What is the official cause of death for Robert Manwill?

Ada County Coroner Erwin Sonnenberg says the 8-year-old boy died from injuries associated with blunt force trauma. A grand jury indictment indicates the boy suffered internal bleeding in the abdomen and head and swelling of the brain from that trauma, which led to his death.

The indictment also says there is evidence Robert Manwill was beaten by his mother’s boyfriend, Daniel E. Ehrlick, with “escalating violence” over a period of time between June and July 24, 2009, before those injuries killed the boy.

Did Robert Manwill die on July 24, when he was reported missing, and was he dead before he was placed in the New York Canal?

Sonnenberg said the July 24 time frame fits the evidence but would not give a specific date of death.

Sonnenberg said he was not releasing any information about if the child was dead before he was left in the canal, citing the ongoing nature of criminal case against Melissa Jenkins and Daniel Ehrlick.

Will Ada County prosecutors seek the death penalty for either Ehrlick or Jenkins?

Ada County Prosecutor Greg Bower said Wednesday his staff has 60 days to make that decision - much of which will depend on what kind of mitigating evidence defense attorneys provide to prosecutors as they swap discovery on the case.

It’s the prosecutor’s job to determine if the aggravating factors exist for a jury to sentence someone to death, like if the killing was heinously cruel, the defendant has a propensity to commit murder, or if the killer showed an utter disregard for human life.

It’s up to defense attorneys to find the mitigating factors a jury might consider to spare a life, like if the defendant suffers from mental illness or was a victim of child abuse themselves.

Read more in Thursday's Idaho Statesman