Dad on trial for shaking infant son to death (Shelby, North Carolina)

Dad CHAD BARROW is on trial for 1st-degree murder in the shaking death of his infant son.

http://www.gastongazette.com/news/shaking-40738-accused-shelby.html

Trial update: Father accused of causing baby's death by shaking
November 21, 2009 8:02 AM
Olivia Neeley

SHELBY — Angela Alexander testified she heard Jace Barrow screaming and crying as she walked into a room at their family’s lake house on July 4, 2007.

What happened next, Alexander said, scared her.

“He was vigorously doing this with Jace,” Alexander said as part of her court testimony Friday, as she cupped her hands around the air and shook them intensely.

Her testimony was part of Friday's developments in the trial of the infant’s father, Chad Barrow. He is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the baby’s August 2007 death. He could face life in prison without parole if convicted.

“I felt like Chad was losing control," she said. "And did not need to be with (that) child."

Police notes

Barrow’s defense attorney David Teddy said police notes indicated Alexander didn’t tell police about the incident until Sept. 20, 2007.

As Teddy continued his cross-examination, he bounced an imaginary baby on his knee, illustrating to jurors a common way for parents of young children to calm crying infants. Alexander stopped Teddy, then demonstrated again what she called “vigorously” shaking.

As Teddy showed Alexander the two-page police document, he said it didn’t state she said the infant was “screaming and crying.” It only said she stated the baby was upset.

Alexander said she had never seen those notes and it was not her handwriting, indicating it was not her written statement.

Medical examiner

On Thursday, Dr. Christopher Gulledge, the medical examiner who performed Jace’s autopsy, testified that Jace's death was caused by “abusive trauma” and said just a few things could have caused Jace’s injuries, such as the result of a car wreck at 35 mph, a 10-foot or higher fall, or abusive head trauma.

Teddy asked Gulledge if he had any prior knowledge about a fall Jace had when he was 2 months old, as well as head trauma during his birth that could have caused bleeding.

Gulledge said neither of those possible situations explained the location of the acute bleed, which caused the boy's death, because the bleeds are in two different locations.

“Ninety percent of acute subdural hematomas present at birth are gone by a month,” Gulledge said. “We are talking about completely different locations.”

The examiner also testified the injuries the baby sustained “encompassed the mechanism of shaking and impact.”

Radiologist

After reviewing four computerized scans of Jace’s brain, radiologist Jeremy Jones testified Friday afternoon that the second scan revealed brain swelling. Typically, that type of swelling would have happened between four and 24 hours before the scan was taken, said the radiologist.
Jones previously testified that his findings were "suspicious" and said he was concerned after looking at the scans.

Teddy asked if an event such as lack of oxygen to the brain lead to brain swelling and pressure within the brain that is similar to the finding.

“It certainly could,” the radiologist said.

Prosecutor Bill Young placed Jace in the care of Barrow just before the 911 call was made about the baby not breathing on Aug. 22, 2007.

WHAT'S NEXT:

Superior Court Judge Nathaniel J. Poovey told jury members to take a “true recess” from the trial and to not think about the case and to enjoy the Thanksgiving holidays.

Jurors will take a week off from the trial due to the holiday work week and will resume their duty Nov. 30. The defense is expected to present evidence that day.