Dad arrested in death of 3-month-old son; baby had 3 skull fractures (San Antonio, Texas)

Dad JOHN SHARKEY has been arrested for the death of his 3-month-old son. The baby died from blunt force trauma to the head and had 3 skull fractures.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/64351582.html

Web Posted: 10/15/2009 7:11 CDT

Father apprehended in infant son's death

By Eva Ruth Moravec - Express-News

San Antonio police arrested a 27-year-old man suspected in the death of his infant son Wednesday night.

John Sharkey is being held in Bexar County Jail on a $1 million bond. He faces one charge of capital murder of a child in connection with the death of 3-month-old Keegan Sharkey.

An arrest warrant affidavit states that Sharkey ran into Santa Rosa Children's Hospital carrying Keegan at 8 a.m. last Saturday. He was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at the hospital, the affidavit states. An autopsy conducted on Keegan determined his death, which was caused by blunt force trauma, was a homicide.

Sharkey and his wife, who has not been charged in connection with the death, later admitted to lying to Child Protective Services, police and Santa Rosa Hospital authorities about what happened to Keegan.

In August, when he was seven weeks old, Keegan was in a “playful mood” and raised his arms to his father, the affidavit states. Sharkey told police he forgot he was on a bottom bunk bed and struck Keegan's head into the metal frame of the bed, authorities said. He lied to his wife and the couple agreed to lie to authorities; they told police they dropped him while taking him out of a chest carrier. Keegan sustained a skull fracture and the incident was ruled accidental, the affidavit states.

Last Friday night, John left Keegan asleep with his wife in their SAMMMinistries room while he showered, the affidavit states. Once he was finished, he watched Keegan and Heather showered; at that point, the affidavit states, Keegan wouldn't stop crying. Sharkey wrapped his baby in blankets and put him into a carrier, unrestrained. He then bounced the carrier on the bed, causing Keegan's head to slam into the back of the carrier several times, the affidavit states.

“He stopped doing that when Keegan's head started falling out of the bottom of the car seat,” the affidavit states. “John admitted that what he did could hurt Keegan but said he didn't know it would hurt him ‘that bad.'”

The couple went to bed, then Sharkey woke up at 2 a.m. to give Keegan a pacifier. The next morning, he ran to the hospital holding Keegan, believing he felt a pulse. An autopsy determined he sustained three skull fractures, the affidavit states.