Sangamon County State’s Attorney John C. Milhiser announces criminal charges against David Yankee stemming from the March 16, 2024 drowning death of a seven year old child, B.K. On July 24, 2024, a Sangamon County Grand Jury returned a True Bill of Indictment containing four counts of Endangering the Life or Health of a Child.
The Indictment alleges in Count One that Yankee knowingly caused or permitted the life or health of a child under the age of 18 to be endangered in that he left seven-year-old B.K. at home unattended for over one hour with only the supervision of a ten-year-old and four-year-old, resulting in the proximate cause of death to B.K. Under Illinois law "unattended” means not accompanied by a person 14 years of age or older.
Count Two alleges that Yankee left seven-year-old B.K. at home unattended for over one hour, with a dangerous environment in the backyard, and the violation was a proximate cause of death to B.K. If convicted on either Count One or Count Two, the possible penalty is two to ten years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, or a sentence of probation. Yankee is charged with two additional counts of Endangering the Life or Health of a Child, related to two other children in the home, who were present when B.K. died, four-year-old R.K. and ten-year-old A.L. For these counts, the possible penalty is up to a year in jail, or a sentence of probation.
Yankee made his first court appearance on July 25, 2024. His next court date is scheduled for August 8, 2024. The case was investigated by the Springfield Police Department and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. The case remains under investigation.
The charges are not evidence against the defendant, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Comentarios