Facebook page seeks 'justice' in death of Kaidynce Small

A group has created a Facebook page - with 1,470 likes as of this morning - calling for justice in the death of 11-month-old Kaidynce Small and listing plans to picket future court proceedings in the murder investigation of the infant's death.

Small died Oct. 21, 11 days before his first birthday, after sustaining brutal injuries on Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation.

Garrett "Kirby" Lafromboise, 21, pleaded guilty Jan. 21 in federal District Court in Great Falls to assaulting the baby, in a plea agreement under which the federal government will drop a charge of second-degree murder or aiding and abetting in second-degree murder.

Cecilia Rose Gardipee, 22, still faces charges of second-degree murder and assault resulting in serious bodily injury stemming from the death.

"Our baby deserves better justice than this," says a post, edited for spelling, on http://www.facebook.com/Justice4kaidynce. The page links to a Havre Daily News story on the plea.

"His little life was ripped away by his father and as he said 'I didn't smother him.' And when he stood there and said 'And I'm sorry,' it was with no remorse or feeling!" the post continues.

"Our baby was murdered by this monster and he should have never had a plea bargain!! They both obviously had something to do with it, but yet he gets off on a lesser charge?! Where is the justice in our system? How could he just get off and our baby is gone!?

"Please, people, friends, relatives, help our baby get the true justice he deserves."

Lafromboise pleaded guilty to becoming frustrated when the 11-month-old would not stop crying. He stuck his finger down the child's throat to make the infant gag, and became more frustrated when the child continued to cry and struck him in the abdomen, U.S. Assistant Attorney Danna Jackson told U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith Strong during the Great Falls hearing.

She said the infant died from injuries sustained that day including skull fractures, hemorrhages and bruising to the brain, hemorrhages to the child's spinal cord, a broken nose, rib fractures, bruises and lacerations on the extremities and face and internal injuries. The medical expert who performed the report would have testified that the child died as the result of homicidal violence including possible suffocation, Jackson said.

After Lafromboise entered his plea, Strong recommended U.S. District Judge Brian Morris accept the guilty plea at the sentencing hearing April 25 in Great Falls.

The charge has a mandatory 10-year minimum sentence with up to life imprisonment, supervised release following the prison sentence as well as a possible $250,000 fine.

Jackson told Strong that the federal government is prepared to recommend the offense level for Lafromboise - which is used by the judge in determining the appropriate length of sentence - be reduced by two levels and will recommend reducing it another level unless Lafromboise is found to have obstructed justice or does not fully accept responsibility.

The Facebook page urges people to go to Great Falls to peacefully protest at the next court date, Gardipee's trial Feb. 11.

"If anyone wants to come help support baby Kaidynce please come protest at the next court date," the Facebook page says. "We will have signs for our baby. We need to stand together and get baby Kaidynce the justice he deserves! Mothers, fathers, grandparents, everyone and anyone who wants to help support him, please come down and help him fight for justice, 'cause he couldn't speak or defend himself, so we need to fight for our baby!"