Post by ninfem on Apr 25, 2009 0:21:09 GMT -5
On January 6, 2003 an innocent child was viciously murdered by his father in Plattsmouth. NE. This is a brief synopsis of Brendan Gonzalez and his family.
A child is created within a mother therefore there is a love and bond stronger than anything in the world. This child’s future holds an infinite number of possibilities and opportunities that the mother anticipates witnessing and appreciating. Could choices made in the child’s best interest possibly jeopardize everything one day?
On July 30, 1998, Brendan Tyler Gonzalez was born to Rebecca Gonzalez in Killeen, Texas. A beautiful baby boy was brought into this world not only to bring our family of only three together, but to give us all a purpose and a reason to live and to enjoy life. Four years filled with sunshine, laughter, happiness, learning and growing soared past us with the wings of an eagle. From his first steps to his first birthday, we watched him eat his own miniature cake by himself, and then did a lot of cleaning. All the way to four wonderful years later, on a chilly Nebraska Christmas night, he sat on his first real bike eager for warmer weather in Spring to ride it. We were oblivious to the fact that Brendan’s future rested in fate’s hands.
When Brendan was just three years old, his father reappeared in his life with a visit to Texas for Brendan’s Aunt’s graduation. Brendan had longed for a father in his life since the other children at school had one and he didn’t. Coming from a divorced home, Rebecca Gonzalez felt that regardless of the relationship between two parents, children needed both in their lives. Rebecca brought Ivan Henk up to Omaha to give Brendan what he wanted most, a father. Rebecca had overcome her and Ivan’s stormy relationship in the past to give Brendan his daddy, not knowing that this decision would come to haunt her for the rest of her life.
The relationship Ivan had with his son was tumultuous at best. Ivan became covetous of the relationship between mother and son, and wanted Rebecca to place himself first in her life, ahead of Brendan. Over the next year, this jealousy became stronger. Weekend visits became less frequent as Brendan felt his father wasn’t very nice to him. Ivan demanded a respect due to the title of father, not realizing it had to be earned. The bond between father and son never developed, although Brendan loved his dad dearly.
Ivan, after being such a terrible role model and awful excuse for a father throughout the year, informed Rebecca he had decided to alter his ways and become the father Brendan deserved. He spoke to her of all the things a single mother longs to hear, and Rebecca permitted him to come spend time with his son for the weekend. The three went to Family Fun Center that evening and Ivan played with Brendan and portrayed the role of an excellent, caring father, much to Rebecca’s surprise. Ivan showed a kindness to all of Rebecca’s family and even helped with her college homework. It felt as if a new leaf had been turned for the betterment of all. January 5th would be the last day of joy for Brendan.
The morning of January 6, 2003, Ivan Henk lured his son into the garage of our home in Plattsmouth, Nebraska. Brendan trusted his dad, therefore he followed him. Perhaps dad has a surprise, mom always does.
Ivan had no surprise for his son.
Brendan was murdered that morning by his father, and cause of death was by decapitation. Brendan was then disposed of in a local dumpster, never to be seen again. Cass county police, FBI, Air Force and numerous volunteers searched diligently in the crisp winter cold for over a week. Later, other locations were searched until four months passed and Ivan finally confessed to discarding his son in a dumpster. Confirmation of Brendan’s DNA in the dumpster led police and FBI to the Sarpy County landfill and a 30 day search. Sadly funding was discontinued and regrettably the police and volunteers begrudgingly left the landfill. All that remained was a twelve foot deep perimeter wall of January’s trash. Based on evidence and Ivan’s confession, that wall contains the little body of Brendan Gonzalez.
Now that the search had been cancelled, Rebecca and her family’s wishes for Brendan’s body to be returned were shattered. A dark cloud of sorrow has since lingered over our heads.
Through the generosity of the community, donations were collected by a fellow student of Brendan’s preschool, and her grandmother, the Cass County Police Dispatcher. A teddy bear headstone serves as a memorial in a cemetery in Plattsmouth to provide closure to the community and volunteers. As thoughtful as this is, it is still an empty grave. It is Rebecca and her family’s deepest desire to recover Brendan from the landfill. It cuts open scabbed wounds to visit a passed on family member in a place where every citizen’s waste gets thrown. Brendan was never and will never be waste to our family, but the thought of him being treated like waste, is gut wrenching. Not only has he been robbed of a full and prosperous life experience, but he is now even deprived of the most common humane right of a decent and appropriate resting place. Brendan deserves a proper burial at his memorial gravesite, so he may be able to rest in peace, and so we may also.. Realizing that the recovery of Brendan’s body may not ever be fulfilled, we would hope for a children’s memorial playground park to be established once the landfill ceases operations.
It breaks our hearts to know that our son, nephew and grandson is amongst the garbage! We continue to seek assistance in fulfilling the family’s dreams of recovery of Brendan or have the memorial park named in his honor. This year the family plans to raise five thousand dollars to purchase a diamond specially crafted from the carbon of Brendan’s first haircut. The CEO of LifeGem.com has been working with the family and given us a reduced rate due to the circumstances of Brendan’s death. This is one small goal we hope to achieve, however we would appreciate your consideration and any furtherance of achieving our family’s ultimate dream of recovering Brendan and/or establishing a Memorial Children’s Park on the Sarpy County Landfill site once this becomes available for redevelopment.
www.foreverbrendan.com
A child is created within a mother therefore there is a love and bond stronger than anything in the world. This child’s future holds an infinite number of possibilities and opportunities that the mother anticipates witnessing and appreciating. Could choices made in the child’s best interest possibly jeopardize everything one day?
