Babysitting dad beats 7-month-old son to death; charged with second-degree murder (Kansas City, Missouri)

Dad HOWARD JACKSON IV had been babysitting his 7-month-old son for about two hours when Dad got "frustrated." So he beat the baby to death. The infant's injuries included blunt force trauma to the head (fractured skull), thorax, and abdomen (lacerated liver and spleen). It seems that diaper changing had something to do with Dad flipping out. Go the the "Diapers/potty-training" tab for other articles where abuse was connected to diaper changing. It's a surprisingly common theme for abuser dads.

http://www.kctv5.com/news/21918944/detail.html

Father Charged In Baby's Beating Death

POSTED: 8:13 am CST December 10, 2009
UPDATED: 8:34 am CST December 10, 2009

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A Kansas City father was charged with second-degree murder Wednesday in the beating death of his 7-month-old son.

Prosecutors charged Howard Jackson IV with second-degree murder, abuse of a child and endagering the welfare of a child.

An autopsy showed the child, Mikel Alston, suffered blunt force trauma to the head, thorax and abdomen. His skull was fractured and his liver and spleen lacerated. According to court documents, Jackson told police he'd watched Mikel for about two hours the day before he died. In those two hours, Jackson said he got frustrated with Mikel and struck him in the stomach with his fist. He then said he struck the boy in the head and side of his torso with his elbow.

Jackson reportedly told investigators, "I was changing his diaper and I just flipped him fast and he hit his head on my knee." Jackson also told police he kicked the baby twice -- once accidentally and once when Mikel was pulling on his leg.

Jackon went on to tell investigators during this same two hour period Mikel fell on the kitchen and hit his head and also fell off the couch, striking his head again.

Before investigators finished interviewing Jackson he told them, "I didn't mean for it to go like this. I never meant to hurt him"