Honk News (Michigan City, IN) – A 32-year-old man in Indiana faces accusations of murdering his girlfriend’s 5-year-old son, reportedly beating the child to death and then advising his mother on how to respond to law enforcement. Brice Bainum was arrested on Tuesday and faces a murder charge in connection with the tragic death of the child, according to court documents.
Bainum is now dealing with another charge for allegedly stopping his girlfriend from contacting the authorities or seeking medical assistance for her son.
On Sunday, March 2, 2025, at approximately 7:16 a.m., officers from the Michigan City Police Department responded to a 911 call about an unresponsive 5-year-old boy at a home located in the 2200 block of Normandy Drive, roughly 150 miles north of Indianapolis.
Officers on patrol, along with the Michigan City Fire Department and LaPorte County Emergency Medical Services, responded to the scene and found the victim inside the residence. He was quickly taken to Franciscan Hospital for care.
The boy was transported to the University of Chicago Children’s Comer Hospital for more specialized medical care due to the seriousness of his condition. He sadly passed away from his injuries and was pronounced dead at 7:02 p.m., according to police reports.
The Investigative Division arrived at the residence and took control of the scene. Detectives reached out to the LaPorte County Prosecutor’s Office to get help with securing a search warrant for the home. The scene was secured, and evidence was gathered.
An autopsy later revealed that the 5-year-old had multiple injuries, including a brain bleed and noticeable bruises on his head, back, and buttocks, among other places. The death was ruled a homicide, caused by injuries from an assault.
The report states that the boy’s mother first informed investigators that she didn’t think Bainum would harm her son, mentioning that the boy “really looked up to” Bainum. But, it seems that shifted as the conversation went on.
A mother reported that Bainum believed her son was being “disrespectful” and responded by making the child take a 15-minute cold shower, followed by an hour of continuous apologies, according to South Bend, Indiana CBS and Fox affiliate WSBT. Later on, she saw Bainum shouting at the boy, who was in tears, frightened, and seemed to have been hit “really hard.”
Bainum reportedly stated that the victim had bitten him hard enough to leave a mark. According to a report from South Bend NBC affiliate WNDU, when the mother asked Bainum to stop mistreating the victim, he reportedly replied, “F— you, he is not going to bite me.”
Hours later, the victim’s mother discovered her son unresponsive and cold on the floor in his room. Bainum reportedly took the phone from her when she attempted to call 911 and did not return it for over an hour.
The mother reported that Bainum often became “jealous” when she gave her son “too much attention” and would punish him harshly, such as making him eat hot sauce for crying excessively and verbally mistreating him.
Bainum is now in LaPorte County Jail with a bond set at $1 million. He will be in court for his first hearing on March 11.