Dad pleads not guility to killing 4-month-old daughter; baby fatally injured within the 15 minutes he was babysitting (Bakersfield, California)

It takes a special kind of sh**head to get "frustrated" and kill a baby within 15 FREAKING MINUTES. But that's what allegedly happened here.

But it's not really surprising. Dad JOHN TELFORD WILBURN had a history of domestic violence, and had just broken up with the mother. All he was supposed to do was watch the baby for the 15 minutes between the time that Mom had to go to work and the time the babysitter arrived. But Daddy couldnt' apparently manage that. He apparently couldn't manage to call 911 either. Or tell the truth about what he did.

http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/local/x588417225/Father-pleads-not-guilty-in-connection-with-4-month-old-daughters-death

Thursday, Aug 15 2013 05:33 PM

Father pleads not guilty in connection with 4-month-old daughter's death
 

BY JASON KOTOWSKI Californian staff writer

John Telford Wilburn was alone with his 4-month-old daughter for about 15 minutes after the child's mother went to work and before a babysitter arrived.

It's during that short period of time the morning of June 4 that police believe Wilburn threw his daughter, causing injuries including a fractured skull and "extensive retinal hemorrhaging," redacted Bakersfield Police reports reveal.

The reports, which recently became available at Kern County Superior Court, say Wilburn failed to call for medical aid and instead called the child's mother and waited for her to return home before taking the baby to the hospital.

Wilburn, 34, pleaded not guilty Thursday to second-degree murder, assault on a child resulting in great bodily injury or death, threatening with the intent to terrorize and spousal abuse. He's being held on $2 million bail.

Officers interviewed Wilburn at length upon first arresting him June 7. Wilburn told police he had placed Paige Cohen on a couch between two pillows with a blanket in front of her, but the child rolled off the couch and hit her head.

The reports say Wilburn told police he had left Paige alone on the couch watching the film "Shrek" for just a few seconds while he rinsed a wash cloth to clean her face.

Wilburn, a documented member of the West Side Crips, said he returned to find the child on the floor on top of her bottle, according to the reports. She was unresponsive and turning blue.

The reports detail that Wilburn told detectives he picked up the baby and she went limp in his arms. He demonstrated a shaking movement but then later said he didn't shake the girl or harm her in any way.

Wilburn maintained the child rolled off the couch despite detectives repeatedly telling him no child could have suffered such severe injuries from falling off a couch onto a carpet.

Detectives also said there was no record of Wilburn calling 911, which he said he did after finding the baby unresponsive on the floor, according to the reports.

Wilburn said the line was busy when he called, but detectives checked and there was no record of him calling. Had he done so, they said, he would have been connected. Wilburn then said he called but hung up before connecting, and decided to call the child's mother, according to the reports.

Family members, however, said Wilburn has been abusive in the past.

Both the baby's mother and the mother's sister said Wilburn had threatened the mother in the past, the reports say, with the sister claiming he had physically abused the mother.

The mother told detectives she and Wilburn had recently broken up over an argument that began because she believed Wilburn was possibly cheating on her with her sister. The mother said she and Wilburn also often argued over whether he was the child's father.

Wilburn was released from jail after his original arrest in June. He was re-arrested Tuesday in the 200 block of V Street. Police have not said why he was released initially.