We live in a culture that is increasingly putting the pressure on mothers to "share" custody with men who are little more than sperm donors. In many cases they were never married to these men, and the relationship didn't even last through the pregnancy. These guys have no prior relationship with the infant. They are not bonded to the mother--or by extension--to the baby.
Babies need a consistent loving caregiver, generally the mother. They do not benefit from going off for TEN WHOLE DAYS with a "frustrated" father who cannot deal with normal infant crying. Because we ignore this basic common sense rule, babies are killed.
Dad is identified as STANFORD MOROCHO. See the Killer Dads and Custody list for California.
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/may/04/marine-baby-death-sentencing/
Father gets 15 years to life in baby’s murder
Camp Pendleton Marine ‘beat the child for a week,’ a prosecutor said
By Dana Littlefield | 4:31 p.m. May 4, 2016
VISTA — In a case a prosecutor described as “heartbreaking,” a former Camp Pendleton Marine who fatally beat his 7-month-old son was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years to life in prison.
Stanford Morocho, 23, pleaded guilty in March to second-degree murder in the 2014 death of his son, Emilio Michael Harvey. He was arrested in December 2014, on the day he brought his baby to a Naval hospital on the Marine base.
Emilio was not breathing.
The child’s mother, Jannelle Harvey, had a brief relationship with the defendant and later gave birth to their son. Although their relationship had ended, the parents had an informal agreement to share custody of the child.
Harvey, formerly a lance corporal in the Marine Corps, wept at the sentencing hearing in Vista Superior Court as she stood in front of a judge to speak about her loss. Because Harvey was too emotional to do so, a friend read Harvey’s written statement in the courtroom.
“My world was flipped upside down as I was required to navigate the unthinkable,” Harvey wrote in her letter, describing how she struggled to go on after learning of her baby’s death. She said she found it too difficult to fulfill her duties, and was honorably discharged from the military.
“I lost my baby, I lost my household, I lost the Marine Corps and I lost my identity,” the letter read.
She noted that she and others should have been preparing to celebrate Emilio’s birthday this month — he would have been 2. Instead, she was in court standing near the man responsible for her child’s murder.
“Emilio could not run away,” she said in her letter. “He could not say no... .”
Harvey said it breaks her heart to know that she only got to hear her son call her “Mama” once.\
Judge K. Michael Kirkman sentenced Morocho to the prison term prescribed by law. “It’s my opinion that the defendant should never be released from prison,” the judge said. “This is a horrible crime.”
Prosecutors have said Morocho abused his son between Dec. 2, 2014, when he took physical custody, and Dec. 12, 2014, when the baby was flown to Rady Children’s Hospital after he was taken to the Camp Pendleton base Naval hospital for a medical emergency.
Hospital staff notified Oceanside police about 9:15 a.m. that the baby had died.
According to court documents, medical staffers at the hospital found that Emilio had suffered skull and rib fractures.
The Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the manner of death was homicide.
Morocho admitted to investigators that he had squeezed the baby’s ribs, smacked him on his buttocks and legs when he would not stop crying, and hit his head on a door, according to a pre-sentencing report. He also said he had pinched the baby on the chin when he was upset with the child.
After the hearing, Deputy District Attorney Ryan Saunders put it more succinctly: “He beat the child for a week.”
On Wednesday, Morocho spoke directly to Harvey in the courtroom, saying he was sorry for all the pain she had been through. His voice quivering, he said he loved Harvey because she would always be the mother of their son.
“I’m sorry for this tragedy that occurred,” the defendant said. “I hope that you will forgive me one day.”
Morocho was in a relationship with another woman, Savoeun Meas, and was living with her at the time the baby died. Prosecutors contend that she witnessed the abuse but did nothing to stop or report it.
Meas, a Marine sergeant, has pleaded guilty to felony child endangerment. She faces up to six years in prison at a hearing scheduled for May 18.
Showing posts with label fractures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fractures. Show all posts
Thursday, May 5, 2016
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Custodial dad pleads guilty to 2nd-degree murder in beating death of 3-year-old son; was "angry" about "potty training issues" (Tacoma, Washington)
Read between the lines. Dad KINGSA MCNIGHT had to be custodial, with Mom having little to no contact or visitation. Otherwise, there is no way this child could have been dying at home for 8 days without Mom knowing or intervening. So how did this violent killer dad get custody? Who gave it to him? And why was he sleeping with a 3-year-old who supposedly wet the bed?
