On August 21, 2023, at approximately 3 a.m., two-month-old Leviathan Froust was allegedly assaulted by his father, Drake Ariel Froust, at a home on the 4300 block of Spruce Street in Inkster, Michigan. Police responded to a report of an unresponsive child and found Leviathan unresponsive; he was transported to an area hospital. Leviathan survived for approximately one month before dying from his injuries on September 22, 2023. An autopsy determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma caused by shaking, with the medical examiner ruling the manner of death as homicide. The child had head and neck wounds believed to have been inflicted by his father. Drake Froust, 31, was arrested and charged with felony murder and first-degree child abuse in March 2025, approximately 18 months after the child's death, and was remanded to jail without bond.
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 Detroit News article states that "the child had head and neck wounds believed to have been inflicted by his father. An autopsy revealed the boy died from blunt force trauma caused by shaking." The medical examiner report lists the cause of death as "Head and neck trauma with complications" and manner as "Homicide." The ClickOnDetroit article states the father "accused of assaulting his 2-month-old son." These clearly indicate inflicted injury.
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?
Multiple news articles explicitly identify shaking as the mechanism of death. The Detroit News article states: "An autopsy revealed the boy died from blunt force trauma caused by shaking." The CBS News article similarly states: "Medical examiners ruled the cause of death to be blunt force trauma caused by shaking." The ClickOnDetroit article confirms: "medical examiners determined the cause of death was 'blunt force trauma' caused by 'shaking.'" The ME report lists "Head and neck trauma with complications" as the cause of death, consistent with abusive head trauma/shaken baby syndrome.
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?
Drake Ariel Froust is explicitly identified as the child's father. The Detroit News headline reads "Inkster father accused of fatally assaulting infant son charged." The article states: "Authorities allege Froust fatally assaulted his 2-month-old son, Leviathan." The CBS News article states: "Drake Ariel Froust is charged with felony murder and first-degree child abuse in the death of his son, Leviathan Froust." He is consistently referred to as the child's father, indicating a biological relationship.
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?
The Detroit News article states: "Drake Ariel Froust was arraigned Friday in 22nd District Court in Inkster on charges of felony murder and first-degree child abuse." The ClickOnDetroit article adds: "Froust was charged with felony murder and first-degree child abuse. He was arraigned Friday, March 7, 2025, and remanded to jail." The Detroit News article also notes: "After obtaining a warrant, Inkster police arrested Froust at his home on Sunday."
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 was an approximately 18-month delay between the child's death on September 22, 2023, and the father's arraignment on March 7, 2025. The Detroit News article notes that "After obtaining a warrant, Inkster police arrested Froust at his home on Sunday," indicating the investigation took substantial time before charges were filed. Additionally, there is a minor discrepancy across sources regarding the time of the police response: the Detroit News states "Officers were called at about 3 a.m.," while the CBS News article states police responded "around 4 a.m." The ClickOnDetroit article reconciles this by noting the assault occurred at 3 a.m. and police were dispatched at 4 a.m.
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