BOISE - Melissa Jenkins, 30, and her live-in boyfriend, Daniel Ehrlick, Jr., 36, were arraigned in a Boise courtroom Wednesday morning on first-degree murder charges. They are the suspects in the disappearance and death of Jenkins's 8-year-old son, Robert Manwill.
Tuesday night, Boise Police announced they arrested the couple in connection to the murder of the young boy. Ehrlick is also charged with failing to report a death, while Jenkins is also charged with accessory to failing to report a death.
An Ada County grand jury indicted the pair. They were officially charged Wednesday morning.
In the indictment, Ehrlick was accused of torturing and beating the young boy repeatedly over time. In the end, blunt forced trauma to the head and stomach caused internal bleeding, bruising and swelling in the brain that eventually led to the child's death. It is alleged Ehrlick used his hands, knees and fists to beat Robert.
Court documents said Jenkins did not try to protect her son from the physical and mental abuse, and that she hid his bruises from those who could help, adding she failed to get medical attention for the boy, despite escalating physical violence by Ehrlick.
The judge read the indictment out loud because Jenkins is illiterate.
"Where Melissa Scott Jenkins the mother of Robert Manwill..." recited the judge, "did knowingly and intentionally leave Robert Manwill in custody of Daniel Ehrlick, knowing he was continuing to inflict repeated acts of physical violence..."
Ehrlick is being held with no bond; Jenkins is being held on a $2 million bond. Their next court appearance is September 1 when they're expected to enter a plea.
Robert was originally reported missing on July 24. His body was found Aug. 3 in an Ada County canal that runs near the apartment where Jenkins lives.
When he was first reported missing, the local community came to the aid of the family by putting up posters and helping in the search. The FBI even aided.
During news conferences, Jenkins and Ehrlick stood right beside the Boise Police Department at the podium wearing "Find Robert" t-shirts.
But Tuesday night, Deputy Chief Jim Kerns stood alone during the latest news conference. Kearns said no other case has touched the people of Boise like Robert's case. They asked anyone with information about what Ehrlick and Jenkins did during the week leading up to July 24 to contact police.
Jenkins did not have custody of Robert but had visitation rights. Robert's father, Charles Manwill, of New Plymouth, divorced from Jenkins and had custody of their child.
The Associated Press reported that Jenkins also has a 2 1/2-year-old daughter. Her father has custody.
Ehrlick is banned from being alone with the girl, according to the AP, but court documents don't say why.
Criminal Past
BOISE - Melissa Jenkins had her 9-month-old son taken from her and placed in the custody of the Idaho Department of Welfare. The baby had suffered a fractured skull at the hands of Jenkins.
Police said on October 19, 2008, she had hit her baby on a hard surface. She entered a guilty plea of misdemeanor injury to a child.
She claimed she was burping the boy and accidentally hit his head on a table. But the prosecution argued there had to be a great deal of force for the damage made to the infant's head concluding it was no accident.
The young victim's father, Daniel Ehrlick, also has a criminal record. He was in and out of prison from 1992 to 2002 for grand theft, burglary, battery and possession of drug paraphernalia.
