Dad denied bond in death of 6-week-old daughter (Marion County, Florida)

Hmm. Can't help but wonder if this was a custody/visitation situation. Notice that Daddy was alone with the baby, and it was Daddy's mother who came home from work at called 911. Notice that Daddy has contradictory cover stories, and that there is past evidence of abuse. This is typical of violent abusers.

 Dad is identified as JEREMY JAMES MURRAY.

http://www.ocala.com/article/20130216/ARTICLES/130219743/1005/sports01?p=1&tc=pg

Dad denied bond in death of 6-week-old daughter

By Austin L. Miller Staff writer

Published: Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 6:58 p.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 6:58 p.m.

A judge denied bond Saturday morning for a 29-year-old father accused of murder and aggravated child abuse in the Feb. 1 death of his 6-week-old daughter, Ember.

At Jeremy James Murray’s first appearance at the Marion County Jail, a public defender asked Judge Robert Hodges if he would consider a bond for Murray, who an assistant state attorney said has no criminal convictions. Hodges denied the request for bond.

After conferring with Murray, the public defender loudly stated that her client would not be talking to the press so the press could leave. The only press that was present in the courtroom was the Star-Banner.

Murray, who sat in the front row at his brief hearing, crying softly and mostly keeping to himself, declined to be interviewed by a Star-Banner reporter.

A woman who answered the phone at Murray’s home said the child’s mother, Jordan Whaley, was unavailable for comment, and the woman, who didn’t identify herself, said she had no comment.

Murray, meantime, has been placed on suicide watch, officials said.

Sheriff’s deputies arrested Murray at his Silver Springs Shores residence late Friday morning and transported him to the jail for booking.

In a report, Detectives Stacey Skinner and Cliff Whiteside said they had interviewed Murray on Jan. 30, and he told them he was in bed with Ember when she began kicking.

He said he picked her up and was going to put her in the bassinet when he tripped over a weight bench and crashed into the bassinet. He was alone in the home at the time the incident occurred, and didn’t call 911 because he was trying to figure out what was wrong with the infant.

Ember’s grandmother, Colleen Buelow, called 911 when she arrived home from work. The woman said she and Murray both performed CPR on the child until the ambulance arrived.

In their investigation, detectives were told that the child had suffered massive skull fractures and there were possible signs of past injuries.

The injuries detected by a medical examiner were consistent with what Murray told detectives, authorities said.

Murray was then re-interviewed by the detectives, and they said he changed his story, saying that when he tripped, his daughter was on his right shoulder. He added that he fell over the bassinet and into the wall, detectives said. Murray said he then fell into the bassinet.

Again, the medical examiner was told about the explanation, which the official didn’t believe would cause the injuries that Ember had suffered.

After a discussion between the State Attorney’s Office, detectives and other officials, a decision was made to charge Murray.