Latest news with #SylvieZacovic
News.com.au
5 days ago
- News.com.au
Bodycam footage of mum learning babysitter allegedly murdered her infant
Harrowing police bodycam footage has emerged showing a mother's primal scream after learning her 10-month-old daughter had died while in the care of her babysitter. The emotional scene unfolded in Pekin, Illinois, on June 26, 2024, when Branda Nichelle learnt the tragic news outside the home of her infant daughter Sylvie Zacovic's babysitter, 22-year-old Makenna Rhodes. Rhodes is due to stand trial for the alleged murder in October, with the disturbing bodycam footage expected to play a key role in the case. In the clip, Ms Nichelle can be seen coming home from work after Rhodes called her to let her know Sylvie was allegedly unresponsive in her cot. Police and paramedics were already at the home, and as they let the mum know her daughter was in a gravely serious condition and was being taken to the hospital, she began screaming. 'Oh my god, oh my God,' she cried in the heartbreaking footage. 'She's just … oh my God.' Rhodes, who was in the house with her boyfriend, then tried to comfort the mum, but Ms Nichelle brushed her off before getting into the back of the police car to go to the hospital. Tragically, Sylvie was pronounced dead 30 minutes later. Elsewhere in the footage, a police officer is seen on the phone relaying information. 'The babysitter is hysterical,' he said. 'She said she laid the kid down at 10 something … came up at like 12:45 and the child was blue. 'Babysitter's boyfriend is super calm … there's some things that are kind of up in the air right now.' In separate footage from the same day, Rhodes and her boyfriend were interrogated by police in separate rooms. Rhodes denied she had any involvement in the death, but told police that the infant had been 'fussy' and refused to sleep. She was caring for four children that day, including her infant son, and told investigators she had left Sylvie with her boyfriend for about 10 minutes before the child was found unresponsive. However, he insisted he had been sleeping until Rhodes woke him in a panic. When faced with accusations from police about lying, he referenced text messages Rhodes had sent from the police station, attempting to align their stories. 'I told (the investigator) you had Sylvie for 10 mins,' Rhodes messaged him. He replied: 'I told her I didn't have her or seen her today'. 'Just say you did,' she responded. 'I'm not lying, Kenna,' he sent back. The couple were allowed to leave, but just two days later, an autopsy revealed the cause of death was asphyxiation. Sylvie suffered abrasions on the inside of her upper lip, which are injuries consistent with pressure being applied to her face. Rhodes was arrested and told police she was 'scared' as she was handcuffed and charged with murder. Rhodes later admitted in a probable cause affidavit to suffocating the infant with a small blanket attached to a stuffed animal, as she forced a dummy into her mouth. Rhodes allegedly admitted to holding the blanket over Sylvie's face until she closed her eyes and stopped crying. She also admitted that her claims that her boyfriend had been with the infant at the time were made up and she was the only one in the room. The boyfriend was never charged with any wrongdoing. Rhodes' trial is scheduled to start on October 7, and she has pleaded not guilty. If found guilty, she could face up to 100 years in prison. On the first anniversary of Sylvie's tragic death, Ms Nichelle posted a heartfelt tribute on social media, describing the moment she was caught on bodycam footage screaming as 'the worst day of my life'. 'There are no words for how much I miss her. I will never get to see my baby girl's smile again, hear her laugh, or watch her take her first steps,' she said. 'I hate that someone else's actions caused this. My daughter is gone because of what someone else did – and all we can do now is hope that justice is served.'
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Daily Mail
Harrowing footage captures mom's anguished cries as sitter faces murder charge in death of baby girl
A mother's anguished grief is caught on bodycam footage after she realizes her 10-month-old girl is gravely ill - allegedly murdered by the babysitter. In the footage, Branda Nichelle wails 'Oh, my God' as she is told little Sylvie Zacovic has suffered life-threatening injuries. The sitter, Makenna Rhodes, 22, is now facing murder charges and will go to trial in October. The upsetting scenes unfolded on June 26, 2024, in Pekin, Illinois, when Nichelle broke down outside the home of the babysitter. Rhodes is set to go on trial for murder in the autumn, with bodycam footage unearthed by Body Cam Edition likely to play a central role. Nichelle was seen in the footage racing from her workplace after Rhodes called her to say Sylvie was found unresponsive in her cot, with paramedics and police already gathered at the home. As she approached Rhodes' home, Nichelle began screaming as she was told Sylvie was found in gravely serious condition, unresponsive and being taken to hospital. 'Oh my God, oh my God,' she wailed in the bodycam footage. 'She's just... oh my God.' Rhodes tried to hug her, but Nichelle brushed her off before getting into a police cruiser to get to hospital. Sylvie was pronounced dead 30 minutes later, and police were seen immediately raising suspicions about Rhodes, saying she appeared 'too calm' as the chaos was unfolding. In separate police footage that same day, Rhodes and her boyfriend were seen being interrogated as investigators realized Sylvie's death may not have been a tragic accident. In the interrogation rooms, cops separated Rhodes and her boyfriend, who is not named, to grill them over the fateful morning where Sylvie was found unresponsive. Rhodes denied having any involvement in the infant's death, but repeatedly told investigators that the child had been 'fussy' and refused to sleep. She had a total of four children in her care that day, including her own infant son, and insisted to investigators she had left Sylvie in her boyfriend's care 'for around 10 minutes' before the child was found unresponsive at around 10am that day. But he maintained he had been asleep until Rhodes woke him up in a panic, and after cops accused him of lying, he brought up text messages Rhodes had sent him from inside the police station trying to get their story straight. 