Bond denied for dad accused of shaking 5-month-old son to death; baby suffered severe brain trauma while "under his care" (Gaston, South Carolina)

Yet another baby who died while Mama was at work and Daddy was "caretaking."

This time dad LEXIE DIAL III was doing the "caretaking" when he says that he and the 5-month-old baby "both fell." Hmm, that explanation's looking like a lot of horse patootie. Doctors say the baby was shaken so hard that he suffered a severe (and ultimately fatal) brain trauma which caused him to lose consciousness almost immediately. Classic non-accidental blunt force trauma. Not a little spill. Sorry.

As is too often the case, the family is full of denial and can't believe Daddy would do such awful thing. Such a "loving fellow." Yea right.

Should I make my standard plea for decent maternity leaves again?

Or point out that these kinds of shaking injuries are mostly inflicted by young "caretaking" fathers? (Pull up the shaken baby tab below and look for the research studies if you don't believe it.)

http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11855316

Bond denied for father accused of shaking baby to death
Posted: Jan 20, 2010 8:20 PM CST
Updated: Jan 21, 2010 12:46 PM CST

GASTON, SC (WIS) - Bond was denied Thursday morning for a Gaston man accused of homicide by child abuse.

Officials arrested 18-year-old Lexie Dial III Wednesday after his 5-month-old son, Joshua, died while the child was under his care.

The Lexington County Sheriff's Department says Dial shook the child so hard that the baby almost immediately lost consciousness and suffered severe brain trauma.

At the hearing, Dial declined to comment to the judge on the circumstances surrounding how the child died.

Arrest warrants say Dial provided detectives with information that was inconsistent with the nature of Joshua's injuries, according to doctors at Palmetto Health Richland.

The doctors told detectives the child's injuries were consistent with non-accidental blunt force trauma.

Dial's attorney, William Rast, told the judge Dial is not a flight risk. Rast declined to comment on the case.

Autopsy results reveal Joshua had a subdural hemmorage and cerebral edema as a result of his injuries.

Meanwhile, Dial's family members are having a tough time dealing with Joshua's death and Dial's arrest.

Misti Rife, Joshua's mother, is in the middle of what can be described as any mother's nightmare.
"In between feeling like I'm crazy, numb, I can't believe all this is happening," she explained.

Rife says she was at work when she learned Joshua was taken to Palmetto Health Richland. The child later died there. She says Dial told her what happened.

"He said he was feeding the baby and he stood up and him and the baby both fell."

Dial's father, Lexie Dial, Jr., came to his son's defense, calling Joshua's death "accidental." Other family members echoed that sentiment.

"He's just a loving fellow and it's just hard to believe that they would think that he would do something like this to Joshua," said Shelba Williams, the baby's grandmother.

"It's very hard," said Williams. "It's just hard to believe that he won't see his first birthday."

The family says they feel this is a case where Dial is not innocent until proven guilty, it's the other way around.