Dad pleads guilty to domestic manslaughter in death of 9-week-old daughter; had previously admitted to throwing baby to the floor (Rockland, Maine)

Dad ROBERT HARTFORD has agreed to plead guilty to domestic manslaughter in the death of his 9-week-old daughter. Dad had previously told police that he had thrown the baby to the kitchen floor. The baby died of blunt force trauma to the head.

http://www.wcsh6.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=110132&catid=2

Rockland Father Changes Plea In Death Of Baby
Sarah Delage, Multimedia Journalist

BELFAST (NEWS CENTER) -- A man from Rockland charged with killing his nine week-old daughter last year changed his plea Friday.

25 year-old Robert Harford was initially charged with one count of murder and one count of domestic manslaughter in the death of his baby daughter Ava. Friday, in Waldo County Superior Court, the state agreed to drop the murder charge and harford pleaded guilty to domestic manslaughter.

The State Medical Examiner's Office determined nine-week-old Ava Harford died in August 2008 of blunt force trauma to the head. Harford initially said he accidentaly dropped the baby on the floor, and she hit her head. But in a second interview with police, he admitted that he threw the child to the kitchen floor, and that she may have hit her head on the refrigerator. Harford's attorney Steven Peterson says Harford disputes some of the details that Asstant Attorney General Leanne Zainea outlined in court.

"The primary thing he was disputing were references by the Attorney General to shaking the baby, on at least two occasions," Peterson said. "He takes issue with that, says that did not happen. The only kind of shaking that happened was when he realized that the baby was not breathing properly and he tried to revive the baby."

Ava's mother, Kirby Gushee, was not in court Friday. Other family members were present. They told NEWS CENTER that Friday's proceedings brought them one step closer to justice for Ava. Robert Harford is being held without bail in Knox County Jail. His sentencing date has not yet been set.