Celebrity Justice
Billy Bob's Daughter Charged in Death of Baby

Amanda Brumfield, Billy Bob ThorntonWe've learned the oldest daughter of Billy Bob Thornton has been charged with child neglect in the death of a 1-year-old she was babysitting.

Amanda Brumfield told cops the child died in October after falling from her playpen, but a spokesman for the Ocoee Police Department said Amanda Brumfield's story didn't add up.

An autopsy determined the child suffered a fractured skull and a subdural hematoma due to blunt trauma.

Brumfield told police that after the baby had fallen, she discovered her tongue bleeding, so Brumfield cleaned it with a paper towel. She then says she began playing with the child, feeding her bananas and fruit snacks, and said she was "happy" and playful.

Brumfield then said she laid the child on the couch next to her and fell asleep. She says was awoken sometime later by the phone and decided to take the child back to the playpen. When she lifted her, Brumfield told cops she discovered her body was limp.

According to police, the call for help didn't come until two and a half hours after the original fall.

Brumfield is Thornton's child with his first wife, Melissa Gatlin.

UPDATE -- A rep for Thornton sent TMZ this statement: "Mr. Thornton is estranged from Amanda and has had no contact with her for quite some time, however when informed about this situation he commented that, 'Anytime a baby's life is lost is an unimaginable tragedy and my heart goes out to the baby's family and loved ones.'"



Tags: amanda brumfield, AmandaBrumfield, billy bob thornton, BillyBobThornton, florida, ocoee

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(Page 12 of 12) Previous 15 Comments

166. Billy Bob, show some compassion to your estranged daughter, also . ."A broken spirit who can bear?"

Posted at 4:38PM on Jun 1st 2009 by Yakarbed

167. This case has nothing to do with Natasha Richardson's death. She died of an epidural hematoma, which is caused by tearing of one of the meningeal arteries. This can occur after a minor injury and the person looks fine initially since there is no direct injury to the brain tissue itself. Because it is an arterial bleed the hematoma can accumluate rapidly and compress the brain, resulting in death if the blood is not removed. If the neurosurgeons can evacuate the blood quickly enough, the person can recover completely. This child died of a subdural hematoma which is caused by rupture of the bridging veins. It takes a tremendous force to rupture your bridging veins (being hit by a car at high speed, falling 7 stories out a window, getting hit with a baseball bat.) Even if the blood is removed promptly, brain damage is inevitable and often severe due to direct injury to the brain itself from the force of the blow. There is no period where the child "looks well", that is a complete fabrication that the perpetrator will always tell. You do not get this injury from falling out of a crib, off the couch, down a few stairs, etc. It is a classic example of shaken baby syndrome/nonaccidental trauma. Kids do fall all the time, but they do not get a subdural hematoma from it, or there would be a lot more dead children out there. This is a textbook case of child abuse.

Posted at 6:45PM on Jun 1st 2009 by Pedidoc

168. This case has nothing to do with Natasha Richardson's death. She died of an epidural hematoma, which is caused by tearing of one of the meningeal arteries. This can occur after a minor injury and the person looks fine initially since there is no direct injury to the brain tissue itself. Because it is an arterial bleed the hematoma can accumluate rapidly and compress the brain, resulting in death if the blood is not removed. If the neurosurgeons can evacuate the blood quickly enough, the person can recover completely. This child died of a subdural hematoma which is caused by rupture of the bridging veins. It takes a tremendous force to rupture your bridging veins (being hit by a car at high speed, falling 7 stories out a window, getting hit with a baseball bat.) Even if the blood is removed promptly, brain damage is inevitable and often severe due to direct injury to the brain itself from the force of the blow. There is no period where the child "looks well", that is a complete fabrication that the perpetrator will always tell. You do not get this injury from falling out of a crib, off the couch, down a few stairs, etc. It is a classic example of shaken baby syndrome/nonaccidental trauma. Kids do fall all the time, but they do not get a subdural hematoma from it, or there would be a lot more dead children out there. This is a textbook case of child abuse.

