Child's brief life tracked; Court records, interviews.

Byline: Scott J. Croteau

Court records paint a picture of a man who first denied being Nathaniel D. Turner's father, then a year later requested a DNA test to prove paternity so he could establish a relationship with the 7-year-old boy.

Leslie G. Schuler, the 36-year-old city man accused of beating his son unconscious, wrote in a sworn statement filed in Worcester Family and Probate Court in November 2007, "I don't believe that I am the father of Nathaniel Turner."

A few months later, in March 2008, Mr. Schuler filed paperwork asking for visitation rights to Nathaniel stating, "I would like the chance to become the child's father, not just a paycheck once a week."

Although the family of Nathaniel's mother, Alicia B. Turner, told reporters Mr. Schuler received summer custody of the child, there are no court orders on file issuing such custody.

Nathaniel arrived from Alabama, where he lived with his maternal grandmother, a few weeks ago and began living with Mr. Schuler and his girlfriend, Tiffany Hyman, at their 13 Arline St. home.

Worcester Probate and Family Court records show custody of Nathaniel was given to his grandmother Christine Taylor in September 2005. The temporary guardianship expired in 90 days, ending officially on Dec. 21, 2005. Nowhere in the records does it show a request for a continuance in the guardianship.

At the time Ms. Taylor requested guardianship she was living on 34 Edward St. in Worcester. The same address is listed in court paperwork for Nathaniel.

Ms. Turner had a 974 Main St. address at the time, while Mr. Schuler had ``unknown" listed as his address by Ms. Taylor.

In the affidavit for temporary guardianship of Nathaniel, Ms. Taylor wrote that the "mother is having mental issues" and "mother felt not fit to handle situations she was in," as reasons for requesting the temporary guardianship.

Police said when Nathaniel arrived at his father's house a few weeks ago, a series of brutal assaults and abuse began.

Nathaniel allegedly was forced to sleep on the floor in an empty room after disrespecting his father. He was beaten with fists, a belt and finally - according to police - was viciously attacked on Father's Day. Police said Nathaniel's head was slammed into a wall so hard a dent was left in the wall. The blows left the boy unconscious and on Monday morning Mr. Schuler and Ms. Hyman drove him to St. Vincent Hospital.

Police were called and later the boy was transferred to UMass Memorial Medical Center - University Campus where he was declared clinically dead Tuesday and remained on a ventilator.

Nathaniel's family members said Mr. Schuler always knew he was the boy's father, but for years he denied it. Court records show in December 2008, Mr. Schuler and Ms. Turner agreed to genetic marker testing through the state Department of Revenue. The family said the tests showed Mr. Schuler was the father.

Mr. Schuler complained to a judge in court paperwork filed in March 2008 that he had no visitation and had "not been given opportunity to meet child and build a relationship."

In November 2001, Ms. Turner filed an affidavit naming Mr. Schuler as the father. After a hearing three years later, Mr. Schuler was declared the father and ordered to pay $57 a week in child support. On May 20 of this year, Judge Susan D. Ricci ordered Mr. Schuler's child support obligations terminated retroactive to March 10, 2008.

Court records said Mr. Schuler was repeatedly sent notice of motions for a paternity test, but never showed up before the Nov. 2004 judgment.

While asking for a judge to reconsider the Nov. 2004 judgment, Mr. Schuler said Ms. Turner had lied to him in the past, claiming Diantea Schuler was his son. Diantea, who was born April 1999, died at age 3 when he suffered injuries in a fire inside a Gardner Terrace home in September 2002.

According to police reports, authorities believe Diantea started the fire. Ms. Turner lived there with Diantea, Nathaniel - who was 9 months old at the time - and two friends.

Diantea was mesmerized by fire, according to police reports, and allegedly set a stuffed chair ablaze while playing with a lighter. Ms. Turner woke up to the smell of smoke, ran out with Nathaniel and thought Diantea had gotten outside. She went back in to get her young son, but was pushed back by flames, according to police reports.

Mr. Schuler claims that after Diantea was born, Ms. Turner told him the boy was his.

"In 1999, when Alicia told me that I was the father of her first child Diantea, I took care of him and spent every minute possible with him," Mr. Schuler wrote in the November 2007 court filing. "I paid almost all of the household bills for about 6 months."

He later petitioned for a paternity test and found he was not Diantea's father.

"After all that had happened the first time, I was unsure of how to handle this," Mr. Schuler said in the filing involving Nathaniel. "I would like to be able to find out unequivocally if this child is mine. I relied on Alicia Turner's word the first time and was lied to. Already too much time has passed and I can't let any more go by. I need to know, so I can, if in fact he is mine, be a responsible father to him."

Mr. Schuler still has an open case in Worcester District Court.

He was arraigned on a warrant in a March 7, 2006, assault stemming from an alleged attack of a man with a pipe. His name was spelled Lesley G. Schuler on the 2006 court documents, but his date of birth and Social Security number are the same.

In that case, Mr. Schuler allegedly hit a Worcester man several times on the head with a pipe on March 7, 2006.

His arraignment on the assault and battery charge was continued to July 21, the same date he is scheduled to be back in court on the current charges, according to court documents.

Mr. Schuler and Tiffany Hyman rented an attached two-story apartment at 13 Arline St., a quiet residential street in the Quinsigamond Village area.

One of the neighbors, Cynthia DeReda, lives across the street at 10 Arline St., and she said most of the neighbors did not know Mr. Schuler had a child.

Ms. DeReda, who has lived in her home since 2002, said she hardly saw Mr. Schuler. Neighbors thought he worked as a contractor.

Yesterday, Ms. DeReda was visiting her neighbor, Michelle Petit, who lives at 5 Arline St. Ms. Petit has two boys, Christian, 2, and Jayden, 5, and the oldest played with Nathaniel a few times, she said.

Both women said they only saw Tiffany Hyman one time sitting outside.

Ms. Petit said she would never understand how this tragedy could happen to a young, innocent child.

Linda Bock of the Telegram & Gazette staff contributed to this report.

ART: PHOTO; MAP; CHART

PHOTOG: (P) T&G Staff/TOM RETTIG; (M) T&G Staff/STACEY ARSENAULT; (C) T&G Staff/DON LANDGREN JR.

CUTLINE: (P) Neighbors of Leslie G. Schuler of 13 Arline St., Worcester, include, from left, Cynthia DeReda, Jayden Petit, 5, and Michelle Petit. (M) Schuler's residence. (C) Key dates in Nathaniel Turner's life