An 8-Year-Old Ran Toward Danger to Save His Mom. He Never Came Home.
When officers arrived at a home in De Soto, Illinois, just before midnight on May 13, they found a little boy with a severe head wound and his mother unconscious on the floor. The child had tried to stop the attack. He was eight years old.
Leland “Lee” Arnett is being called the bravest little boy in America. He is also gone.
Lee was beaten over the head with a baseball bat during a domestic violence incident at his family’s home. He was taken to a hospital but died from his injuries four days later, on May 17. He never got to come home.

What Happened That Night
On May 13, police responded to a domestic disturbance call at a Jackson County home and found Deborah Snider and her 8-year-old son badly injured. Officers found Snider unconscious on the floor and Lee nearby with a serious head wound.

Both were life-flighted to a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. Deborah, 31, remains hospitalized in critical condition. She is still fighting for her life.

Marcus Moultrie, 36, now faces two counts of first-degree murder. Jackson County State’s Attorney Marsha Cascio-Hale said the charges were amended after one of the victims passed away. “Two counts of first-degree murder were filed along with an enhancement allegation due to the exceptionally brutal and heinous behavior indicative of wanton cruelty for the death,” Cascio-Hale said.

Moultrie pleaded not guilty to all charges. His trial is scheduled to begin July 6.

“This Happened Because Lee Was Trying to Protect His Mother”
Lee’s great-aunt, Anne Donlan Andrew, told The Journal Star exactly what she believes happened in that house.
“This happened because Lee was trying to protect his mother,” she said. “That takes a lot to stand up for your mom in a violent situation like that, and he did… I wish he wouldn’t have, but he did.”
A neighbor, Katherine Healy, said the tragedy was still unimaginable. “Very sad. I mean, they just had a baby a year ago,” she said. Healy noted she had often seen Moultrie outside playing with the kids — tossing a beanbag, throwing a football. Nothing had seemed alarming. Until it was.

“This is especially heinous, and it’s disturbing,” State’s Attorney Cascio-Hale said publicly. “I just want to commend Jackson County Sheriff’s deputies. They did an amazing job, and they are working on this case diligently.”

“More Than Anything, Lee Was a Protector”
His family wrote those words in his obituary. They meant them.
Lee is remembered for his big smile, his instinct to run full force into every hug, and the way he made everyone around him feel safe. He was in third grade. He loved with his whole heart.
His obituary describes him as a happy, loving child, always willing to help others. “More than anything else, Lee was a protector,” his family wrote.

Relatives of Deborah Snider say the night of May 13 was not the first time she had tried to leave Moultrie, and that the limited options for shelter and protection in a small community like De Soto may have made it harder to find safety. Those statements are family testimony and have not been confirmed in court.

Why This Matters
Every year, an estimated 10 million Americans are affected by domestic violence. Children are rarely its direct targets — but they are never truly safe from it. They watch. They worry. And sometimes, like Lee, they act.
The family released a statement calling on people to recognize “the very real and devastating impact of domestic violence. No family should ever have to endure this kind of pain.”

Lee Arnett was eight years old. He saw his mother in danger and he ran toward it. That decision cost him his life — and left a community, a family, and a country asking the same impossible question: how do we protect the children who are trying to protect everyone else?
His mother is still fighting to survive. A GoFundMe has been launched to help cover Lee’s funeral costs and Deborah’s medical transport. Lee was buried last week in Nebraska, far from De Soto, surrounded by the family who loved him.
He will be remembered as the bravest little boy in America.