REMEMBERING DUSTYN
Dustyn Skyler Roff was just four years old when his life was taken on December 16, 2011, in Houston, Texas.
Born on December 1, 2007, Dustyn was an affectionate little boy who brought happiness to the people around him. His family and friends often called him Skyler, Sky, or Skylerman.
He had a beautiful smile, a contagious laugh, and a loving personality. His father remembered how Dustyn would approach people he had never met and greet them with a hug.
Dustyn loved watching Shrek, playing with Hot Wheels, coloring, and spending time with the people he loved.
He should have been looking forward to Christmas.
Instead, Dustyn suffered repeated physical abuse while living with his mother, Britni Bereasa Glover, and her boyfriend, Michael Allen Seaton.
On December 15, 2011, Seaton allegedly subjected Dustyn to a violent beating while his mother was present. According to investigators, she did not intervene or obtain medical attention for her injured son.
The following morning, Dustyn was found unresponsive in his bed.
He was only four years old.
Dustyn's Story
Dustyn was the son of Charles Blake Roff and Britni Bereasa Glover.
For much of his early childhood, Dustyn lived with his father, who later told reporters that he had been his son's primary caretaker.
His father remembered him as an unusually affectionate child who loved everyone he met.
Dustyn had a close relationship with his extended family, including grandparents, aunts, and other relatives who treasured his laughter and cheerful personality.
In 2011, Dustyn began living with his mother and her boyfriend, Michael Allen Seaton, in an apartment on Hillcroft Avenue in southwest Houston.
His father later explained that he had been searching for Dustyn and Britni for several months after she left with their son during a visit.
He had been attempting to obtain full legal custody, but the custody dispute had not been resolved before Dustyn died.
During the months Dustyn lived with his mother and Seaton, investigators believed he experienced repeated physical abuse.
Seaton regularly watched Dustyn while Britni worked at a daycare center.
According to court documents, Dustyn had suffered injuries on multiple occasions before the final assault.
When his mother questioned the bruises, Seaton reportedly offered explanations involving falls and accidents.
On December 15, 2011, Britni and Seaton argued because she had not returned home during her lunch break.
During the argument, Dustyn entered the room.
Investigators alleged that Seaton struck the little boy across the face.
Dustyn ran into his bedroom.
Seaton followed him and continued the assault.
According to statements described in court documents, Seaton grabbed Dustyn, shook him, threw him onto a mattress on the floor, and repeatedly struck his back and abdomen with his fists.
Investigators alleged that Britni witnessed the beating but did not intervene.
Later that evening, Dustyn complained of stomach pain.
Despite his injuries, he was not taken to a hospital.
He was put to bed.
Early the following morning, December 16, Britni discovered Dustyn unresponsive and not breathing.
She called 911.
Houston police and emergency personnel responded to the apartment shortly after 6 a.m.
Dustyn was pronounced dead.
He had celebrated his fourth birthday only fifteen days earlier.
Investigators immediately observed extensive injuries across his body.
Dustyn had two black eyes, a cut on his chin, and bruises covering his face, chest, abdomen, arms, legs, and back.
An examination revealed more than 100 bruises, along with serious injuries to his internal organs.
The bruises were in different stages of healing, indicating that the violence had occurred over an extended period.
The medical evidence established that Dustyn died from multiple blunt force injuries.
His death was not the result of a single accident.
Investigators believed he had been subjected to repeated physical abuse over several weeks.
Warning Signs and System Failures
Before Dustyn's death, Texas Child Protective Services had received two reports involving concerns about his safety.
The first report was filed in September 2009 and alleged neglectful supervision by his mother.
A second report, received approximately two months before his death, concerned possible physical abuse.
According to a CPS spokesperson, investigators attempted to locate Dustyn and his mother but were unsuccessful.
The reports did not provide sufficient location information to allow investigators to find them.
Because Dustyn was not yet school age, there were fewer institutional records that might have helped authorities determine where he was living.
Both reports remained unresolved without investigators locating the child.
Another serious concern involved Michael Seaton's criminal history.
At the time of Dustyn's death, Seaton was on probation for a 2009 child injury case in Lee County, Texas.
That earlier case involved allegations of abuse against another young child.
Despite his history, Seaton was regularly entrusted with Dustyn's care.
Dustyn's father later said he had not known the extent of the danger his son was facing.
He had been searching for Dustyn and attempting to resolve the custody situation before the fatal assault occurred.
