Murder trial becomes battle over Cahokia child's cause of death - STLtoday.com
BELLEVILLE • The doctor who performed an autopsy on Ryon Smith testified in court on Wednesday that the 6-year-old found dead at his Cahokia home on Christmas Day 2005 had 57 distinct injuries and died of blunt trauma to the stomach. The cause of those injuries became the chief battleground in the trial of Lee Crutchfield, accused in St. Clair County Circuit Court of first-degree murder. Dr. Raj Nanduri, a forensic pathologist for the coroner's office, testified that Ryon's death was a homicide from blunt force trauma to the stomach. A forensic pathologist hired by Crutchfield later contradicted that opinion, saying the boy died of natural causes stemming from epilepsy. Ryon's mother, Starr Lohman, admitted in court earlier in the day that she stood idly by while her boyfriend, Crutchfield, struck Ryon 15 to 30 times. Lohman, 29, testified without emotion for about 90 minutes as a key witness against Crutchfield, 39. "Why did not you protect your son?" publi