Prosecutors: Baby beaten so bad, his skull broke off during autopsy

Dantis Porter beat his girlfriend’s 1-year-old son so severely, part of the toddler’s skull broke off in the medical examiner’s hand during the autopsy examination, Cook County prosecutors said Friday.

When Johnny Kimble was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital on the night of Jan. 6, he had skull fractures, a severe brain injury, a lacerated liver, a rib fracture, pulmonary contusions and adrenal hemorrhage, Assistant State’s Attorney Enrique Abraham said.

The 17-month-old boy also had multiple burns on his body, authorities said.

Earlier that evening, Porter called 911 at his girlfriend’s insistence after she came home, in the 1100 block of West Marquette Road, and found Johnny slumped over in his stroller, Abraham said.

Porter had been baby-sitting Johnny and three other children — ages 2, 4 and 5 — between 9:30 a.m. and 7:15 p.m. while his girlfriend was at work, Abraham said.

Porter, 28, allegedly admitted to police he repeatedly hit Johnny because he had been crying and wouldn’t stop.

Porter told authorities he struck the baby with his hands three times, Abraham said.

The first two times, Johnny fell on the floor and got back up, weeping. But the third time Porter smacked him with his hand, Johnny hit his head against a bedroom door frame, Abraham said.

Porter took the child and placed him on a loveseat before putting him in the stroller where he was discovered unresponsive, Abraham said.

Johnny never regained consciousness while he was at the pediatric intensive care unit. He died three days later.

The medical examiner found that Johnny’s posterior skull fracture wrapped around his head, and his brain was acutely swollen, Abraham said.

The bones in his skull were spreading apart, causing bleeding.

Johnny died from the closed head wounds he received as a result of blunt force trauma to his head along with his other injuries, Abraham said.

Porter was initially ordered held without bail for aggravated battery to a child.

Charges were upgraded against Porter after the baby died.

According to an assistant public defender, Porter is disabled and has a rod in one of his legs.