Alexander "Xan" Butler, a 17-month-old boy, died on February 5, 2022, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, from craniocerebral trauma inflicted by his mother's boyfriend, Alex Radulovic. Radulovic confessed to slamming the child on the ground multiple times while babysitting, stating he was frustrated by the baby's fussiness and crying but never intended to hurt him. Radulovic was charged with and pleaded to second-degree murder and second-degree child abuse, and was sentenced to 31 to 100 years in prison.
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 fox17 article states that Radulovic "confessed to slamming the child on the ground multiple times." The mlive article corroborates this: "Alex Radulovic, 24, slammed Butler on the floor out of frustration while he was babysitting the child."
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?
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?
The medical examiner report lists the immediate cause of death as "Craniocerebral trauma" with the description "Abused by mother's boyfriend." The child was slammed on the ground multiple times, resulting in fatal head trauma. While the specific term "abusive head trauma" is not used, the craniocerebral trauma inflicted through deliberate slamming of the child constitutes 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?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
The mlive article states Radulovic "slammed Butler on the floor out of frustration while he was babysitting the child." Although his primary relationship was as the mother's boyfriend, he was explicitly acting in a babysitting capacity at the time of the incident.
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)?
The medical examiner report describes the injury as "Abused by mother's boyfriend." The fox17 article identifies Alex Radulovic as "the mother's ex-boyfriend" who "confessed to slamming the child on the ground multiple times." The mlive article describes him as "mother's boyfriend."
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?
The fox17 article states Alex Radulovic "pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and second-degree child abuse." The mlive article reports "Radulovic later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and second-degree child abuse. He was sentenced in December to 31 to 100 years in prison."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
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
There is a discrepancy between the two news sources regarding the nature of the plea: the fox17 article states Radulovic "pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and second-degree child abuse," while the mlive article states he "pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and second-degree child abuse." Additionally, the mlive article reports that Radulovic told detectives "he was upset with the baby's fussiness and crying but never intended to hurt him," indicating the killing was triggered by frustration with the child while babysitting. Radulovic was ultimately sentenced to 31 to 100 years in prison.
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