Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
Text K to Kill delves into the murder of Brendan Creato, 3, who was reported missing in October 2015 but was later found dead. The documentary special will be aired on ID on Saturday, April 27, 2024, at 10 p.m. ET.
On October 13, 2015, David Creato Jr. reported to authorities that his toddler son, Brendan Creato, had disappeared from their home in Haddon Township, Camden County, after he strolled away from the place. After a search ensued, Brendan’s body was found in a creek near the Cooper River. Although the path to the creek and river back were muddy, Brendan’s socks were all clean. This raised suspicions that the boy didn’t wander from his home but was laid there, reported Independent.
Per ABC 7, police charged David Creato Jr. with first-degree murder and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child. When the indictment was first announced, authorities emphasized that the father of the victim lied about Brendan Creato wandering away from home. Moreover, he insisted that a stranger may have killed Brendan. His attorney argued that the accused did not kill his son and that he would plead not guilty.
However, during the trial, prosecutors argued that David killed his son to continue dating his then-17-year-old girlfriend, Julia Stensky. She reportedly didn’t like visiting his home on weekends when he was responsible for looking after his son. According to CBS News, the jury was also presented with text messages between the couple. The messages revealed that she had asked David to pick who was more important to him.
What did Brendan Creato’s autopsy reveal?
Per CBS News, an autopsy made it evident that Brendan Creato died from “homicidal violence of undetermined ideology.” However, the exact cause of death could not be identified. During the trial, experts noted that they didn’t think it was essential to conduct a toxicology test on the child. However, they did detect a swollen brain, which suggested that his brain might have been deprived of oxygen. This made suffocation a probable cause of death.
From March 2015, Brendan Creato was reportedly being treated for asthma despite an otherwise clean health record. As the cause of death remained a mystery, multiple medical examinations were allegedly conducted. As per another report by CBS News, one of them revealed a bite mark inside Brendan’s mouth. A total of three medical examiners worked on the case, but the cause of death still remains undetermined.
In August 2017, David Creato Jr. pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter in the death of his toddler son, 6 ABC noted. He admitted to “depriving Brendan of oxygen.” He allegedly feared that his girlfriend, who was in New York City for college, would leave him if he did not give up custody. However, the couple separated following the incident. NBC Philadelphia reported that David was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He will be eligible for parole after serving 8 1/2 years in prison.
Text K to Kill will air on Investigation Discovery on Saturday, April 27, 2024, at 10 p.m. ET. The episode will revolve around the details of Brendan Creato’s murder and the evidence that led to David Creato Jr.’s conviction.
