Bond hiked on dad accused of killing 1-month-old son (Normandy, Tennessee)

Dad ANDREW KEITH JOHNSTON, who is accused of abusing his 1-month-old son, just had his bond doubled--now that the baby has died from his injuries after being removed from life support. This motherf***er had been babysitting for only 10 MINUTES when he assaulted this helpless newborn. Beyond sickening.

http://www.t-g.com/story/1677533.html

Bond hiked on father of dead child
Tuesday, November 2, 2010

By BRIAN MOSELY ~ bmosely@t-g.com

The bond against a Normandy man accused of abusing his 1-month old son -- who later died -- was more than doubled last week.

Meanwhile, sheriff's department investigators are awaiting results from the state medical examiner before upgrading charges against him.

At a bond hearing last Tuesday, Andrew Keith Johnston, 18, of Troupe Lane, Normandy, who has been charged with aggravated child abuse, had his bond increased to $250,000 from the original amount of $100,000, according to Detective Capt. Becky Hord of the Bedford County Sheriff's Department.

The infant, William Johnston, died Oct. 22 after doctors at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville removed him from life support the night before.

Hord stated that it will probably be the end of the month before an autopsy indicating a cause of death would be completed. At that time, charges could be enhanced against Johnston.

Authorities became aware of the allegedly-abused child Oct. 15 night after a call went out about an unresponsive baby on Normandy Road. Bedford County emergency personnel took the boy to Harton Regional Medical Center in Tullahoma.

According to a report by Tullahoma police officer Tiffany Host, Nurse and Administrative Supervisor Keith Cornelius stated that the infant had "severe head trauma."

Harton treated the child for hypothermia and the boy was kept under observation until Sunday, Oct. 17.

The report stated the child was normal and responsive until early that morning, when the boy's mother, Amanda Voss, noticed that the infant's left eye was extremely dilated, and it was discovered by Dr. Clifford Seyler after a CT scan that William "was suffering severe hemorrhaging in his brain."

Nurse Tracy Zawacki stated in the Tullahoma police report that "the left side of his face and head were swollen, his left leg was stiff and he appeared to be holding his leg out."

Hord explained that William was flown to Vanderbilt Medical Center and during some point of the transport, the boy also apparently suffered a stroke from the hemorrhaging.

"Lifeflight nurses reported to Harton staff that they observed broken ribs in William's x-ray and fingerprint marks on his left leg," the Tullahoma police report stated.

Host's report also stated that Voss told doctors at Harton that she had gone to the store for approximately 10 minutes. When she returned, Johnston had told emergency medical service that the child was "unresponsive."

The father told hospital personnel that he put the baby in cold water in the shower for a few minutes in an attempt to wake him, the report stated.