Detectives scour Haddon Twp. for clues to tot's death
Detectives knocked on doors Thursday in Haddon Township as they searched for clues in the mystifying death of a 3-year-old boy whose body was found in the woods more than two weeks ago, hours after he was reported missing.
Detectives knocked on doors Thursday, Oct. 29 in Haddon Township as they searched for clues in the mystifying death of a 3-year-old boy whose body was found in the woods more than two weeks ago, hours after he was reported missing.
"They said [to] keep our eyes and ears open," said Danielle Burnham, 44, who said that she spoke to two detectives around 10 a.m. and that she saw six on her leafy street.
With Halloween around the corner, in a neighborhood decorated with ghosts, goblins, and pumpkin faces, the unsolved death of Brendan Link Creato has added a real-world spookiness.
There is anxiety as families prepare to trick-or-treat with their children.
"The town's worried, 'Is there someone weird walking around?' " said Burnham, who has lived in the township for 34 years and has a 13-year-old son and a 9-year-old daughter.
Investigators have said that they are still trying to determine how Brendan died, and that autopsy results are pending.
A K-9 unit found his body in the woods near Cooper Street and South Park Drive on Oct. 13 around 9 a.m., three hours after his father reported him missing in a 911 call. D.J. Creato, 22, told a dispatcher that he woke up and found that his son was missing. Many residents, alerted by an automated police call, then searched the area.
Authorities have said there is no indication Brendan was sexually assaulted and no signs of a forced entry at Creato's apartment.
Richard J. Fuschino Jr., Creato's attorney, has said his client is not a suspect.
Meanwhile, with no arrests, rumors have swirled in the neighborhood about Brendan's death and whether someone is responsible.
Adding to the mystery this week was a Tumblr account operated by Julia Spensky, D.J. Creato's girlfriend. The news website PhillyVoice.com, citing the account - which has since been taken down - said Wednesday that Spensky, 17, had voiced concern early on that she might be a suspect in the case.
"Detectives have been aware of the Tumblr account," said Andy McNeil, a spokesman for the Camden County Prosecutor's Office. He declined to comment further. Spensky's attorney, Joseph Sorrentino, did not return phone calls Thursday.
Along South Park Drive, two memorials with blue bows and stuffed animals have been erected since Brendan's death. Beyond them, down a dirt path that leads deep into the woods, a much smaller memorial with a cross, teddy bear, pumpkin, and two candles, both with pictures of Brendan's face, have been left. They sit near a creek connected to the Cooper River.
"Mom Moms Buster Brown Forever in My Heart," someone wrote in black marker on the pumpkin.
Farther out in the Westmont neighborhood, authorities have told residents that detectives may be present there as the investigation continues.
On Halloween, regular police patrols will also be out, said John Foley, the township's public safety director.
"The police patrol is just going to be the same as it always was," he said.
The township's official trick-or-treating hours are 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday. Foley said parents or guardians must accompany children during the last hour, when it is dark, though he expects many parents will be present the whole time.
Authorities have asked anyone with information about the boy's death to contact Prosecutor's Office Detective Michael Rhoads at 856-225-8561 or Haddon Township Police Detective Don Quinn at 856-833-6208.
856-779-3829@borenmc