Man gets 92 years in prison after 3-month-old son's body found in sealed bucket

LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- A Lafayette man has been sentenced to over 90 years in prison for his role in the death of his 3-month-old son.




According to the Tippecanoe County Prosecutor's Office, 29-year-old Eliasard Moneus has been sentenced to 92 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections after being convicted of murder and attempted murder, a level 1 felony.

The investigation into Eliasard began on Aug. 10, 2024, when officers with the Lafayette Police Department were called to IU Health Arnett Hospital in response to a domestic incident.




Police arrived and spoke with the suspect's wife, who said Eliasard became upset wth her on Aug. 5 and that he had shown up at her residence on Aug. 10. According to court documents, he entered the residence and reportedly struck his wife with a tire iron or "wrench of some kind."




After the assault, Eliasard left the scene and reportedly drove off with their 3-month-old son, Jacob. When officers were speaking with his wife at the hospital, she stated that she did not know where her son was because he had taken him away from her.




The attack left Eliasard's wife with a fractured skull after she self-transported to the hospital for treatment of her injuries.




When officers arrived at the victim's home, they reportedly found evidence of blood splatter indicating some type of assault had taken place. Police were unable to find Eliasard's 3-month-old during their initial search of the home.

According to previous reports, Indianapolis metro police assisted LPD in finding Eliasard at the Maison Garden apartment complex in Lawrence.




The search for Jacob ended on Aug. 11 when the Tippecanoe County Coroner's Office was called to the 2500 block of Lexington Court in Lafayette in response to a deceased infant.




When authorities arrived on the scene, they reportedly found Jacob's body stuffed inside an orange bucket.




The bucket was sitting next to a trash can in the kitchen at the same residence where Eliasard had battered his wife.




The child's body was recovered alongside a "dark-colored liquid" inside the bucket, detectives said. When Eliasard was brought in for questioning, he said he did not know the child's location.




During the interview, Eliasard admitted to beating his wife "two or three times" with a tool from a vehicle. During the assault, Eliasard reportedly told his wife that he hoped she would die from her injuries.




An autopsy report confirmed Jacob's cause of death was due to asphyxia and the child's death was ruled a homicide.




Eliasard was placed under arrest and transported to the Tippecanoe County Jail on the following charges:

• One count of murder





• One count of attempted murder (Level 1 felony)





• One count of aggravated battery (Level 3 felony)





• One count of criminal confinement resulting in serious bodily injury (Level 3 felony)





• One count of domestic battery resulting in serious bodily injury (Level 5 felony)





• One count of domestic battery by means of a deadly weapon (Level 5 felony)

via: https://fox59.com/news/man-gets-92-years-in-prison-after-3-month-old-sons-body-found-in-sealed-bucket/