Dad charged with murder in death of 7-month-old daughter (Princeton, Kentucky)

Dad JESSIE ALLISON has been charged with murder in the death of his 7-month-old daughter.

http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/news/ky-state-news/95461879.html

Princeton father charged in child's death
By Lauren Adams

Story Created: Jun 2, 2010 at 5:53 PM CDT

Story Updated: Jun 2, 2010 at 9:28 PM CDT

CALDWELL COUNTY, Ky. - Looking at pictures of her great-granddaughter, Carol Gresham chokes up.

"She was gorgeous, just a beautiful baby," Gresham said.

But baby Ariel is gone and her father, Jessie Allison behind bars, charged with her murder.

Allison is being held on a $500,000 bond. He is due back in court July 6.

"We can't believe this. We can't believe how they could ever consider such a thing," Gresham said of the charges filed yesterday against her grandson.

Police discovered the little girl dead in her crib September 5, that after Allison called 911, saying his daughter Ariel had not woken up from a nap.

At the time, Princeton police said they were not ruling out 'foul play'. A criminal investigation got underway. This week the case went to the grand jury, which handed down its indictment late yesterday, charging Allison, 34, with murder.

"Evidence collected at the scene, along with statements made, just appear to be inconsistent with what was said and how the child died," Rocky Howton, Princeton's assistant police chief said today.

The autopsy came back citing an "undetermined cause of death." Howton will not talk details, nor will Carrie Ovey-Wiggins with the Commonwealth Attorney's Office. But, Ovey-Wiggins says, she is vowing to be a voice for a little girl she said was silenced.

"This child only lived to be 7 months old," she said. "She doesn't have a life ahead of her. It always makes for a difficult case with children involved."

Carol Gresham would agree it is difficult.

"It has been horrendous, absolutely horrendous," Gresham said.

But she is standing by her grandson.

"We love Jessie. We believe in him. We don't think he had anything, in any way shape or form to do with that baby's death."

Allison's attorney, Dell Pruitt says parenting is not to blame. It is the product. Pruitt says the crib baby Ariel was in was recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission in December.