Eight-year-old Dante Hazard was killed by his father, George Scott III, in an apparent murder-suicide at their home at 1643 Phillips Road in New Bedford, Massachusetts, on June 2, 2023. The child died from multiple sharp force injuries after being cut and stabbed with a sharp object, and Scott then took his own life. Their bodies were discovered by New Bedford police conducting a wellbeing check after a relative could not reach Scott. Scott had been a person of interest in the March 2019 disappearance of his wife and Dante's mother, Lisa Hazard, and law enforcement had executed a search warrant at the home approximately two weeks prior as part of that ongoing investigation.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The death record (MA-SFN-028197.pdf) states the Injury Detail as "SUBJECT CUT AND STABBED" and lists causes as "MULTIPLE SHARP FORCE INJURIES." The news article further reports that "Mr. Scott appears to have killed the boy with a sharp object before taking his own life."
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
The news article explicitly states: "It appears from the evidence recovered at the scene to be a murder-suicide. Mr. Scott appears to have killed the boy with a sharp object before taking his own life." Dante Hazard is also described as "the victim of an apparent murder-suicide in New Bedford."
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
The news article identifies the perpetrator as "George Scott III, the father of the boy" and states he "appears to have killed the child." He is explicitly described as the father, and the child's last name is Hazard (his mother's name), with Lisa Hazard identified as Scott's wife. Scott is the biological father.
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The news article states that George Scott III was "a person of interest in the unsolved disappearance of his wife, Lisa Hazard" since March 2019, and that multiple law enforcement agencies "have for years been investigating" her disappearance. While the term "domestic violence" is not used, the context of a husband being investigated for his wife's disappearance, combined with the subsequent murder of their child and his suicide, strongly implies a pattern consistent with intimate partner violence.
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
The news article reveals several substantive details not covered by the preceding questions. George Scott III was a person of interest in the March 2019 disappearance of his wife, Lisa Hazard (Dante's mother), and law enforcement had executed a court-issued search warrant at the home "roughly two weeks ago as part of the missing person investigation into the disappearance of Lisa Hazard." The search warrants were sealed by the court. Additionally, Scott was the son of George "Boomer" Scott, "a Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer and former all-star athlete." The proximity of the search warrant execution to the murder-suicide raises significant questions about whether the intensifying investigation may have been a precipitating factor.
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