Dad Slammed Baby Into Recliner Because He Wouldn't Stop Crying

Gordon Faunce grew up in the foster care system. He was raped and molested several times as a foster child. In May 2012, Faunce continued to deal with the long-term emotional impact of sexual abuse as a new father weeks after he became the father of twin boys.

Gordon was anything but a good father. He experienced severe anger that led him to lash out against others, including Ethan, an innocent, tiny baby. He blamed changes in his psychiatric medications for his outbursts.

On May 5, 2012, an angry Faunce grabbed Ethan by the head, squeezed his skull between his hands, dangled him from the air, and forcefully threw the 10 ½ week old into a recliner in the RV where the family lived.

Faunce called 9-1-1. Paramedics transported Ethan to a nearby hospital where he died from brain bleeding and blunt force trauma to the brain on May 8.

Hospital staff noted that Ethan was “filthy from head to toe” and had a severe diaper rash. Staff discovered old and new brain injuries, indicative of prior abuse.

The injuries were so severe, that Ethan had been left blind in one eye and the left side of his brain had completely stopped working.

Faunce had abused Ethan almost since he arrived home from the hospital. A daycare worker at the facility twins attended reported ‘potential child abuse’ to the Maine Children’s Services agency, telling them the twins were sick, lacked medical care, and were dirty. She also reported the twins’ older sibling, age 3, came to school covered in bruises.

Ethan’s mother, Christina, took the newborn to the Emergency Room at 4 weeks old with a broken arm. She lied to medical staff, claiming the injury occurred when Faunce attempted to grab him out of the crib and his arm became stuck in one of the slats.

In reality, Faunce had forcefully grabbed Ethan by the arm during a diaper change.

Hospital staff never reported the injury to Children’s Services, leading to staff members losing their licenses to practice.

The agency did receive 13 other calls concerning Ethan's well-being, however, workers investigated just two of the reports. In one of the reports, the case worker who visited the family’s RV wrote that Ethan was “happy, healthy, and well cared for.” Virginia McNamara lost her job over the incident.

Christina Henderson left Ethan, his twin brother, and her 3-year-old daughter from a previous relationship home with Faunce while she worked. 

Baby Ethan began crying, agitating Faunce when he could not get him to stop. That’s when he dangled the baby and tossed him at the recliner using all his force.

Faunce confessed to abusing and killing baby Ethan. He admitted to causing Ethan’s broken arm, breaking one of the baby’s ribs, and other acts of abuse against him.

He was charged with and pleaded guilty to manslaughter and assault. Under his plea agreement, Gordon received a 20-year prison sentence. He must serve 14 years of probation when released, and cannot have any contact with Christina or the surviving kids upon release.

Christina was not home when Ethan died and, therefore, was not charged in his death.

Ethan’s twin and older sister were placed into state custody and adopted into loving homes.