After being accused of reportedly tying their brother, who was 18 years old, to a bed and refusing him food and drink, three brothers in Iowa were taken into custody by the police.
Ezekiel Baseme, age 18, was discovered dead by police on November 9, 2024, at the house that he shared with his three brothers, Azane Baseme, age 23, Pierre Baseme, age 26, and Christian Baseme, age 30. This information according to a search warrant that was obtained by KCRG, a local ABC affiliate, was obtained by the police. According to the police, the body of Ezikiel Baseme, which was in the process of rotting, had been left for several days before the three brothers reported his death.
According to the findings of an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ezekiel Baseme’s passing, he had a difficult final few days, during which he was supposedly chained to a bed after experiencing a “violent” episode of schizophrenia.
It was stated by KCRG that Ezekiel Baseme had a psychotic episode on November 3, 2024. Prior to that day, he had been acting in an erratic manner for the previous two weeks. The reports indicate that he made threats against his family and claimed that he was hallucinating and hearing voices. Ezekiel Baseme allegedly crept out of his bedroom in the middle of the night and threatened their neighbours, according to the family, who reported the incident to the police at one point. It was purportedly because of this that the three brothers decided to confine their youngest sibling to his bed in order to ensure his own safety.
Following the incident that occurred on November 3 and while he was supposedly bound, the brothers said to the authorities that Ezekiel Baseme did not consume any food or drink, and that when they freed him in order to provide him with water, he allegedly attempted to fight them.
Ezekiel Baseme was apparently making noises on November 5 and 6, 2024, as he resisted the ropes that held him tied down. However, on the evening of November 6, 2024, the brothers found that he had stopped breathing. This information was reportedly provided to the authorities during the investigation. The brothers reported to the authorities that their youngest brother was cold to the touch the following morning, November 7, 2024, despite the fact that they had assured the police that his heart was still beating. After his body started to “swell and smell,” they came to the conclusion that he had passed away on November 8th, 2024.
On the ninth of November in 2024, they finally reported the death.
It was stated by KCRG that the coroner ruled that the cause of death of Ezekiel Baseme was due to “complications of probable starvation and dehydration in a setting of physical restraint.”
Following the completion of an inquiry, all three brothers were taken into custody on March 28 and charged with involuntary manslaughter, assault inflicting serious injury, and forced confinement. All of them are currently being held without bond at the Lin County Jail, where they are all currently being held in custody. Their next scheduled court date was not offered to them.
Siblings allegedly starved brother after ‘violent’ episode.
