Dad indicted on murder charges after son in persistent vegetative state finally dies (Hamilton County, Ohio)

Dad RICKY EDWARDS has been indicted on murder charges after his 27-month-old son has finally died. The boy had been in a persistent vegetative state since his father assaulted him in December 2008.

http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20110317/NEWS010702/303170042/1196/VAV03/Shaken-boy-s-father-indicted-murder-charges-?odyssey=nav%7Chead

Shaken boy's father indicted on murder charges
11:38 AM, Mar. 17, 2011
Written by Eileen Kelley

A 32-year-old man sent to prison after his infant child was shaken so severely in December 2008 that the boy never came out of a coma has been indicted by a Hamilton County grand jury on murder charges.

Savon Edwards was 3 months old when he was shaken violently. He died Dec. 27, 2010 at the age of 27 months.

The boy had been living in a persistent vegetative state in a nursing facility in rural Kentucky. He was transferred there from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, after doctors said they couldn't do anything more for him.

Before the day's death, Savon’s father, Ricky Edwards, went to trial on felonious assault and child endangering charges. He was acquitted last year of felonious assault but convicted of child endangering. A judge sentenced Edwards to the maximum penalty – eight years in prison.

Shortly after Savon’s death, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters began exploring the possibility of bringing murder charges against Edwards. Deters was waiting for the results of an autopsy to determine if Savon’s injuries eventually resulted in his death.

The Hamilton County grand jury heard the case Thursday morning and agreed to return a murder indictment, said Julie Wilson, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office.

“Wow,” said Jerry Gries, Savon’s grandmother, upon hearing of the murder charges.

“My heart is pounding. I cannot believe it is finally happening, only because it has taken so long,” Gries said. “I’m the only voice that that baby had. Nobody else spoke for him.”

The injury and eventual death of her grandson destroyed Gries’ relationship with her daughter, Savon’s mother, Tammy Gries. All of Tammy Gries’ five children have been taken from her.

While Savon was at Children’s Hospital, doctors and caseworkers expressed frustration with Tammy Gries, saying she was not allowing them to perform medical tests to determine Savon’s condition and ability to survive without the machines that fed and provided oxygen to him.