Boy's grieving father: 'I'm glad he's not suffering'

Charles Porter seen at Union Baptist Church in Harlem for the funeral and viewing of his 10-year old son Jaquan Oscar Porter who was allegedly killed by his mother on Dec. 26.

UPDATE - on 3 earlier posts-

Disgusted with the system: GRIEVING DAD'S PAIN

Disgusted with the system: Dad desperately sought son who was slain on Staten Island

Disgusted with the system: Staten Island mom accused in beating death of son repeatedly defied judge

by Doug Auer
Saturday January 03, 2009, 6:47 PM

Jaquan Oscar Porter endured much pain in his short life, but earlier today it was his family that was filled with hurt as they mourned the 10-year-old boy from Mariners Harbor who was killed Dec. 26, allegedly by his mother.

"I'm glad he's not suffering anymore," said the boy's grieving father, Charles Porter, during the funeral service held at Union Baptist Church, in the Harlem section of Manhattan.

Jaquan, who's favorite color was blue, was laid to rest in a light blue coffin, wearing a matching blue outfit and a Yankees baseball cap. Blue and yellow flowers rested atop the lower portion of the open casket. To the left of the coffin was a blue floral bouquet in the shape of a truck, one of the boy's fascinations.

More than 150 mourners packed the church to pay their final respects to Jaquan, who also liked wrestling and cartoon characters. He had three stepsisters, Christine, Danielle and Dezhane, and a stepbrother, Jayden.

Before the service began, Porter leaned over his son's casket and whispered into Jaquan's ear as he gently caressed the boy.

Teary-eyed family and friends entering the church were greeted by a posterboard image of Jaquan when he was younger, with angels on either side of the letters, "R.I.P."

Jaquan died on Dec. 26 when his mother, Melissa Sekulski, 30, slammed his head into a wall inside their grimy Grandview Avenue apartment, according to police.

The woman also admitted to beating the boy with a belt buckle, police said. And, the boy's nutrition was apparently neglected as he ballooned to a morbidly obese 250 pounds.

Ms. Sekulski is being held without bail on Rikers Island, charged with manslaughter. She is next due in court on Jan. 12.

Ms. Sekulski's family was present at the funeral, but could not be reached for comment afterward.

Following the funeral, Porter, 30, railed against various city agencies -- including Family Court, the Department of Education and the Administration for Children's Services -- for not helping him find his son, for keeping Ms. Sekulski's address confidential and for never doing a drop-in check on their living conditions.

Ms. Sekulski and the boy had lived in Manhattan, the Bronx and in Brooklyn before finally settling on Staten Island.

Porter had last seen his son alive on Christmas 2003.

Boy's grieving father: 'I'm glad he's not suffering' - Staten Island Real-Time News - SILive.com