See the Killer Dads and Custody list for Washington.
http://q13fox.com/2016/02/19/father-sentenced-to-28-years-for-beating-3-year-old-son-to-death-over-bed-wetting/
Father sentenced to 28 years for beating 3-year-old son to death over bed wetting
Posted 4:22 PM, February 19, 2016, by Q13 FOX News Staff
TACOMA — A Tacoma man was sentenced Friday to 28 years in prison for beating his 3-year-old son to death because he became angry over the toddler’s bed wetting.
Kingsa McKnight, 34, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and first-degree assault for the 2014 beating death of his son.
According to prosecutors, McKnight took his son to an urgent care center on June 13, 2014, because he was lethargic and vomiting. The nurse told him the child needed to be taken to an emergency room immediately, but instead McKnight took his son home.
Eight days later, the boy lost consciousness and his father took him to the hospital, where the child was placed on life support. Prosecutors said the boy had bruises on his head and chest, and a CT scan revealed two subdural hemorrhages and a skull fracture. Doctors determined the head injuries were inflicted just a few hours before the child’s arrival at the hospital.
Further testing revealed the boy had suffered a liver laceration and a rib fracture at different times during the last month.
On June 23, the boy was taken off life support and died.
The victim’s mother — who lived separately from the husband — told detectives that McKnight was angry because the child was having potty training issues.
McKnight told detectives that he shared a bed with his son, and his son had wet the bed the two previous nights, prosecutors said.
See the Killer Dads and Custody list for Washington.
http://q13fox.com/2016/02/19/father-sentenced-to-28-years-for-beating-3-year-old-son-to-death-over-bed-wetting/
Father sentenced to 28 years for beating 3-year-old son to death over bed wetting
Posted 4:22 PM, February 19, 2016, by Q13 FOX News Staff
TACOMA — A Tacoma man was sentenced Friday to 28 years in prison for beating his 3-year-old son to death because he became angry over the toddler’s bed wetting.
Kingsa McKnight, 34, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and first-degree assault for the 2014 beating death of his son.
According to prosecutors, McKnight took his son to an urgent care center on June 13, 2014, because he was lethargic and vomiting. The nurse told him the child needed to be taken to an emergency room immediately, but instead McKnight took his son home.
Eight days later, the boy lost consciousness and his father took him to the hospital, where the child was placed on life support. Prosecutors said the boy had bruises on his head and chest, and a CT scan revealed two subdural hemorrhages and a skull fracture. Doctors determined the head injuries were inflicted just a few hours before the child’s arrival at the hospital.
Further testing revealed the boy had suffered a liver laceration and a rib fracture at different times during the last month.
On June 23, the boy was taken off life support and died.
The victim’s mother — who lived separately from the husband — told detectives that McKnight was angry because the child was having potty training issues.
McKnight told detectives that he shared a bed with his son, and his son had wet the bed the two previous nights, prosecutors said.
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Step pleads guilty to murder in death of 4-year-old boy; custodial dad still out on bond (Clinton County, Missouri)
We've posted on this case before. As often happens, the courts set up wife number #2 as The Evil Step, while dad is cast as clueless and inept. It's bull. It's sometimes the case that mothers are prevented from protecting their children because of death threats or beatings. But not men. Yet battered women are routinely held responsible for "failing to protect" while fathers seldom are despite the typical absence of any factors that would prevent them from doing so.
Dad is identifed as JUSTIN WEBB. See the Killer Dads and Custody list for Missouri.
http://www.clintoncountyleader.com/news/article_5d7e2ea0-c058-11e5-93c8-4f1ab1af2863.html
Webb pleads guilty to murder in child abuse case
Posted: Thursday, January 21, 2016 10:02 am | Updated: 10:08 am, Thu Jan 21, 2016.
By BECKY BLACK | Leader Editor
He would have been eight years old on January 3 – sharing his smile and energy at elementary school, playing in the snow, eating birthday cake. But Lucas Webb’s life was tragically cut short at the age of four because of child abuse and neglect.
The case against Melissa Webb has lingered in Clinton County since 2012 when she and her husband, Justin Webb, were charged with murder and child abuse after the death of Lucas. Justin was Lucas’ father; Melissa was his step-mother. Months became years as friends and loved ones begged for justice in Lucas’ name.
