in the child’s death several days later.
Authorities say Kibayasi, 31, shook 5-month-old Dylan Kibayasi on Sept. 3, 2009, causing a subdural hematoma that resulted in the child’s death several days later.“It’s the dream of every man to have a boy,” said Kibayasi, who came to the U.S. from Tanzania in 2002 to attend college in Atlanta. After a year, he testified that he relocated to Illinois and worked at a Bloomingdale nursing home, as a phone technician for Motorola and as a transportation analyst.
Under direct examination from defense attorney Robert Callahan, Kibayasi testified that Dylan had slept fitfully the night of Sept. 2 and had been ill for several days with a slight fever, diarrhea and vomiting. Kibayasi admitted he had a lot on his mind that day and that he “got a little frustrated” with Dylan’s crying.
“I just lost my mind,” said Kibayasi describing how he grabbed the baby and shook him three or four times, saying, “Why are you crying?”
He said he freaked out when Dylan lost consciousness and attempted CPR on the baby. The baby opened his eyes and started crying which Kibayasi said he believed was a good sign. As they drove to the hospital, Dylan appeared to revive, so Kibayasi went instead to pick up his girlfriend, Dylan’s mother, from work. On the way home, Dylan suffered a seizure and was transported by paramedics to Lutheran General Hospital.
Emergency pediatrician Dr. Clifford Spanierman testified that he determined the baby suffered an intracranial injury to the brain consistent with shaken baby syndrome,
“Due to the dramatic onset of symptoms, it appeared to be very recent, within hours,” Spanierman said.
Spanierman further testified that Dylan’s injury would have required “considerable force” and would not have resulted from an infant’s daily activities. However, he added that the baby suffered no skull fracture, neck, spinal cord or soft tissue damage.
Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney Mike Clarke minced no words in cross-examining Kibayasi, challenging his claims that he lost his mind and didn’t realize what he was doing at the time.
“You realize now you killed your son,” Clarke said.
“I can’t say I killed him,” said Kibayasi who testified for about one hour. “I didn’t know anything at the time. I didn’t know it would cause his death.”
Under Clark’s cross-examination, Kibayasi admitted he had problems controlling his anger. He also said he didn’t tell his girlfriend because he felt guilty.
“I was in denial. I kept telling myself ‘I didn’t cause this,’” he said.
Kibayasi claimed he didn’t tell paramedics or emergency room physicians about the shaking because he believed they were experts who knew what to do.
“I sit in my jail cell thinking, ‘How did it happen?’ ‘What was I thinking?’” Kibayasi said.
Closing arguments are scheduled for Thursday afternoon at the Rolling Meadows courthouse.
it is a little too late now, to let out your crocodile tears..kibayasi. i recommend life in prison
ReplyDeleteBeing a foreigner in a foreign country is not easy. I attended secondary school with Ibrahim. He is a cool guy. I do not believe he has anger problems. This is very unfortunate and very sad. I think frustrations played a big part in this incident. I don't think giving someone 35 years in prison is fair. The worse punishment is, Ibrahim has live knowing that he caused his son's death. Ibrahim sorry for this mate.
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