Dad charged with aggravated manslaughter in death of 8-week-old daughter (Cape Coral, Florida)

Dad MIKLOS BLACKMORE has been charged with aggravated manslaughter in the death of his 8-week-old daughter. The baby died from multiple blunt force trauma and physical abuse, and Dad was apparently alone with the baby at the time she sustained her injuries. Dad has a prior history of violence, including an arrest for aggravated assault, so this isn't necessarily unprecedented behavior for him. Sadly, a lot of mothers and other family members are in complete denial when these things happen.

http://www.news-press.com/article/20100826/SS08/8260378/1005/ACC/Lehigh-Acres-father-jailed-in-death-of-daughter

Lehigh Acres father jailed in death of daughter
Eight-week-old girl died 7 months ago
BY MAE YOUSIF-BASHI • mbashi@news-press.com • August 26, 2010

1:10 A.M. — A grieving Cape Coral mother was upset and confused Wednesday after her former boyfriend was arrested for the death of their 8-week-old daughter.

Cape police have charged Miklos Blackmore, 24, of Lehigh Acres with aggravated manslaughter, a first-degree felony, almost seven months after the death of his daughter, Shy-Ana, on Jan. 29, said Connie Barron, police spokeswoman.

That evening, Blackmore and Sabine Cadet, 19, the child's mother and the suspect's girlfriend at the time, rushed Shy-Ana to the hospital because she wasn't breathing. Shy-Ana was pronounced dead a few hours later.

The medical examiner's office later determined that Shy-Ana's death was caused by multiple blunt force trauma and physical abuse.

During the investigation, a detective found that Blackmore had been alone with Shy-Ana prior to the breathing incident. Based on the evidence, police determined that probable cause existed to charge Blackmore with his daughter's death.

But that's not what Cadet said was in the autopsy the couple obtained in February.

"The autopsy said the baby died from choking on her food," Cadet said. "We thought the investigation was over. ... He loves our baby, I love our baby, she was our whole life."

Cadet said Shy-Ana had problems keeping her food down and the couple even took her to the doctor to find out if there was a way to fix the problem.

Cadet said she cried Wednesday when she found out about Blackmore's arrest. She said that, since the day the two left the police station for questioning about the death, they hadn't heard from the police. They helped each other through the grieving process but broke up a few months after the baby died because "it just wasn't working out," Cadet said.

The state attorney's office will charge Blackmore. If the charge remains aggravated manslaughter, he faces from 15 years to life in prison.

The Department of Children and Families has investigated the child's death, said Terry Field, a DCF spokesman. But because the case is still open, Field said he could not release the findings. He said the family did not have a prior history with DCF.

"This was our first involvement with this family," Field said.

Blackmore has an arrest history dating back to 2005, including a third-degree felony charge of aggravated assault, according to the Lee County records.

Cadet's brother, Kency, 23, said he doesn't believe Blackmore abused or killed his niece. "I have never seen violence from him," he said.

His sister still hasn't come to terms with the arrest.

"I've seen a change in him from dating to when (Shy-Ana) was born," she said. "She was everything to him, she was his baby."

Sabine Cadet said Blackmore was on the floor in tears the night they were at the hospital waiting on word of the infant's condition.

"Me and (Blackmore) kept praying and crying together," she said. "He held me up because I couldn't even stand. I didn't know how to feel."

- Staff writer Janine Zeitlin contributed to this report.