The combination of earlier abuse reports, an unresolved custody dispute, and Seaton's previous child injury case raised troubling questions about the protections available to Dustyn.
His death demonstrated how vulnerable a young child can become when repeated warning signs do not lead to effective intervention.
JUSTICE FOR DUSTYN
Following Dustyn's death, Houston police arrested his mother, Britni Bereasa Glover.
On December 19, 2011, the Houston Police Department announced that Britni had been charged with injury to a child by omission.
Investigators alleged that she had witnessed Seaton assaulting Dustyn and failed to protect him or obtain medical assistance.
Michael Allen Seaton was charged with capital murder.
He initially left the Houston area, prompting authorities to search for him.
On December 20, Dustyn's father publicly appealed for justice for his son.
The following day, Seaton surrendered to authorities in Milam County, Texas.
He was returned to Houston to face prosecution.
In March 2012, a Harris County grand jury indicted Britni Glover on a capital murder charge.
According to reporting on the indictment, prosecutors alleged that she had intentionally caused Dustyn's death by striking him with an unknown object.
This represented an escalation from the original allegation that she had failed to protect him.
The criminal proceedings continued after the initial arrests.
Dustyn's original Abuse Angels memorial reports that both defendants ultimately received 50 year prison sentences.
A later public account from a relative of Britni Glover also describes her receiving a 50 year sentence and states that Seaton accepted a plea agreement involving injury to a child.
However, the complete sentencing judgments were not available in the sources reviewed for this memorial.
The precise convictions and sentencing terms should therefore be confirmed against the Harris County court records before being presented as independently verified.
Michael Allen Seaton
Relationship to Dustyn: Mother's boyfriend
Charge(s): Capital murder
Reported outcome: Plea agreement involving injury to a child
Reported sentence: 50 years in prison
Britni Bereasa Glover
Relationship to Dustyn: Mother
Charge(s): Injury to a child by omission; Subsequently indicted for capital murder
Reported outcome: Conviction resulting in imprisonment
Reported sentence: 50 years in prison
The reported sentences are consistent with Dustyn's original memorial and a later family account, but the exact conviction records remain unverified.
FOREVER REMEMBERED
Dustyn Skyler Roff was only four years old.
To the people who loved him, he was Skyler, Sky, and Skylerman.
He was a happy little boy with a beautiful smile and an affectionate personality.
His father remembered that Dustyn loved people so much that he would approach strangers in grocery stores and give them hugs.
His family remembered his laughter, the kind that made everyone around him laugh too.
Dustyn loved Shrek.
He loved Hot Wheels.
He enjoyed coloring and spending time with his family.
One family friend remembered finding crayons and a coloring book on the floor after Dustyn visited, with a Shrek movie left in the DVD player.
Another remembered how excited Dustyn became when he thought he was going to the park. When he realized the outing might not include him, his disappointment was impossible to ignore.
He was soon invited along, and his happiness returned.
His aunt remembered holding him when he was a newborn, rocking him to sleep, and watching him as he rested peacefully in her arms.
She recalled how quickly he captured her heart and how his smile and laughter continued bringing happiness as he grew.
Family members also remembered his love of swimming and the special moments they shared with him at the pool.
These memories reveal the little boy Dustyn truly was.
He was playful.
He was affectionate.
He was full of happiness.
He loved being included and spending time with the people around him.
Dustyn had celebrated his fourth birthday on December 1, 2011.
He should have been preparing for Christmas, opening presents, playing with new toys, and making more memories with his family.
Instead, his life ended just nine days before Christmas.
His funeral was held on December 22, 2011, at Klein Funeral Home in Spring, Texas.
Family members and friends gathered to say goodbye to a little boy whose life had brought them so much love.
In the years that followed, relatives and friends continued leaving birthday messages and personal memories in his online memorial.
They remembered his smile, his laughter, and the joy he brought into their lives.
They remembered the little boy they affectionately called Skylerman.
Dustyn deserved to grow up.
He deserved to attend school, make friends, celebrate birthdays, and spend many more Christmas mornings with his family.
He deserved a childhood free from fear and violence.
Although his life was taken far too soon, the love he inspired did not disappear.
His family's memories preserve the boy behind the headlines.
A little boy who loved Shrek and Hot Wheels.
A little boy who loved hugs.
A little boy whose smile could brighten an entire room.
Dustyn Skyler Roff was deeply loved, and he will always be missed.
Abuse Angels remembers Dustyn Skyler Roff.
Remembered. Honored. Never Forgotten.