Posted at 6:54PM on Jun 1st 2009 by Pedidoc

169. is this retribution for that hideous movie "Bad Santa"?

Posted at 6:56PM on Jun 1st 2009 by ACharmedOne

170. #168..You're are a f*cking idiot and don't know what you are talking about. You don't know the parents of the child so don't open your mouth about it. How dare you even make a comment like that.Get a life!!! You're comment about all white ppl being white trash is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard.If you're going to spend all your time on the computer,why don't you try learning proper english. It would be, the parents weren't not "the parents wasn't",you dumbass!!!

Posted at 7:24PM on Jun 1st 2009 by Kristal

171. Did you read Billy Bob Thornton's public comment about this? What a creep! To paraphrase "This child is from my first marriage. Before I became famous. So I don't really know her anymore."

Posted at 8:40AM on Jun 2nd 2009 by Tally

172. Did you read Billy Bob Thornton's public comment about this? What a creep! To paraphrase "This child is from my first marriage. Before I became famous. So I don't really know her anymore."

Posted at 8:41AM on Jun 2nd 2009 by Tally

173. What a bunch of morons are posting comments on here. NONE of you people know the full story or anything about anyone involved, but you think you know all about it. Calling them white trash, baby killer...she fed the baby bananas so she obviously killed it....she could care less about that baby....what a bunch of idots you all are. Maybe you should clean up your own backyard before you start spouting off wisdom about someone else. You believe whatever the press wants you to believe because you're not smart enough to think for yourselves - yet dumb enough to pass judgement on things you know nothing about.

Posted at 12:31PM on Jun 2nd 2009 by snorefest

174. I wonder how pretty YOUR mugshot would be when you're getting arrested for murdering your best friends baby, whom you adored? Hmmm? What an idiot. And..."why would anyone be estranged from a daughter..." WHAT? Are you for real? Do you ever go outside your house or do anyhing other than post idiotic comments on message boards? It happens all the time. Im sorry to be so harsh, but people PLEASE stop saying stupid things! You are ruining the whole concept of the message board........geez.

Posted at 12:36PM on Jun 2nd 2009 by snorefest

175. There is something missing from this story.. First of all, so what the babys tongue was bleeding, maybe she bit it on the fall, also isnt this basically what happend to Natasha Richardson, she hit her head, was fine, got up walked away, then ended up on life support that night? I am not sure Brumfield is a murderer...

Posted at 7:29PM on Jun 2nd 2009 by OhMeOhMy

176. Thornton is a self important Jackass! His daughter has problems and he's like "doesn't have nothing to do with me" Can anyone say sociopath?

Posted at 8:17PM on Jun 3rd 2009 by shady lady

177. it takes alot of force to give a child a skull fracture. not just a little fall from a playpen. i have work in a PICU for 8 years....and most skull fractures from "falls" end up being a direct result of child abuse.

Posted at 5:18AM on Jun 4th 2009 by ac

178. i have to agree with you super chunk - his roots are TPT

Posted at 10:17AM on Jun 25th 2009 by lancegol

179. Is this story even about Angie or Billy Bob......??????? I think that she really didn't know that something was wrong. I'm a mother of two boys and I know that kids will be kids and they hit their heads and fall all the time...You just have to use your own judgement about how serious the accident really is. This girl apparently did think that the child was okay. You should never judge until you have went through what you're judging...... I feel sorry for this childs parents and for this young girl who will suffer and have to deal with this for the rest of her life also.... No one is right and no one is wrong in a situation like this one.... you just have to forgive with your heart and never forget with your mind. Two wrongs don't make something right so everyone should try to worry about there own lifes and let this family and this young lady deal with this... Let the police do there job and just wait for what happens and then make the decisions based on fact not hear say.

Posted at 12:53PM on Jun 25th 2009 by Leslie

180. Billy Bob is a loser. I don't care for Angelia Jolie, but she's better off without home. I'm not excusing Amanda, but whether she speaking to her father or not, you would think he would be at her side.,

Posted at 9:55PM on Jul 4th 2009 by CatWoman

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