'I told (the investigator) you had Sylvie for 10 mins,' Rhodes texted him. He responded: 'I told her I didn't have her or seen her today.' 'Just say you did,' she sent back, to which he responded: 'I'm not lying, Kenna.' With suspicions heightened, police let the young couple leave, but the case took a dark turn just two days later when an autopsy was carried out on Sylvie. A forensic pathologist found that Sylvie's cause of death was asphyxiation, and she suffered abrasions on the inside of her upper lip, injuries consistent with pressure being applied to her face. Rhodes was arrested soon after, and was seen in the bodycam footage repeatedly telling cops she was 'scared' as she was handcuffed and charged with murder. In a probable cause affidavit, Rhodes later admitted to suffocating Sylvie with a 'lovey' - a small blanket attached to a stuffed animal - as she forced a pacifier into her mouth. Rhodes reportedly confessed to holding the blanket against Sylvie's face until she closed her eyes and stopped crying. The young babysitter 'admitted she was overwhelmed,' the affidavit stated, and conceded that her claims that her boyfriend had been with the baby at the time was made up, saying she 'was the only one in the room.' Her boyfriend was never charged with any wrongdoing. Sadness: Sylvie was remembered in a heartbreaking social media post by her mother, who said: 'There are no words for how much I miss her. I will never get to see my baby girl's smile again, hear her laugh, or watch her take her first steps' A judge denied Rhodes bond, keeping her in jail as officials said they were fearful that she posed a threat to her own child. During the investigation, it was also allegedly found that another child in Rhodes' care suffered a broken arm in a separate incident. Rhodes' trial has been set to begin on October 7, and she has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, she faces up to 100 years behind bars. On the one-year anniversary of Sylvie's tragic death, Nichelle shared a heartbreaking tribute to social media, saying the moment she was seen on bodycam footage screaming was 'the worst day of my life.' 'There are no words for how much I miss her. I will never get to see my baby girl's smile again, hear her laugh, or watch her take her first steps,' she wrote. 'A year ago today was the last time I entered her room. Her door has remained closed ever since. 'Sometimes, I forget the room is even there - a space frozen in time. A year ago today was also the last time I held my baby and kissed her. That day, everything changed.' 'I hate that someone else's actions caused this. My daughter is gone because of what someone else did - and all we can do now is hope that justice is served.'
New York Post
6 days ago
- New York Post
Mom's guttural reaction to learning infant died in babysitter's care captured in heartbreaking bodycam footage
Gut-wrenching police bodycam footage captured the moment a devastated Illinois mother howled in anguish upon learning her 10-month-old daughter died while in the care of a babysitter — who was later charged with smothering the infant. The disturbing clip showed a panicked Branda Nichelle rushing to a home in Pekin, where a swarm of officers were investigating after her baby, Sylvie Zacovic, was found face down and unresponsive in a crib in June 2024, according reports and the footage obtained by Body Cam Edition. 'Is she breathing?' the shaken mother asked a Pekin police officer, as her daughter's unusually calm babysitter, Makenna Rhodes, 22, tried to console her. Advertisement 4 Babysitter Mackenna Rhodes was unusually calm as little Sylvie Zacovic's mother became hysterical upon learning the devastating news. Youtube/Body Cam Edition Moments later, a paramedic delivered the heartbreaking news to the wailing mother. 'Oh my god, oh my god,' the sobbing Nichelle repeatedly bellowed while slumping in distress against a car, later telling one cop, 'I'm trying to keep it together but I can't. Oh my god!' Advertisement Police were seen transporting the distraught parent to the hospital, where the little Sylvie was pronounced dead, while remaining officers at the scene discussed the possibility that the baby may have been suffocated by a blanket and then turned over on her stomach, the shocking footage showed. 4 Police said Rhodes was instructing her boyfriend on what to say while they were interrogated separately. Youtube/Body Cam Edition Rhodes and her boyfriend, who also helped care for the mom of four's kids, were later questioned separately by police — each describing how the baby had been 'fussy' when put down for a nap. The boyfriend, who claimed he never even saw the baby, told police that his girlfriend had been texting him from her interrogation room, telling him what to say, according to the police video. Advertisement 'It looks like you're trying to get your story straight,' a female cop tells a 'scared' Rhodes. 