What happened to 3-year-old Brendan Creato? Details explored ahead of Text K to Kill on ID

Brendan Creato was murdered by his own father (Image via Pexels)

ID's upcoming documentary special, Text K to Kill, is coming with one of the most shocking cases in the history of Haddon Township, New Jersey, the case of Brendan Creato, this week. This case would shake even the most hardcore of true crime fans. The murder case involves the death of toddler Brendan Creato at the hands of someone very unexpected.

This tragic event remains one of the darkest cases in the town's history and will now be explored in depth in Text K to Kill, premiering on April 27, 2024, at 10:00 PM EST. The brief synopsis for the upcoming special reads—

"Three-year-old Brendan Creato is found dead in a Haddon Township, New Jersey, creek."

In a shocking chain of events, 3-year-old Brendan Creato was found dead in a wooden area by the authorities. Soon after, it was revealed that his biological father, who still shared custody of the child, was responsible for his death.

Ahead of the shocking case, here is a rundown of what happened to Brendan Creato.

Who was Brendan Creato and what happened to him?

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Brendan Creato was a three-year-old kid, born to high school sweethearts Samantha Denoto and David Creato Jr., who was also known as DJ. Brendan was a friendly and energetic kid who was unanimously loved by all.

Following Samantha's separation from David Creato Jr. due to infidelity, they shared custody of Brendon. Though the young child stayed with his mother more often, he also spent time at David's place, which ultimately became the reason for his untimely death.

On the night of October 12, 2015, Brendan was staying at his father's place. The following morning, DJ contacted Brendan's mother, Lisa, reporting Brendan's disappearance. Subsequently, the police were informed, initiating a search for the young boy. Within three hours, the police discovered the lifeless body of Brendan in Cooper River Park, near DJ's apartment.

Brendan was discovered face down near the creek, with his head partially submerged. He was still in his pajamas and socks. Initial investigations ruled out s*xual assault and drugging, but the autopsy suggested strangulation as the likely cause of death. However, the main reason was set as "homicidal violence," kickstarting the investigation against DJ.

Why did DJ kill his son, Brendan Creato?

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In a baffling revelation, soon all the clues started to point to Brendan's biological father, David. David, or DJ, was dating 17-year-old Julia Stensky at the time. According to reports, David and Julia were having a bit of trouble with Brendan, who was often staying at DJ's place.

Soon, police found a hint in a deleted Tumblr post from Julia. After the authorities managed to track almost 9000 deleted texts, they discovered the couple discussing their disdain for the child, as well as Julia giving an ultimatum to DJ about either choosing her or the child.

Further analysis of the child's clothes revealed that he had possibly not walked to the spot where he died. This was combined with no sign of forced entry into the house, indicating that DJ was involved.

After the authorities realized that DJ's claims did not really go hand in hand with the evidence against him, they concluded that DJ strangled the child to death and put his body in the creek.

He was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Though the process took time, DJ eventually pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter in Brendan's murder. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Text K to Kill on Investigation Discovery will cover this case in further detail, premiering on April 27, 2024, at 10:00 PM EST.

Edited by Shubham Soni