Father of four charged in toddler's death Taylor Farah Wilbur Leslie could face up to 60 years in prison for reckless homicide By Jessica La Plante News-Chronicle Wilbur Leslie, a 32-year-old hospital worker and father of four, has been charged with first-degree reckless homicide in the beating death of 2-year-old Taylor Farah. Police arrested Leslie on Saturday after medical workers ruled the child's death as suspicious. Leslie, who was baby-sitting the son of a relative, told police the child had stopped breathing after choking on a potato chip. When rescue workers found no sign of airway obstruction, police questioned the man. Retracting earlier stories about a choking incident and a fall down the stairs, Leslie said the boy's injuries occurred during a playful "boxing match." He told police he struck the toddler hard in the stomach three or four times while they were playing, said Lt. Bill Galvin of the Green Bay Police Department. Out of the various explanations given for the child's injuries, the "boxing match" was the only one that made sense, Galvin said. "The fact that his injuries were so severe would raise anyone's suspicion," Galvin said. "It takes a lot of force to inflict that kind of damage." An autopsy report listed the cause of death as internal injuries, including damage to his liver, resulting from "blunt force abdominal trauma." Along with abdominal injuries, medical examiners found other bruises on the child's body. Galvin said there is nothing in the suspect's personal background or police record to indicate a history of child abuse. Leslie's history paints the image of a responsible family man, Galvin said. Following a divorce from his first wife, Leslie served as the primary caregiver for his two oldest children. After remarrying and having two more children, Leslie continued to serve as caregiver and provider. When he was not working in the food-service department of a local hospital, he was watching his kids while his wife worked an evening shift. Leslie baby-sat Taylor for the past three months while the child's mother, Stacey Lampereur, worked. "This is a very nice home," Galvin said. "It's not the typical (situation) where you see things like this happen." The toddler's injuries occurred at about 2:30 a.m. Saturday after Leslie dropped off his wife at work. Only Leslie and his two youngest sons were home at the time, Galvin said. According to a criminal complaint, Leslie was playing around with the child when he got into a boxing match with Taylor and struck the boy too hard in the stomach. Leslie told police he punched the child three or four times as hard as he could. Each time, the toddler rebounded from the blows. But on the last punch, the child fell backward, hit a coffee table and became unconscious. Prosecutors, however, believe there's more to the story than just horseplay. "It doesn't seem possible that you would strike a child three or four times and have a 2-year-old of this size bounce back laughing," said Brown County District Attorney John Zakowski. "We do know that it was a blow to the stomach that killed him, but the events leading up to it, I think, are still troubling." Leslie has not made any statements to police indicating he was upset with the child prior to striking him, Galvin said. While police continue to investigate the death, prosecutors have charged Leslie with first-degree reckless homicide, which carries a maximum sentence of 60 years in prison. At a Monday afternoon hearing in Brown County Circuit Court, a court commissioner set Leslie's bail at $200,000 cash. Family members of the late toddler watched the initial appearance. Taylor's grandmother, Diane Farah, described her late grandson as "a happy baby, always full of life." Farah said she was devastated when she received the news. The suspicious details of Taylor's death made the coping process more difficult, she said. "We weren't allowed to touch Taylor and say our goodbyes because they had to do an autopsy," Farah said. "It's a very difficult thing, looking at him and not being able to hug him or say goodbye." Farah said the child's mother trusted Leslie to watch her child. Leslie "was family from her previous marriage," Farah said. "She felt that he was somebody she could trust ... he had four children of his own." Visitation for Taylor will be held today at the Blaney Funeral Home, 1521 Shawano Ave., from 4 to 7 p.m. A memorial fund for Taylor has been established at Bank Mutual, 2370 E. Mason St., Green Bay, 54302.