4 Rhodes faces up to 100 years in prison if convicted. Youtube/Body Cam Edition 'I don't understand in this instance why you guys would be trying to make sure you're telling me the same thing if what you're telling me is the truth.' Police seized both of their phones, uncovering text messages between the pair, in which the boyfriend — whose name was not released — told his suspected girlfriend that he refused to lie to authority on her behalf, 23 News Now reported. Advertisement Rhodes was arrested in July 2024 and charged with first-degree murder after a forensic pathologist determined the baby died from asphyxiation. Her boyfriend was never charged. 4 Makenna Rhodes was charged with first-degree murder. Youtube/Body Cam Edition Court documents obtained by the outlet revealed the suspected baby killer allegedly admitted to pressing a small 'lovey' blanket against the child's face while forcing a pacifier into her mouth until she closed her eyes and appeared to fall asleep. Rhodes said she carried out the disturbing act out of anger on June 26, 2024, after multiple failed attempts to get the baby to sleep, according to police records. She reportedly faces up to 100 years in prison if convicted at her trial, which is set to begin in October.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Daily Mail
'Saddest bodycam ever' shows mom howl on learning babysitter had just 'murdered' her infant
Horrifying police bodycam footage captured a stricken mother's primal cry of grief as she realized her 10-month-old baby girl had died under the care of her babysitter. The tear-jerking moment unfolded on June 26, 2024, in Pekin, Illinois, when Branda Nichelle, the mother of little Sylvie Zacovic, broke down outside the home of her infant daughter's babysitter, Makenna Rhodes, 22. Rhodes is set to go on trial for murder in October, with bodycam footage unearthed by Body Cam Edition likely to become central to the shocking case. Nichelle was seen in the footage racing from her workplace after Rhodes called her to say Sylvie was found unresponsive in her cot, with paramedics and police already gathered at the home. As she approached Rhodes' home, Nichelle began screaming as she was told that Sylvie was found in gravely serious condition, unresponsive and being taken to hospital. 'Oh my god, oh my god,' she wailed in the bodycam footage. 'She's just... oh my god.' Rhodes tried to hug her, but Nichelle brushed her off before getting into a police cruiser to get to hospital. Sylvie was tragically pronounced dead 30 minutes later, and police were seen immediately raising suspicions about Rhodes, saying she appeared 'too calm' as the chaos was unfolding. In separate police footage that same day, Rhodes and her boyfriend were seen being interrogated as investigators realized Sylvie's death may not have been a tragic accident. In the interrogation rooms, cops separated Rhodes and her boyfriend, who is not named, to grill them over the fateful morning where Sylvie was found unresponsive. Rhodes denied having any involvement in the infant's death, but repeatedly told investigators that the child had been 'fussy' and refused to sleep. She had a total of four children in her care that day, including her own infant son, and insisted to investigators that she had left Sylvie in her boyfriend's care 'for around 10 minutes' before the child was found unresponsive at around 10am that day. But he maintained that he had been asleep until Rhodes woke him up in a panic, and after cops accused him of lying, he brought up text messages Rhodes had sent him from inside the police station trying to get their story straight. 'I told (the investigator) you had Sylvie for 10 mins,' Rhodes texted him. He responded: 'I told her I didn't have her or seen her today.' 'Just say you did,' she sent back, to which he responded: 'I'm not lying, Kenna.' With suspicions heightened, police let the young couple leave, but the case took a dark turn just two days later when an autopsy was carried out on Sylvie. A forensic pathologist found that Sylvie's cause of death was asphyxiation, and she suffered abrasions on the inside of her upper lip, injuries consistent with pressure being applied to her face. Rhodes was arrested soon after, and was seen in the bodycam footage repeatedly telling cops she was 'scared' as she was handcuffed and charged with murder. In a probable cause affidavit, Rhodes later admitted to suffocating Sylvie with a 'lovey' - a small blanket attached to a stuffed animal - as she forced a pacifier into her mouth. Rhodes reportedly confessed to holding the blanket against Sylvie's face until she closed her eyes and stopped crying. The young babysitter 'admitted she was overwhelmed', the affidavit stated, and conceded that her claims that her boyfriend had been with the baby at the time was made up, saying she 'was the only one in the room. . Her boyfriend was never charged with any wrongdoing. Following her arrest, a judge denied Rhodes bond, keeping her in jail as officials said they were fearful that she posed a threat to her own child. During the course of the investigation, it was also allegedly found that another child in Rhodes' care suffered a broken arm in a separate incident. Rhodes' trial has been set to begin on October 7, and she has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, she faces up to 100 years behind bars. On the one-year anniversary of Sylvie's tragic death, Nichelle shared a heartbreaking tribute to social media, saying the moment she was seen on bodycam footage screaming was 'the worst day of my life'. 'There are no words for how much I miss her. I will never get to see my baby girl's smile again, hear her laugh, or watch her take her first steps,' she wrote. 'A year ago today was the last time I entered her room. Her door has remained closed ever since. Sometimes, I forget the room is even there—a space frozen in time. A year ago today was also the last time I held my baby and kissed her. That day, everything changed.' 'I hate that someone else's actions caused this. My daughter is gone because of what someone else did—and all we can do now is hope that justice is served.'
