Jackson County prosecutors charged Mark A. Guenther Wednesday with two counts of first-degree assault in connection with the death of his 15-month-old daughter, Elizabeth Guenther.
Lee's Summit police confirmed today that Elizabeth Guenther was pronounced dead around 9 a.m. yesterday.
Court documents say on February 8 around 2:10 p.m., officers responded to a call of an unresponsive child at 114 S.W. Donovan Road in Lee's Summit.
A doctor at Children's Mercy Hospital told police that Elizabeth Guenther had suffered the following injuries:
say the doctor will testify that Elizabeth Guenther's injuries were the
result of "abuse." The doctor told police that the bruises on the
girl's jaw line were the result of a hand being wrapped around the
front of the girl's neck. The doctor added that if Elizabeth Guenther
did survive, she would have severe brain damage.
In an
interview with police on February 8, Mark Guenther gave a couple of
different stories before finally admitting that he was "trying to
restrain" his daughter on the bed to give her a breathing treatment for
asthma and she was fighting him and being a "troublemaker." Guenther
admitted being "too forceful," using his leg to pin the girl's legs
down, because she was a "pretty strong girl." Afterward, he noticed red
marks and bruising on the girl.
When officers asked him how long he had his hands around his daughter's
neck, Guenther said "two minutes." Guenther recalled that afterward,
his daughter was "out of it" and "just laying there" so he decided to
give her a bath to wake her up. Elizabeth Guenther was "wobbly" and
didn't want to move. Guenther said he waited to call for help because
he was scared.
Court records say Mark Guenther admitted growing "frustrated" and
"upset" with his daughter's crying and admitted that he "smacked her in
the back of the head" for being "fussy." Guenther demonstrated that he
had punched the girl with a closed fist twice in the back of the head,
and added that the girl's head struck the table. Guenther told police
that the girl was "quiet" and just "laid there" afterward. "I wasn't
trying to hit her that hard," Guenther told police.
The detective interviewing Guenther believed that he'd used more force.
Guenther confessed that his daughter was still crying so he took her
out of the high chair, pushed her on the floor and grabbed her by the
neck and shoulders and threw her onto the carpeted living room floor
three or four times.
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I went to school with him. I talked with him, had classes and laughed with him. What the hell happened?! It's so hard to believe.
FuckULisa must be Lucifer if he/she thinks that this fucker doesnt deserve to suffer everyday.
How can u say that you knew him in high school and knew he was worthless. Actually the guy was smart. I went to high school and he seems like an okay kid. Dont say u had a bad feeling about the guy because I had a bad feeling about all you Blue Springs South kids. I bet your doing nothing with your life right now
He was sentenced to two 30 year terms and one 7 year terms on the different charges he was facing. He won't be eligible for parole for 26.5 years. Let's see how tough he is now once he's on the inside with some really bad men. Child killers are the worst form of scum to these guys. I want him to live long and suffer every single day.
I went to school and graduated with this guy. I can't believe this. He was always so nice to me. Amazing how much he has failed now.
how about this: 9MM shell at point blank range - leave the entrails on my front porch, please
I knew him. We went to highschool together. The sad part is, he was fairly pleasent to be around.
This makes me feel sick when I read it.
What a failure. He should get the death penalty.
These things are avoidable, a sick tragedy,
a terrible subhuman ..
what rules are in place regarding lethal injection>?
why do you all seem to think he gets life?
you dont see any chance for the death penalty in a terribel case like this?
im sure he will be tortured in the pen before the first months out..
I have known andrew since high school and always knew he was a worthless two faced low life liar. i really do hop eoyu rot in hell andrew, and i figured for some weird ass reason my whole life that i would have to say this to you sometime so, heres to your worthless, horrible future. if you ever talk to anybody out of jail if your sdtill alive you abusive sick fuck!!
I had a gutty feeling that boy doing something so bad that it would blow your mind. he had no soul when I look in to has eyes .he came to my job a lot because he was roommate to a friend of my at northern lights pizza in Gladstone .what did he have to prove .that boy is going one way why did it have to be the wrong way !!! A real man is someone that die for has kid no question ask at all or any one kids just to save there life not to take it away
Give us names of the judge(s). People in the area, YOU can change this. Please give us names.