On July 30, 1998, Brendan Tyler Gonzalez was born to Rebecca Gonzalez in Killeen, Texas. A beautiful baby boy was brought into this world not only to bring our family of only three together, but to give us all a purpose and a reason to live and to enjoy life. Four years filled with sunshine, laughter, happiness, learning and growing soared past us with the wings of an eagle. From his first steps to his first birthday, we watched him eat his own miniature cake by himself, and then did a lot of cleaning. All the way to four wonderful years later, on a chilly Nebraska Christmas night, he sat on his first real bike eager for warmer weather in Spring to ride it. We were oblivious to the fact that Brendan’s future rested in fate’s hands.
When Brendan was just three years old, his father reappeared in his life with a visit to Texas for Brendan’s Aunt’s graduation. Brendan had longed for a father in his life since the other children at school had one and he didn’t. Coming from a divorced home, Rebecca Gonzalez felt that regardless of the relationship between two parents, children needed both in their lives. Rebecca brought Ivan Henk up to Omaha to give Brendan what he wanted most, a father. Rebecca had overcome her and Ivan’s stormy relationship in the past to give Brendan his daddy, not knowing that this decision would come to haunt her for the rest of her life.
The relationship Ivan had with his son was tumultuous at best. Ivan became covetous of the relationship between mother and son, and wanted Rebecca to place himself first in her life, ahead of Brendan. Over the next year, this jealousy became stronger. Weekend visits became less frequent as Brendan felt his father wasn’t very nice to him. Ivan demanded a respect due to the title of father, not realizing it had to be earned. The bond between father and son never developed, although Brendan loved his dad dearly.
Ivan, after being such a terrible role model and awful excuse for a father throughout the year, informed Rebecca he had decided to alter his ways and become the father Brendan deserved. He spoke to her of all the things a single mother longs to hear, and Rebecca permitted him to come spend time with his son for the weekend. The three went to Family Fun Center that evening and Ivan played with Brendan and portrayed the role of an excellent, caring father, much to Rebecca’s surprise. Ivan showed a kindness to all of Rebecca’s family and even helped with her college homework. It felt as if a new leaf had been turned for the betterment of all. January 5th would be the last day of joy for Brendan.
The morning of January 6, 2003, Ivan Henk lured his son into the garage of our home in Plattsmouth, Nebraska. Brendan trusted his dad, therefore he followed him. Perhaps dad has a surprise, mom always does.
Ivan had no surprise for his son.
Brendan was murdered that morning by his father, and cause of death was by decapitation. Brendan was then disposed of in a local dumpster, never to be seen again. Cass county police, FBI, Air Force and numerous volunteers searched diligently in the crisp winter cold for over a week. Later, other locations were searched until four months passed and Ivan finally confessed to discarding his son in a dumpster. Confirmation of Brendan’s DNA in the dumpster led police and FBI to the Sarpy County landfill and a 30 day search. Sadly funding was discontinued and regrettably the police and volunteers begrudgingly left the landfill. All that remained was a twelve foot deep perimeter wall of January’s trash. Based on evidence and Ivan’s confession, that wall contains the little body of Brendan Gonzalez.
Now that the search had been cancelled, Rebecca and her family’s wishes for Brendan’s body to be returned were shattered. A dark cloud of sorrow has since lingered over our heads.
Through the generosity of the community, donations were collected by a fellow student of Brendan’s preschool, and her grandmother, the Cass County Police Dispatcher. A teddy bear headstone serves as a memorial in a cemetery in Plattsmouth to provide closure to the community and volunteers. As thoughtful as this is, it is still an empty grave. It is Rebecca and her family’s deepest desire to recover Brendan from the landfill. It cuts open scabbed wounds to visit a passed on family member in a place where every citizen’s waste gets thrown. Brendan was never and will never be waste to our family, but the thought of him being treated like waste, is gut wrenching. Not only has he been robbed of a full and prosperous life experience, but he is now even deprived of the most common humane right of a decent and appropriate resting place. Brendan deserves a proper burial at his memorial gravesite, so he may be able to rest in peace, and so we may also.. Realizing that the recovery of Brendan’s body may not ever be fulfilled, we would hope for a children’s memorial playground park to be established once the landfill ceases operations.
It breaks our hearts to know that our son, nephew and grandson is amongst the garbage! We continue to seek assistance in fulfilling the family’s dreams of recovery of Brendan or have the memorial park named in his honor. This year the family plans to raise five thousand dollars to purchase a diamond specially crafted from the carbon of Brendan’s first haircut. The CEO of LifeGem.com has been working with the family and given us a reduced rate due to the circumstances of Brendan’s death. This is one small goal we hope to achieve, however we would appreciate your consideration and any furtherance of achieving our family’s ultimate dream of recovering Brendan and/or establishing a Memorial Children’s Park on the Sarpy County Landfill site once this becomes available for redevelopment.
www.foreverbrendan.com