UPDATE: ‘It’s a nightmare:’ Professor’s arrest in death of son with severe autism rocks family

OTTAWA COUNTY, MI – The teen whose drowning led to a manslaughter charge against his father suffered severe autism, lived in “deplorable” conditions in the basement and had his arms bound when he was found face down in the family pool, court records show.

The father, Timothy Koets, 50, is facing multiple charges.

The parents have a lengthy history with Children’s Protective Services, records say.

“There are facts in this case that I think the public will find disturbing,” Ottawa County sheriff’s Capt. Mark Bennett said.

The 16-year-old victim, Samuel Koets, had severe autism, was non-verbal and had a history of aggression toward himself and others, according an abuse and neglect petition filed in Ottawa County Family Court.

After the drowning, authorities took temporary custody of the boy’s sister, with a disposition hearing set for Nov. 8.

Authorities said that the deceased teen’s bedroom was in the basement of the family’s house in the 4300 block of Port Sheldon Road. The conditions were described as “deplorable,” with a mattress on the floor without sheets and “multiple large spots of smeared fecal matter. In addition, fecal matter was smeared on the walls and dirty diapers were found throughout the room,” the petition said.

The bedroom had exposed wires and plumbing, the petition said.

On the day the teen died on March 28, his father left him outside, unsupervised, with his arms bound, court records said. The father told his wife, who was sleeping, that he was leaving for work.

The mother told police that she remained sleeping while the boy was outside.

At 4:10 p.m., the father texted his 13-year-old daughter, who just got back from school, “Okay would you make sure freak is okay? Is mom still asleep?” court records said.

The father told her that her brother was “supposed to be out back.”

A minute later, she texted that the boy was in the pool. They exchanged messages about him until 4:19 p.m. but the father did not mention calling 911, records said.

An 18-year-old sister of the victim told police that she saw him in the pool at 3:20 p.m. Investigators think he had been in the icy, above-ground pool, for an hour.

Sheriff’s deputies and paramedics removed the victim from the pool and tried to revive him.

“(The victim) was found with his arms bound to his body. Ice was noted to be in the pool due to the cold weather. The pool had no fence surrounding it and had over four feet of water in it,” authorities said in court records.

GRCC President Bill Pink confirmed that Koets works for the college. Pink is monitoring developments. He said it would inappropriate to comment further.

Bennett, the sheriff’s captain, said that having a college professor as a suspect in such a crime is “unusual but not surprising.”

He said detectives worked hard on the case. Police executed several search warrants.

“It’s been a long process and tedious process,” Bennett said.

Children’s Protective Services in October 2014 substantiated allegations against the parents of improper supervision and threatened harm to the 13-year-old and 16-year-old children.

CPS developed a safety plan regarding the boy’s supervision. Multiple safety plans were established with the parents.

“In August 2015, safety plans were specifically established regarding supervision of (the boy) around water,” the petition said.

CPS provided the parents with door alarms two years ago to help supervise the boy. The parents said they did not use them.

The father was arrested Thursday, Oct. 24, at work.

He is expected to be arraigned Friday, Oct. 25, in Hudsonville District Court on charges of involuntary manslaughter, second-degree child abuse, second-degree child abuse committed in the presence of another child and fourth-degree child abuse.

Koets is held in the Ottawa County Jail.