Affidavit details sibling's explanation of how 2-year-old girl died; suspect tells different story

BENTON, Mo. -- Authorities were told multiple stories about how a 2-year-old girl died in Benton, Missouri, on Saturday.

According to a probable-cause affidavit obtained by the Southeast Missourian, the man charged in connection to the girl's death, Raymond Bradley Dejournett, told police he left two children in the bath "for about three minutes."

But a young sibling of the victim told investigators "Daddy held sissy under water and when she came up she was dead."

Dejournett, 25, will be arraigned today in Scott County Circuit Court before Judge Zac Horack. Dejournett is charged with abuse or neglect of a child resulting in the death and endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree. Both are felonies.

The Southeast Missourian received an obituary for Kennley Elizabeth Mae Bramlett, the victim, on Tuesday.

According to a probable cause affidavit filed by the Scott County Sheriff's Department, the 2-year-old was at Dejournett's home on Saturday afternoon along with at least one of her siblings. The affidavit states Scott County Sheriff's Department responded to the home on Hawaii street just outside of Benton where Deputy Ben Moore found emergency personnel administering CPR on the child.

"Deputy Moore stated that upon entering the home he saw what he believed to be bruises all over the child from the neck down to the knees," the affidavit states. "Once North Scott County Ambulance personnel arrived the child was transported to Saint Francis Medical Center and was pronounced deceased at 1712 hours (5:12 p.m.)."

In the affidavit, Moore said he was told by Dejournett the girl and her brother were eating pizza and she threw up "so he put them in the bath." According to the affidavit, Dejournett told authorities he left the children alone "for about three minutes" and when he came back to the bathroom Bramlett "couldn't talk, but could stand up with help." Dejournett told the deputy he dried her off and put clothes on her "and that is when she immediately stopped breathing," the deputy was told. According to the affidavit, Dejournett said 911 was called and he administered CPR until first-responders arrived.

Bramlett's siblings, according to the affidavit, were taken to the SEMO Network Against Sexual Violence for a forensic interview, during which one of the children "stated that (Daddy) hurts him, his sister and brother" and said "Daddy held sissy under water and when she came up she was dead."

According to the affidavit prepared by Scott County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Garrett Cook, Dejournett was subsequently interviewed at the sheriff's office and was asked about the sibling's account of what happened.

"Dejournett became very emotional," Cook wrote in the affidavit, adding "he then asked if he could talk to the child's mother who was identified as Amanda Bramlett. Bramlett was brought into the room and Dejournett told her that this was a terrible accident."

Dejournett, according to the affidavit, told the child's mother he was "playing around" with the children in the bathtub and seeing how long they could hold their breath underwater. "He continued to apologize for killing their daughter and kept saying that it was a terrible accident and he did everything he could to save her," according to the affidavit.

In the affidavit, Cook said he also interviewed Amanda Bramlett who said she left the house around 1:35 Saturday afternoon, leaving two pizzas for the children. According to the affidavit, she said everything was fine at the house when she left.