Ryan M. Burge, who stands accused of killing his then-girlfriend’s 5-year-old daughter in November, had his bail reduced Thursday by millions of dollars.
Clark County Superior Court Judge Scott Collier, the second judge to be assigned the case, set Burge’s bail at $1.5 million. Judge Bernard Veljacic had previously granted the prosecution’s request for $5 million bail.
Defense attorney Renee Alsept did not make a specific request for bail during Burge’s arraignment in December. On Tuesday, Alsept requested a reduction to $200,000.
Burge was charged with first- and second-degree murder in the death of Hartley Anderson, who suffered severe head trauma and died at a Portland hospital. Vancouver police responded about 5 p.m. Nov. 2 to the Madison Park Apartments, where emergency responders were treating Hartley’s injuries.
The girl’s mother, Nataasha Luchau, called 911 and reported that Hartley “reportedly threw herself into a wall and was unresponsive,” according to a probable cause affidavit.
The child was taken to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center then, because of the severity of her injuries, was transferred to Randall Children’s Hospital in Portland, where she died, police said.
Burge, Luchau’s live-in boyfriend, had been baby-sitting Hartley all day while Luchau worked and her sons were at school, according to the affidavit.
In an interview with detectives, Burge said Hartley “threw a temper tantrum” when they left a grocery store because he refused to let her go back inside to buy candy, the affidavit states. When they got home, Burge said he sent Hartley to her room, where she banged her head against a wall repeatedly.
A neurosurgeon at the children’s hospital told a detective the girl suffered a stroke and massive brain swelling. The doctor said the injuries to her head “could not be self-inflicted,” the affidavit says.
In asking for reduced bail, Alsept said Burge had found a place to live in Longview. She said no children are living there. She noted that before Burge was sentenced in federal court on a 2009 conspiracy to commit arson charge, he was out on bail, attended all of his hearings and turned himself in to authorities when directed.
Senior Deputy Prosecutor Colin Hayes asked the court to keep in place the initial bail amount.
Hayes described Burge’s alleged attack on Hartley as vicious, recounting some of the state’s evidence in the case. He also said the prosecution now has evidence Burge deleted home video within the time frame he is believed to have been alone with the girl.
Collier said he reviewed all of the affidavits in the case before making his decision.
A number of Hartley’s family members have packed the courtroom for all of Burge’s hearings. They did so again Thursday.
On the steps of the Clark County Courthouse, Whitney Luchau, Hartley’s aunt, said the family was not mad at the attorneys for doing their job. She said there is no amount of money that accurately represents the family’s loss.
Luchau expressed concern about Burge possibly being released, however.
“To say that there’s no children in the home (where Burge would stay if released) doesn’t matter. It doesn’t stop someone who is so ill-minded from doing bad things,” she said.
The aunt, as well as Hartley’s uncle and grandfather, said they were not worried about Burge coming up with the money to post bail.
Burge’s trial is set for June 3.
