A brave eight-year-old boy was beaten to death with a baseball bat after he tried to protect his mother from her apparently abusive boyfriend.

Leland ‘Lee’ Arnett died four days after he was struck in the head with a bat during a domestic violence incident at his family home in De Soto, Illinois on May 13.

His accused killer Marcus Moultrie, 36, also allegedly attacked his mother Deborah Snider that same night, according to court records obtained by WSIL.

Police were called to the residence around 11pm for reports of a domestic disturbance and found Snider unconscious. Lee had been suffering from a ‘serious’ head wound.

Both the 31-year-old and little boy were life-flighted to a hospital in nearby St Louis, Missouri, where Lee died on May 17.

‘This happened because Lee was trying to protect his mother,’ his heartbroken great-aunt Anne Donlan Andrew told The Journal Star.

‘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.’

Lee was buried last Thursday in Nebraska, where his father and extended family live. His family said he donated his organs as his ‘final act of heroism.’

Leland 'Lee' Arnett, eight, died on May 17, 2026 after he was beat in the head with a baseball bat. His family said he was trying to protect his mother during a domestic violence attack
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Leland ‘Lee’ Arnett, eight, died on May 17, 2026 after he was beat in the head with a baseball bat. His family said he was trying to protect his mother during a domestic violence attack

Lee and his Deborah Snider, left, were attacked on May 13. Snider's partner Marcus Moultrie, right, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder following the attack. He pleaded not guilty to all charges
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Lee and his Deborah Snider, left, were attacked on May 13. Snider’s partner Marcus Moultrie, right, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder following the attack. He pleaded not guilty to all charges

Police were called Moultrie's home in De Soto, Illinois around 11pm on May 13 for reports of a domestic disturbance. when officers arrived on scene, they found Snider unconscious and Lee suffering from a 'serious' head wound
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Police were called Moultrie’s home in De Soto, Illinois around 11pm on May 13 for reports of a domestic disturbance. when officers arrived on scene, they found Snider unconscious and Lee suffering from a ‘serious’ head wound

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