Eddie Runyon of New Athens remembers happier times when Amanda Lynn Runyon, his two-year old daughter was born. Today, Amanda is in Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis in critical condition from a beating sustained from her mother’s boyfriend, Kraig Monroe.
Monroe, 24, is being held in the St. Clair County Jail charged with aggravated battery of a child. Bail has been set at $500,000. He reportedly punched the baby in the stomach for crying.
Eddie Runyon, 23, is a coal miner working out of state since 2008. He was working in Kentucky at the time of the beating. He grew up in Marissa.

Lawyers for Chris Coleman filed a request for a change of venue Monday. They claim the former Chester resident cannot receive a fair trial in Monroe County due to vast media coverage.
Coleman, 32, has been charged with the murders of his wife Sheri Coleman, 31, and his sons Gavin, 9, and Garett, 11. Their strangled bodies were found in their Columbia home back in May. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Coleman has entered a not guilty plea.
His lawyers polled more than 1,400 residents in Monroe County and found that 89 percent knew about the crimes and 77 percent of them believe Coleman is guilty.
A ruling on the motion is expected later this month.

On Wednesday, December 9, 2009, at approximately 9:33 p.m., I, Deputy Sheriff Eric Hamilton, responded to a report of a traffic crash on County Road 18 across from the World Shooting Complex.

Shortly before midnight on Saturday, Oct. 3 the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call reporting a domestic incident involving a man with a gun in rural Coulterville.
Randolph County Sheriff Fred Frederking stated that a Randolph County Sheriff’s Deputy and Coulterville Police responded to the scene on Poplar St. and discovered three deceased individuals lying in the driveway of the Brian Morrison residence.