Investigations continues in death of South Sioux infant

Alicia Ebaugh

Nearly nine months have passed since South Sioux City infant Nathaniel Saunsoci-Mitchell died in an Omaha hospital, the victim of various head injuries, a broken collarbone and a weeks-old dog bite on his nose.

Authorities aren't much closer to identifying who is responsible for the 20-month-old's death Sept. 24, 2006, Dakota County Attorney Ed Matney said at a press conference Wednesday, and they are concerned people may be withholding information that could be important to the investigation.

"I am concerned that there might be some people out there thinking ... he had to have been involved in the system before this, they had to have known about it," he said. "I want to dispel that misconception right now ... we are not all-knowing, we are not all-seeing. We came to know Nathaniel at a distinct disadvantage -- it was not until after his death.

"Even if you think it may not be significant, please come forward and let us know," he said.

Matney made the appeal because, even with all of his reports and interviews completed, he said there is not enough evidence right now to charge a specific person or people in connection with the infant's death. In the state of Nebraska, he said, a direct charge is preferred to forming a grand jury to issue an indictment for those believed to be responsible for a crime.

"Once we have the information we need, we may need to appeal to a grand jury to seek an indictment if it's appropriate," he said.

The grand jury would be mostly useful for forcing Tisha and Carlos Vega, Nathaniel's foster parents selected by the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska, to return to South Sioux City and tell authorities what they know, Matney said. He "couldn't comment" on whether the Vegas have already been interviewed.

Following Nathaniel's death, the Vegas moved to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in the southwest corner of South Dakota. Matney said the couple has moved "several times" since then, but he receives updates on their whereabouts from various law enforcement agencies.

The child protection division of the Nebraska Attorney General's Office recently started analyzing the case after it received Matney's reports and is seeking additional assistance from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome experts, he said. It is hard to know when a break might come in the case, Matney said, because the examination of evidence, interviews and reports is taking longer than expected. With nearly a dozen people living in the Vegas' home at the time Nathaniel was in their custody, as well as numerous babysitters coming in and out of the home, he said it's been difficult to discern who had contact with the baby at what times.

"We want yet this year to be doing something, whether that's charging someone directly or convening a grand jury," he said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (712) 258-TIPS (8477).

The Omaha Tribe of Nebraska has so far been "silent" on the issue of Nathaniel Saunsoci-Mitchell's death, said Dakota County Attorney Ed Matney. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services reviewed the protocol and structure of the Omaha Tribe's foster child placement services and gave its results to the tribal council April 12, said HHS spokeswoman Marla Augustine. The department is in the process of setting up a meeting with the council to discuss their comments and concerns, Augustine said.

"We expect a release in the next month or so" on the results, she said.