Dad charged with murder in beating death of 1-year-old daughter during his weekend visitation (Indianapolis, Indiana)

Dad is identified as CHRISTOPHER STORBAKKEN.

http://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2014/10/24/father-charged-murder-babys-death/17824163/

Father charged with murder in baby’s death

Jill Disis and Bill McCleery

8:50 a.m. EDT October 24, 2014

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police have arrested a man in connection with the death of his 1-year-old daughter earlier this month.

Christopher Storbakken, 27, was arrested on a murder charge Thursday nearly three weeks after his daughter, Harper Fowler, was found unresponsive in a home in the 3200 block of Fisher Road on Oct. 5.

Harper was later pronounced dead at Riley Hospital for Children.

IMPD homicide detectives later interviewed Storbakken and said he gave them a statement that was not consistent with his daughter’s injuries.

Harper Fowler sustained bruising to her ear, jaw, neck, right leg, right arm, left hand and the top of her head, according to a court document. Further examination both before and after Harper’s death showed internal injuries such as brain and retinal hemorrhages, the document states.

Storbakken told police and paramedics his daughter was injured when she fell as he was trying to pick her up from her bed, according to the probable-cause affidavit. The charging document states it was Storbakken himself who “inflicted blunt force injuries” on his daughter.

At the time of Harper’s injury, her twin sister was also in the man’s care, according to the documents. Storbakken lives in Bloomington but has been driving to Indianapolis to watch the girls on weekends while the girls’ mother pursues a nursing degree, police said.

Storbakken admitted to police he is an alcoholic, according to court documents, but said he had not been drinking Oct. 5. He told police he watched TV and played a game on his phone while the girls were taking a nap. They had just awakened at the time of the incident, he said, and he was getting them from their bed.

Storbakken is charged with murder, battery and neglect of a dependent, all felony charges, according the court document. He is being held without bond at the Arrestee Processing Center, according to an IMPD release.