Dad charged in death of 5-month-old son; was "visiting" dad (New Haven, Connecticut)

The 5-month-old baby was on a weekend overnight visit with dad MORRIES D. HILL, SR. when he was suffered "severe physical abuse" and subsequently died after being hospitalized in an "unresponsive" condition. Dad and his 13-year-old brother were the only ones in the home at the time of the abuse, as Dad's mother was working the night shift. According to the brother's testimony, Dad didn't like dealing with a crying baby at night.

The baby died with a lacerated liver, spleen, pancreas, and kidneys. He also had retinal hemorrhaging,"significant" brain injury, and rib fractures.

Yup, sure sounds like Dad didn't like that crying. Appears to me that he shook the baby, squeezed the baby, and hit or kicked him in the abdomen. What a piece of sh**.

Explain to me why infants this young need to be "visiting" a non-custodial dad again? They don't, and the research backs this up. There is plenty of time for Baby to bond with other family members later on. Babies need to be with a consistent, loving caregiver (usually, but not always the mother), and not be passed around like a hot potato. They especially don't need to sent willy-nilly on overnights with violent teen fathers who don't have a clue.

http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/11/05/news/new_haven/a1_--_baby_dead_1105.txt

Teen father held on charge related to infant son’s death
Published: Thursday, November 5, 2009

By William Kaempffer, Register Staff

NEW HAVEN — A 19-year-old city man has been charged with risk of injury to a minor in connection with the 2008 death of his 5-month-old son.

Morries D. Hill Sr., of 528 Eastern St., was arraigned on the charge Wednesday. A Superior Court judge kept his bail at $200,000, which Hill did not post.

Police Lt. Julie Johnson, who heads the department’s Special Investigations Unit, said despite the arrest, the investigation remains open and active. The child’s death is a homicide, and no one to date has been charged in the killing, which a doctor attributed to “severe physical abuse.”

“By no means is this case closed because of this arrest,” Johnson said. “This case will remain open until we have enough evidence to charge someone” with the homicide.

Hill was picked up by New Haven Officer John Palmer and members of the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force Tuesday at the Target store in Milford, where Hill works.

The arrest came 15 months after Morries Hill Jr. was found unresponsive in the home that Hill shares with his mother and brother.

Court records released Wednesday provide a disturbing account of the child’s injuries. The baby was alive, but unresponsive, when he arrived at the Yale Pediatric Emergency Room the morning of Aug. 4, 2008.

Later in the day, a doctor told a Department of Children and Families social worker that the baby wouldn’t survive due to his injuries, which included a lacerated liver, spleen, pancreas and kidneys. He also had retinal hemorrhaging and significant brain injury, the arrest warrant affidavit says. The doctor also noted seven rib fractures, some of which appeared to be old.

The probable cause for the warrant largely was based on medical opinions from doctors and statements made by Hill and his brother.

Medical staff concluded the fatal injuries were inflicted between 11 p.m. Aug. 3 and the morning of Aug. 4, when police say Hill and his then 13-year-old brother were the only people home. Their mother worked the night shift and wasn’t there, police said.

With two people present, however, detectives have the challenge of determining who allegedly inflicted the fatal injuries. That would be key in a manslaughter or murder case, but matters less in a risk of injury case.

Under that statute, a person is guilty of risk of injury to a child if he “causes or permits” a child to be put in a situation where the child is endangered. That means even if authorities can’t conclusively show it was Hill who hurt the baby, he could still be found guilty if they can prove he knew the child’s safety was at risk.

The young father told detectives nothing happened to the child, who lived with his mother and was visiting the Hills when he died.

The younger brother told a DCF worker the child was in a bedroom that night and, when he cried, Hill would go into the room and the infant would stop. Hill also told a hospital social worker he was the only one who had access to the child, according to police.

Detective Tammi Means worked on the case from the start, and “never put it on a shelf,” Johnson said.

“It was a tough case from the beginning because the child, at five months old, obviously can’t tell us what happened to him, and the only two people in the house really didn’t give us much cooperation. After several days, they stopped cooperating with the investigation.”

Hill has no criminal record. His attorney, Robert Berke, described him as a young father who adored his child and “adamantly denies” the allegations that led to his arrest. A lot of different people helped take care of the child, the attorney said.

“I certainly would like to have the opportunity to have my own forensic experts examine the medical records and autopsy to determine the time of injury, which appear to be the critical issue,” he said Wednesday.

No one answered the door at 528 Eastern St. Wednesday, and there was no sign of activity.