Three Brothers Arrested After Tying Schizophrenic Sibling to Mattress and Starving Him Death
- Victor Nwoko
- Apr 3
- 2 min read
Three brothers were arrested on Friday on charges including involuntary manslaughter after restraining their 18-year-old sibling, Ezekiel Baseme, to a mattress in their home in Cedar Rapids. They believed he was experiencing a schizophrenic episode, but after days of being tied down, he stopped breathing and died.
Christian F. Baseme, 29, Pierre K. Baseme, 26, and Azane E. Baseme, 23, were taken into custody and booked into the Linn County Jail. They face charges of involuntary manslaughter, assault causing serious injury, and false imprisonment.
Authorities were called to the family home on Roemig Street SW shortly after midnight on November 9, 2024, when family members reported an unresponsive person. Upon arrival, officers found Ezekiel, who had been dead for an extended period.
According to an unsealed search warrant, the family stated that on November 3, Ezekiel began displaying erratic behavior. He stopped eating and sleeping, and by November 5, he became aggressive. Two of his brothers restrained him by tying him to a mattress in a back bedroom.
Between November 5 and 6, the brothers noticed that Ezekiel had stopped resisting, was lying still, and had ceased making noise. By November 7, they found him with little to no pulse, appearing stiff and cold. At that point, they removed the restraints and moved him to a bed, later hiding the ropes in a shed.
Despite determining on November 8 that he had died, the family did not notify authorities until the following day.
Investigators discovered that Christian Baseme had installed multiple security cameras at the home, including exterior cameras and one near the shed. A search warrant was executed to obtain footage and other data.
Statements collected from the family, including their father, Joseph Mbalama, and sister, Fatuma Baseme, described Ezekiel’s deteriorating mental state in the weeks leading up to his death. They claimed he experienced hallucinations, seeing snakes and dragons, and spoke of fire surrounding the home.
On November 5, Ezekiel allegedly had a violent episode, attempted to punch Christian Baseme, and made threats against family members. He had previously run away, climbing out of a window and threatening neighbors. The family insisted they restrained him out of concern that he might harm himself or others.
Initially, Ezekiel broke free from the first set of restraints, prompting the brothers to secure him with yellow ratchet straps around his arms, waist, and legs. They maintained that nothing was placed around his neck or head.
Christian and Pierre, both trained in CPR and de-escalation techniques through their employers, later admitted to investigators that they left Ezekiel tied up for two days. Pierre told authorities he realized something was wrong when he checked on Ezekiel and said, “the kid’s not breathing.”
The investigation remains ongoing as the brothers await formal charges.
Comments