Yes, this is only the latest COMPLETELY AVOIDABLE tragedy to occur in recent weeks. Baby Elizabeth is the FOURTH child in 2 weeks in the US (3rd under the age of 2) to be killed by her father after the family courts REFUSED to protect these children by stopping visitation with the fathers when the mothers brought legitimate proof of abuse and danger to the children.
Danielle and anyone else who knows this Mom's story- please be in touch with us and let us know the details of how the system failed this poor child and mother. We are documenting these cases for the media and others to be able to piece together that this is national epidemic in our court system, that mothers' pleas for help are routinely being ignored by judges, and their children are all paying for it with their lives.
I am so very, very sorry to hear that this poor little girl is now a part of the growing heap of little bodies that are resulting from the crisis in the family courts.
Kathleen Russell
Center for Judicial Excellence
http://www.centerforjudicialex...
Marin County, California
415-256-9606
THE MOTHER OF THIS CHILD SHOULD SUE DFS OR AT LEAST TALK TO A LAWYER TO SEE IF SHE CAN. WHAT A FUCKING LOSER YOU ARE ANDREW.
I can't even believe this...He was just over at my house showing me videos and pictures of Elizabeth, talking about how much he loved her, was HOLDING MY BABY, talking about how they should get together and have a playdate. This makes me want to puke...literally.
I AM ORAYING FOR THE MOTHER,WHO WAS MADE BY COURTS TO SEND THE CHILD FOR HER VISIT.. I AM SO SORRY FOR YOUR LOST,AND I PRAY FOR YOU.
It terrified me to hear of this. I dated Andrew about a year before this, and was so in love with Lizzy. Andrew tried to explain the situation to me, and I understood but it didn't really click. I should have figured that something like this was happening. He showed to me last year that he was a low life, but now I see him for what he really is. A monster. Despite knowing him, I still think he deserves life in prison. Have fun getting raped, Andrew.
What a punk ass kid. I say this because a real man would never beat his child. It makes me sick when I read about assholes like this.I can only hope that the inmates make him feel as much pain,fear and helplessnes as his daughter felt. Hopefully he will feel this way for many years in prison.
Andrew was lost in life...his family failed him during his youth...if you are 22 years old and living with grandparents, that't a problem. However, he is an adult and will be held accountable for his actions. I am close to this situation and I am still in total shock that he was capable of this action. All are to blame here...the system, the families and Andrew...all will have the rest of their lives to think about this tragedy, unlike the baby. I just wish God's peace on all involved.
Andrew (Mark) has had many issues from early childhood. I was once his step sister and could see his mental and behavioral problems even as a child, when he was just in middle school and I was in the 4th grade. My mom saw how messed up Andrew was just in the two years we lived with them and thought it best to get out. So many things pointed to this. Most of the family is very loving.
Our prayers go out to the mother. Stay strong and try not to break into prison to kill the bastard.
I want everyone to know that The mother and this MOnster were not in a realtionship. Over the last yea she has delt w/ her daughter coming home w/ countless injuries and reported EVERY SINGLE ONE to police DFS and even had to take her daughter to doctors and hospitals. she did everything she could to keep her duaghter from him in a legal manner. in the end the court syatem and DFS failed her by saying there was no proof he was a danger to her. In hearing this and being a big hearted mother she swallowed her pride and allowed her daughter to go with her father because she wanted her daughter to have a father in her life as much as it went against her gut. - Its disgusting now seeing Andrew admitted to all the previous injuries NOW. makes me sick to think of how many pother abusive parents out there are getting away w/ this someone at DFS needs to have a fu***** reality check or quiet their D**m job! Their poor judgement lead to a child being allowed to be around an abusive man. I dont want to hear anyone blame her mother she is a FANTASTIC mother who did everything I would have done as well. in the end andrew and the legal system failed her. All we can do now if pray for her family and be thankful that andrew can no longer hurt anyone else that ones last EVIL abusive coward on the streets
unimaginable I just cant see how someone can do that. My heart aches for the little girl and the family that has to go through the turmoil of loosing such a precious little angel. I was reading another article that said there were two other incidents last year where there was a thought of abuse, it's a shame that it was not taken further. I have met this "man" and just feel so sick that i once talked to this person. such a tragedy my thoughts and prayers are with the family I am so sorry for your loss.
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