John Jefferson
Insets left to right: Brett Bissett, Brianna Rufina Bloyer (Fayette County District Attorney). Background: The residence where Bissett’s son was killed (Google Maps).
A Pennsylvania man is now legally embroiled in the late summer death of his 2-year-old son — several days after his girlfriend was charged with one count of homicide in the same case.
On Aug. 16, Bentlee Myers, 2, was beaten to death, Law&Crime previously reported. On Nov. 8, Brianna Bloyer, 30, was charged with homicide by the Fayette County District Attorney’s Office.
Now, Brett Bissett, 25, stands accused of one count of criminal homicide as well, according to police in the Keystone State. He is also charged with endangering the welfare of a child and reckless endangerment.
Days after the father’s girlfriend was charged, he was arrested on charges of tampering with evidence, obstructing the administration of law and hindering apprehension.
From the start, prosecutors anticipated filing additional charges in the case — and made good on that prediction this week.
Police say Bissett witnessed his girlfriend “assault and attempt to assault” the toddler on numerous occasions from the time Bentlee was all of 6 months old until his death this year, according to a criminal complaint obtained by The Observer-Reporter.
The father often confronted the alleged killer about the abuse and the child’s concomitant injuries, but then allowed the process to begin all over again by leaving Bentlee in his girlfriend’s care several days each week, according to the complaint.
Early in the afternoon on the day in question, another adult arrived at Bloyer’s residence on Old Lake Lynn Road in Springhill Township — a small community just across the border with West Virginia.
There, the other adult found the child unresponsive.
Nearly as concerning, that person learned Bloyer was aware of the state the boy was in but had not called 911, law enforcement allege.
The person who did call 911 is not identified in the complaint.
The other adult told dispatchers the child’s feet were propped up, that his face was blue, and that he did not appear to be breathing, according to the complaint. First responders rushed the boy to a nearby hospital — but it was far too little, far too late; medical staff pronounced him brain-dead, and Bentlee succumbed to his injuries.
On the day of the fatal incident, Bloyer allegedly told investigators the child had been staying with her for roughly two weeks. The defendant allegedly went on to say that when she woke Bentlee up that morning, he stumbled around and then collapsed, according to the complaint.
A search was effectuated at the residence and law enforcement obtained Bloyer’s phone. On the device, police allegedly turned up the following search from Aug. 16: “how to get someone to come to when you pass out.”
Additional incriminating Google searches were made between Aug. 8 and 9, including: “why am I so much more angry while pregnant” and “what better to make bruises fade overnight,” police allege.
The boy’s father’s girlfriend also allegedly searched for “homemade bruise cream” and apparently wanted to know how long it takes for carpet imprints on a face to fade away by searching: “carpet imprint in face how long does it take to go away.”
Police confirmed the woman’s phone did not dial 911 on the day the fatal injuries were incurred, according to the complaint.
Bissett, for his part, originally professed a measure of ignorance about the regime of punishment that took his son’s life, police say.
Pressed to account for the injuries, the boy’s father said he had no idea the bruises were even there, police say. The father did, however, allegedly tell investigators he noticed his girlfriend was often stressed around and frustrated with the child. Then that narrative changed.
Bissett would go on to describe several situations in which the child was abused or neglected by his girlfriend — including an incident on Aug. 9 when Bentlee was found unconscious in the bathtub.
On that occasion, the boy’s father said Bloyer left the child alone for “less than 10 minutes,” heard something that sounded like a fall, then found the boy limp, according to the complaint.
On other occasions, the father allegedly admitted to watching Bloyer punch his son “really hard” in the face and strike him with a belt.
When asked why he never took his son away from the danger of the woman, the father allegedly replied: “Because I loved her.”
That love allegedly carried on past the child’s death. Police say Bissett initially agreed to help with their investigation into Bloyer — by agreeing to secretly record her. Then came the heart: police say Bissett tipped Bloyer off about the surveillance.
“The father of this child went out of his way to obstruct our investigation and to aid Ms. Bloyer in getting away with this, or what he thought was going to allow her to get away with this,” Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele told CBS News earlier this month. “I don’t feel like there is one moment throughout this entire investigation that he cared about this child. I think it was all about Ms. Bloyer.”
A preliminary hearing in Bloyer’s case had originally been scheduled for Wednesday but was continued earlier this week.
Bissett is slated to appear in court on Dec. 4.
Both defendants are being detained without bond in the Fayette County Jail.
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