Howard Co. Police Rule 3-Year-Old’s April Death a Homicide

Howard County Police are investigating the death of 3-year-old Elijah Izeal LaJeuness as a homicide, which medical examiners have recently determined was caused by asphyxiation.

Police said the child was found at his home at the 9600 block of Basket Ring Road in Columbia on April 13 at approximately 4 a.m., in response to a parent who called 9-1-1 to report that he was not breathing.

Howard County Police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn could not say whether it was the child’s mother or father who dialed 9-1-1. 

LaJeuness was taken to Howard County General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to police.

Although there were no obvious signs of foul play at the scene, detectives began investigating the case as possibly suspicious, according to a press release. An initial examination as part of the autopsy process did not determine the manner of death.

Police said the investigation is ongoing, and is unrelated to the other homicide reported by Howard County Police Thursday, that of Christian Lendell Hall, 17, who died from multiple stab wounds, and was found in the hallway of his apartment building in Long Reach Wednesday night.

Xavier Trevon Bates, 18, of 9089 Lambskin Lane in Columbia, is charged with first- and second-degree murder and first- and second-degree assault, according to a press release.

Those are the first two homicides of the year. According to the Howard County police annual report, there were four reported homicides in 2010 - the same number the county experienced in 2006.