Photo:Kasee Metzger
Kasee Metzger
Anthony Rouse loved the water, making it all the more tragic that the 6-year-old boy drowned to death,allegedly at the hands of his stepfather, according to police.
“He really liked the water, he liked to swim,” says Kasee Metzger, her voice cracking. “We took him to my mom’s house for his second birthday party because she has a pool and he really liked to swim and be around the water.”
Metzger, a schoolteacher who fostered Anthony for a few months when he was an infant, took pauses in between sharing memories days after the boy’s biological mother and stepfather, Alize and Tre Seymore, were indicted on first-degree murder charges in connection with his April death.
Anthony Rouse with his foster mother in 2018.Kasee Metzger
As police investigated the case, they unearthed long-term abuse Anthony allegedly suffered at the hands of the Seymores, according to an affidavit PEOPLE reviewed.
Anthony died within several months of being in the custody of the Seymores.
Andre Rouse, Anthony’s father, who raised him for much of his last four years, tells PEOPLE his son was “an energetic person.”
He loved to go fishing, just like his Andre, who works as a commercial fisherman. At the age of 1, Anthony accompanied him on a work trip on a boat.
“He’s caught a 25 pound stingray,” Andre recalls.
Anthony’s last request was a birthday gift from his dad: “‘Daddy my birthday is coming up,’ and he told me he wanted a Nintendo Switch, and a lot of Paw Patrol games,” Andre recalls.
By the time Andre returned from his fishing trip, Anthony was dead.
But police soon suspected otherwise: After the child was taken to two different hospitals, staff from both facilities raised concern after observing signs of possible long-term abuse, including scars.
Two days later, Anthony was declared dead.
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Now, Andre is without a job, and his son’s death has taken a toll on his mental health. He recently accidentally cut his finger because he couldn’t “stop thinking about this situation," he says.
“Nobody is prepared to lose a child like how I lost him,” he adds.
The Seymores are being held without a bond and facing a slew of charges including first degree-murder and child abuse.
It’s not immediately clear if they have entered pleas or retained attorneys to comment.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
