A Queens man has been indicted for murder for allegedly beating his 3-year-old son to death at the Pan American homeless shelter located at 79-00 Queens Blvd. (GMaps)
Dec. 21, 2022 By Christian Murray
A Queens man has been indicted on murder charges for allegedly beating his 3-year-old son to death last month at a shelter in Elmhurst.
Shaquan Butler, 26, allegedly struck his 3-year-old son multiple times at the Pan American shelter on Queens Boulevard causing lacerations to the child’s liver and internal bleeding. The medical examiner determined that the child had significant internal bleeding and died from blunt force trauma to his torso.
The incident allegedly took place inside an apartment at around 7:40 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 13 and the child’s mother and two young siblings were present. Authorities also said one of the other children, a 2-year-old, also had physical injuries consistent with child abuse.
Butler was arraigned Tuesday on an eleven-count indictment charging him with murder in the second degree, two counts of manslaughter in the first degree, manslaughter in the second degree, assault in the second degree and six counts of endangering the welfare of a child. He faces up to 40 years to life in prison if convicted.
“As alleged, this parent failed his primary duty as a protector, killing one of his own children by callous force and allegedly injured another,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. “We will not forget this child. The defendant will be held fully accountable for his actions.”
