A Louisiana mother, Alice Rollinson Bunch Idlett, has recently been charged with the murder of her baby nearly 55 years after claiming he fell out of his crib. The tragic incident occurred in 1970 when her 16-month-old son, Earl Dwayne Bunch III, was found dead. Initially, Idlett had claimed that her son had fractured his skull from falling out of his crib, but a cold-case investigation in 2022 revealed that it was a homicide.
Disturbing letters were uncovered during the investigation, where Idlett expressed her hatred towards her son in writing to her then-husband, Earl Bunch Jr. She wrote about how she wished her son was dead and how she felt punished by God for having him. The letters detailed instances of abuse, with Idlett admitting to whipping the child and expressing a desire to harm him further.
When Baby Earl was taken to the hospital, he was found to have multiple injuries, including bruising, bite marks, and a burn mark on his buttocks. The doctor noted that the injuries were not consistent with a fall from a crib, contradicting Idlett’s initial explanation. Despite the alarming content of the letters, Bunch did not report them to the authorities at the time, as he could not believe that his wife was capable of harming their child.
The case was closed due to a lack of evidence initially but was reopened in 2022, leading to Idlett’s arrest and subsequent charge of second-degree murder. She is currently held at the Calcasieu Parish Correctional Center on a $950,000 bond. The long-overdue justice for Baby Earl highlights the importance of thorough investigations and the significance of holding perpetrators accountable for their actions, no matter how much time has passed.
