Prosecutor: Mom killed 4-year-old because she thought he was gay

An Oregon woman told her boyfriend her 4-year-old son "walks and talks" like a homosexual before she gave the boy a fatal beating, a prosecutor told a judge.

Jessica Dutro is on trial in Washington County in the Portland area on charges of murder, murder by abuse and assault. Her boyfriend, Brian Canady, pleaded guilty to manslaughter this month.

Zachary Dutro-Boggess was removed from life support and died Aug. 16, 2012, two days after he was brought to a Portland hospital.

A judge ruled Wednesday that Megan Johnson, the prosecutor in the case, can present jurors with a Facebook message Dutro sent Canady in which she said she was punishing Zachary because he made her angry. The message explains why Zachary suffered the most serious abuse of Dutro's children, Johnson argued.

“He walks and talks like it. Ugh,” Dutro said after telling Canady she believed her son would grow up gay.

Dutro's 8-year-old daughter testified for the prosecution Thursday. The girl described seeing "Jessica and Brian" beat Zachary. She described being hit herself and forced to "face the wall" during timeouts and said her mother told her not to tell anyone.

Dutro's three surviving children are now in the care of relatives.

[The Oregonian]