The Cruel End of Malachi

Transcript

Mother's Day and Missing Toddler Report

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Happy Mother's Day weekend to all you moms . Enjoy every moment with her fam . Read Belinda Magana's MySpace page in 2009 . Just the next evening , belinda called Corona California police and asked them to come to her apartment that she shared with her boyfriend of five months , michael Nareen . Belinda said that her two-year-old son , malachi Magana , had disappeared while they were at a family barbecue at a park nearby . Welcome to this episode of Human Wreckage .

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Today's episode is about a little boy whose life was far too short Malachi Magana . Malachi was just two years old when he died in 2009 . At an age when most toddlers are just starting to find their words to explore the world with clumsy steps and bursts of laughter , malachi's life was cut tragically short and in the wake of his death , there were questions . Questions about how , why and what could have been done to prevent it . Let's get into it . So An extensive search for the toddler ensued , including volunteers on foot , bloodhounds and a police helicopter . The search turned up no clues . When Belinda and Michael were questioned , police started to doubt their story and found inconsistencies and discrepancies . Furthermore , when Belinda called the police , she sounded unnaturally calm as the search was underway . Neither Belinda nor Michael exhibited signs of distress and didn't even participate in the search .

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In the early morning hours of the following day , the body of Malachi was found in rugged terrain just off Little Creek Road . Belinda had directed police there , telling them that Michael had killed him . When she was out of the house , malachi's body was riddled with bruises and burn marks . It was evident that he had lived a traumatic and violent life . Both Belinda and Michael were charged with one count each of murder , torture and assault on a child causing death . They were both scheduled to stand trial and due to the torture charge , which was a mitigating factor , they would both be facing a death sentence . Prosecutors said that Malachi had essentially been abused to death .

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Shortly before his death , either Belinda or Michael poured boiling hot liquid over Malachi . It scalded a layer of skin off his head , neck and back . Neither adult decided to seek medical treatment for Malachi Due to the burns . Malachi had cried out in pain , but when he cried he was brutally beaten with a belt . Malachi's autopsy showed that he had suffered extensive scalding as well as blunt force trauma to the head . Attorneys couldn't decide on whether the primary cause of death was the blunt force trauma or sepsis from the untreated scalding injury . When he died , however , he was wrapped in a plastic bag and stuffed into the car . His four-year-old brother also climbed into the car and the family drove to a party in Apple Valley . On the way there , they stopped in wasteland off Little Creek in San Bernardino County and buried him in a shallow grave .

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According to one of Belinda's defense lawyers , ryan Markson , michael was domineering and controlling and forced Belinda to use physical discipline on her son . He argued that Melinda wasn't home when Malachi was burned and that Michael wouldn't allow her to seek medical treatment . Allow her to seek medical treatment . One of Michael's defense lawyers , michael Belter , refuted this claim and instead said that Belinda was an extremely neglectful and abusive mother who had been abusive long before Michael began dating her . Just five months before Malachi's murder , there were several relatives who corroborated these claims . Malachi was the product of rape and Belinda had always treated him differently . Furthermore , as Malachi was dying , michael went to Long Beach overnight to DJ and Belinda still didn't seek out medical help . She wasn't held hostage , she had a phone , she had a car . She left for the store , said Prosecutor Dama Calhoun . Two separate juries found Belinda Magana and Michael Noreen guilty of all charges .

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In opening statements of the penalty phase , riverside County Deputy District Attorney Dayma Calhoun described how Belinda was acting violently in jail . She had already been in several jailhouse fights . In one , she grabbed an inmate from behind and slashed her face with a razor blade , kicked her and then tried to throw her off the second floor . In another fight , she slashed an inmate on the arm from a neighboring cell . This highlighted the fact that Belinda was capable of committing violence . Riverside County Deputy District Attorney Day McCalhoun also said that Michael had a history of domestic abuse against two of his former wives . He described how each relationship drastically changed from kind and loving to domineering and violent . His first wife , renee Helen , described how their relationship had deteriorated and finally reached breaking point when Michael punched her in the face . His second wife , marizla Nareen , said that Michael often berated her and punched her so hard in the chest that she had trouble breathing . On the 2nd of May 2015 , both Belinda Magana and Michael Noreen were sentenced to death .

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As we come to the end of today's episode , we hold space for the memory of Malachi Magana , a little boy whose life , though brief , touched the hearts of those who knew him and continues to echo far beyond his two years . Malachi wasn't just a name in a headline . He was a son , a grandson , a curious , bright-eyed child with a future stolen far too soon . His story reminds us of the profound fragility of life and the deep responsibility we all share as individuals , as communities and as systems , to protect our most vulnerable . What happened in 2009 should never have happened , and the years since have only deepened the grief and sharpened the questions . For Malachi's family , the pain has not faded , but neither has their determination . They are still asking for answers , still asking for justice and , most of all , still making sure that Malachi's name is spoken , remembered and honored .

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If today's episode moved you , we encourage you to share Malachi's story , not just as a tragedy but as a call for change . And if you or someone you know is navigating loss , we see you . You're not alone . Thank you for joining us on Human Wreckage . We tell these stories not because they are easy to hear , but because they matter . Until next time , I'm Thomas . Take care of yourselves and take care of each other . The Thank you you .