Dad accused of murdering two babies less than two years apart (Springdale, Arkansas)

Dad is identified as TRAVIS FOX.

http://www.4029tv.com/news/arkansas/northwest/father-charged-with-murdering-2-babies-pleads-not-guilty/-/8897460/19325956/-/825enwz/-/index.html

Father accused of killing his two children

Two deaths in less than two years
UPDATED 11:41 AM CDT Apr 24, 2013

SPRINGDALE, Ark. —40/29 News got new information Thursday night about the family of Travis Fox, the father who's accused of murdering his two babies. Police say Fox confessed to "violently shaking" his seven-month-old child and a six-month-old, who died more than a year ago.

On Sept. 2011, West Fork police investigated the suspicious death of a 6-month-old child. Investigators say the father, Fox, was a suspect, but the autopsy was inconclusive, and no arrest was ever made.

Wednesday in Springdale, police say it was the same situation, only this time it was Fox's 7-month-old that died, and police say this arrest may have saved the lives of other children.

"The wife might be expecting, but that's speculation. I can't confirm that," said Sgt. Kenneth Albright with the Washington County Sheriff's Department in a news conference on Thursday.

He was talking about Fox's wife. A woman who says she knows the family would not go on camera, but she also told 40/29 that Fox's wife is expecting.

Fox, only 24-years-old, faces two counts of first-degree murder. Police say the first child died in West Fork back in 2011, but the investigation came up empty.

"The child, a 6-month-old baby boy, was sent to the crime lab. The medical examiner performed an autopsy, at which time the results were undetermined," Albright said.

Investigators say there wasn't enough evidence to make an arrest, but when a 7-month-old died at Northwest Medical Center on Wednesday, investigators started connecting the dots.

"Deputy Coroner Randall Galloway was on scene assisting Springdale with that. He recognized the name from the previous West Fork death, advised the detectives of that, at which time they spoke with our office," Albright said.

That's when they brought Fox in for questioning, and police say he admitted to shaking the babies.

"He was interviewed by Washington County detectives as well as Springdale detectives, at which time he made a confession to shaking both babies, shaking them violently, and throwing them down onto the couch," Albright said.

He said this was a team effort between four different agencies, but if it weren't for the due diligence of the Washington County Coroner's Office the arrest might not have been made.

Counseling services are available to the investigators who covered this. The mother of the children is not facing charges right now, but police say the investigation continues.