Dad pleads guilty in death of 14-month-old son (Belleville, West Virginia)

Caretaking dad CARL DAVID SAMS has plead guilty to "death of a child by guardian or custodian" in the death of his 14-month-old son. Dad was apparently doing caretaking duties while mom was at work, and shook the baby till the baby went into convulsions.

I think I need to go back and count how many times babies or toddlers have been severely injured or killed by caretaking fathers/boyfriends when the moms had to work. But I'm not sure my feeble brain can count that high--even if I were to limit the timeframe to one month.

http://www.newsandsentinel.com/page/content.detail/id/519113.html?nav=5061

Sams pleads guilty in child’s death
By JEFFREY SAULTON
POSTED: July 10, 2009

PARKERSBURG - A plea of guilty in the 2007 death of child was entered Thursday in Wood County Circuit Court.

Carl David Sams, 26, of Slate Run, Belleville, entered an agreement with the state to plead guilty to a charge of death of a child by guardian or custodian as charged in a May 2008 indictment in the Dec. 23, 2007, death of his son, Devin R. Sams, 14 months old.

In the plea agreement the state and Sams agreed his prison sentence would be capped at 30 years. A charge of murder in count one of the indictment was dismissed.

According to the state, Sams inflicted substantial physical pain and impairment of physical condition by other than accidental means.

Judge Robert Waters set sentencing in the case for 9 a.m. Sept. 14. A motion for parole or alternative sentencing was taken under advisement and was forwarded to the adult probation department. Sams also signed a waiver to allow Waters to inspect the presentencing report prior to the Sept. 14 hearing.

Sams was arrested Dec. 26, 2007, on the charge and has been in custody without bond.
According to police reports, he was charged with the death of his son after injuries sustained Dec. 21, 2007, allegedly while the boy's father was watching him, police said. Prosecutors said Sams shook the infant.

According to a criminal complaint Sams was watching the boy while the child's mother was at work.

"The defendant picked up the victim and shook him, causing his head to go back and forth repeatedly," police said in the complaint. "The defendant admitted during questioning that while he was shaking the victim, the victim went into convulsions."

Sams was taken to Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital and later was transferred to Charleston Area Medical Center Women's and Children's Hospital, where he died.

At first police said Sams allegedly told investigators he fell on the child. The West Virginia Medical Examiner's Office in Charleston determined the injuries were not consistent with that description but were consistent with a violent shaking.