Abused 1-year-old taken to hospital with bruises, then dies in MI, feds say
A Michigan man was convicted after officials said he fatally abused his 1-year-old child.
Eugene Walter-George Rantanen was convicted of murder and first-degree child abuse, according to a May 9 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan.
McClatchy News reached out to Rantanen’s attorney for comment but did not immediately hear back.
On Feb. 19, 2024, police were called to a home in L’Anse for reports of an unresponsive child, according to a criminal complaint.
Rantanen told dispatchers he found his 19-month-old child “slumped over the bed and not breathing” after leaving them there to take a nap, the complaint said. Then, he said the toddler started breathing, but the breathing was irregular.
The toddler was taken to a hospital where medical staff found bruising on their body and internal bleeding, according to court records. Some of the bruising “appeared consistent with marks from fingertips,” officials said.
The toddler was showing “little signs of life, and signs of abusive head trauma,” the complaint said.
On Feb. 24, the toddler died from their injuries, officials said.
A medical examiner testified at trial that the toddler “suffered blunt force trauma to the head, which caused significant injuries to the brain,” according to officials.
Four days before the toddler died, investigators found a pack and play mattress and cleaning wipes with blood on them at the toddler’s home, the complaint said.
“Any time a child dies, it is a tragedy. But it is particularly tragic when a caretaker causes the death,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge.
Rantanen is scheduled to be sentenced in the fall.
L’Anse is about a 470-mile drive northwest from Grand Rapids.
This story was originally published May 12, 2025 at 1:19 PM with the headline "Abused 1-year-old taken to hospital with bruises, then dies in MI, feds say."
