Dad charged with murder in death of 6-month-old son; refused to let mother call 911 (Malden, Massachusetts)

Dad GEOFFREY V. WILSON has been charged with murder in the death of his 6-month-old son. The baby died of injuries consistent with being violently shaken--bruising, retinal hemorrhages, massive brain bleed. Note that dad was babysitting at the time of the "incident," which occurred after the baby became "cranky and fussy." (Of course, this is the classic set-up for shaken babies). Also note that when the mother returned home, he refused to let her call 911 even though the baby was then blue and motionless.

Despite all this, you have all the usual idiots quoted on how "nice" and "loving" Dad was. A guy who wouldn't even let the mother call 911 for a "blue and motionless" infant? Barf. Why does the media waste our time on what the clueless neighbors thought? Almost without exception, these people have no idea about what the father was really like as a person.

http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20100309dad_pleads_not_guilty_in_sons_shaking_death/

Dad pleads not guilty in son’s shaking death
By Edward Mason and Laura Crimaldi
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 - Updated 34m ago

A Malden father accused of violently shaking his infant son to death refused to let his worried wife call 911 even though their baby was blue and motionless, prosecutors allege.

Instead, Geoffrey V. Wilson, 31, drove with his wife and son, Nathan, from Malden to Children’s Hospital in Boston, where the 6-month-old was pronounced dead, according to Middlesex District Attorney Gerard Leone.

Wilson, an MIT Media Lab employee, pleaded not guilty yesterday to murder, and was ordered held without bail.

Nathan appeared to have died Sunday from shaken baby syndrome, prosecutor Marcy Jackson said at Wilson’s arraignment in Malden District Court.

“The injury was consistent with extremely violent shaking,” Jackson said. The little boy “suffered multiple bruising, retinal hemorrhages and a massive brain bleed,” she said.

Wilson’s lawyer described him as a loving father supported by his wife and family in court yesterday.

“This tragedy is inexplicable,” J.W. Carney said after the arraignment. “By all accounts Geoff loved his son.”

Carney cited “post-traumatic stress” as the reason for Wilson’s emotionless appearance as Jackson outlined a series of tragic events leading up to the baby’s death.

According to prosecutors, Wilson was alone with Nathan Sunday morning while his wife, Dilkushi Wijesinghe, went to church. Nathan became “cranky and fussy.” Wilson told police he tried to comfort him by lifting him up above his head and simulating “the shaking as in a car going over a bump,” Jackson said.

Wilson told police he put the baby down and he appeared to be sleeping. But Nathan’s mother came home to find a her son blue and motionless, Jackson said. At first, he had her call their doctor rather than 911. When the doctor couldn’t be reached, Wilson insisted they take Nathan to Children’s Hospital and not call 911, Jackson said.

Wilson was arrested Sunday night at the hospital. Family members declined to comment outside the court house.

Francis Doherty, who lives across the street from Wilson, said he recently saw Wilson carrying the boy outside.

“They seem like a nice young couple and I was very shocked when I found out about their child,” he said.