Birmingham, Alabama man charged in slaying of 1-year-old daughter
The father of a toddler who died Wednesday is now charged with capital murder, police said Thursday.
Cory Rice, 28, is being held without bond in the Jefferson County jail
Janiyah Nicole Hale, 1, was discovered by her grandmother at the grandmother's home in the 300 block of Third Avenue Southwest in the Loveman Village public housing community. Authorities said the little girl died from blunt-force trauma. Capital murder is charged for any killing of a person younger than 3.
Janiyah was spending the night with her father and grandmother, authorities said. Someone from the home summoned authorities to the apartment just before 6:30 a.m. after they found her unresponsive. By the time police arrived at the home, Rice was gone.
Birmingham police had issued a warrant against Rice in May for failing to register as a sex offender. Investigators said he had failed to notify authorities of an address change.
The baby's mother, now 16 years old and pregnant with her second child by a different father, was not at the home.
Rice pleaded guilty last year to second-degree rape for having sex with Janiyah's mother, who is underage. He was given two years' probation.
Birmingham homicide Sgt. Scott Thurmond said Rice turned himself in Wednesday. Rice denied any wrongful involvement in the girl's death, Thurmond said.
Cory Rice, 28, is being held without bond in the Jefferson County jail
Janiyah Nicole Hale, 1, was discovered by her grandmother at the grandmother's home in the 300 block of Third Avenue Southwest in the Loveman Village public housing community. Authorities said the little girl died from blunt-force trauma. Capital murder is charged for any killing of a person younger than 3.
Janiyah was spending the night with her father and grandmother, authorities said. Someone from the home summoned authorities to the apartment just before 6:30 a.m. after they found her unresponsive. By the time police arrived at the home, Rice was gone.
Birmingham police had issued a warrant against Rice in May for failing to register as a sex offender. Investigators said he had failed to notify authorities of an address change.
The baby's mother, now 16 years old and pregnant with her second child by a different father, was not at the home.
Rice pleaded guilty last year to second-degree rape for having sex with Janiyah's mother, who is underage. He was given two years' probation.
Birmingham homicide Sgt. Scott Thurmond said Rice turned himself in Wednesday. Rice denied any wrongful involvement in the girl's death, Thurmond said.