Last Tuesday, January 12, Melissa Webb appeared in Clinton County Circuit Court and pleaded guilty to both counts, just two weeks ahead of the start of her jury trial. In front of the Honorable Judge Brent Elliott, Melissa waived her right to testify and was sentenced to 20 years on Count I – Murder in the Second Degree, and 15 years on Count II – Abuse or Neglect of a Child. According to online court records, the sentencing recommendation stated the sentences would run concurrent, or at the same time. Melissa has been in custody since charged in 2012 and with credit for time served could spend a maximum of 17 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. Assistant Attorney General for the State of Missouri Scott Fox worked the case as a special prosecutor for Clinton County. (The Leader made attempts to contact the Attorney General’s office for explanation of the sentencing, but Mr. Fox was not available for comment prior to press time.)
As the details still unfold surrounding Melissa and Justin’s plea agreements, the facts of the case still remain clear. Emergency responders were dispatched to the Webb home in Holt, Mo., on the afternoon of October 15, 2012, for an unresponsive child. Lucas was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy revealed his death was due to blunt force trauma to the abdomen approximately 12-24 hours before his death. During their investigation, Clinton County officers found Lucas had made a statement to an adult in late August that his stomach hurt after his step-mother had kicked him because she was mad. This finding confirmed what the autopsy revealed. Lucas had sustained fractured ribs six to eight weeks prior to his death.
In 2013, The Kansas City Star reported the release of the Department of Social Services documents surrounding Lucas’ case. Despite multiple hotlines over a handful of years, five days prior to his death, state workers had closed their abuse and neglect case labeling it “sufficient parenting”. Justin and Melissa had an excuse for every concern presented. His cries for help were silenced.
Also in the Star’s 2013 report, Department of Social Services spokesperson Rebecca Woelfel said the case had been reviewed and it was determined that “staff members violated agency policy” and those two employees were no longer working for the agency.
Justin Webb is currently out on bond. He pleaded not guilty to the charges against him in 2014. All hearings for Justin have been canceled and nothing is scheduled. Social media posts on the “R.I.P. Lucas Webb” Facebook page state Melissa agreed to testify on Justin’s behalf as part of her plea.
Dad is identifed as JUSTIN WEBB. See the Killer Dads and Custody list for Missouri.
http://www.clintoncountyleader.com/news/article_5d7e2ea0-c058-11e5-93c8-4f1ab1af2863.html
Webb pleads guilty to murder in child abuse case
Posted: Thursday, January 21, 2016 10:02 am | Updated: 10:08 am, Thu Jan 21, 2016.
By BECKY BLACK | Leader Editor
He would have been eight years old on January 3 – sharing his smile and energy at elementary school, playing in the snow, eating birthday cake. But Lucas Webb’s life was tragically cut short at the age of four because of child abuse and neglect.
The case against Melissa Webb has lingered in Clinton County since 2012 when she and her husband, Justin Webb, were charged with murder and child abuse after the death of Lucas. Justin was Lucas’ father; Melissa was his step-mother. Months became years as friends and loved ones begged for justice in Lucas’ name.
Last Tuesday, January 12, Melissa Webb appeared in Clinton County Circuit Court and pleaded guilty to both counts, just two weeks ahead of the start of her jury trial. In front of the Honorable Judge Brent Elliott, Melissa waived her right to testify and was sentenced to 20 years on Count I – Murder in the Second Degree, and 15 years on Count II – Abuse or Neglect of a Child. According to online court records, the sentencing recommendation stated the sentences would run concurrent, or at the same time. Melissa has been in custody since charged in 2012 and with credit for time served could spend a maximum of 17 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. Assistant Attorney General for the State of Missouri Scott Fox worked the case as a special prosecutor for Clinton County. (The Leader made attempts to contact the Attorney General’s office for explanation of the sentencing, but Mr. Fox was not available for comment prior to press time.)
As the details still unfold surrounding Melissa and Justin’s plea agreements, the facts of the case still remain clear. Emergency responders were dispatched to the Webb home in Holt, Mo., on the afternoon of October 15, 2012, for an unresponsive child. Lucas was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy revealed his death was due to blunt force trauma to the abdomen approximately 12-24 hours before his death. During their investigation, Clinton County officers found Lucas had made a statement to an adult in late August that his stomach hurt after his step-mother had kicked him because she was mad. This finding confirmed what the autopsy revealed. Lucas had sustained fractured ribs six to eight weeks prior to his death.
In 2013, The Kansas City Star reported the release of the Department of Social Services documents surrounding Lucas’ case. Despite multiple hotlines over a handful of years, five days prior to his death, state workers had closed their abuse and neglect case labeling it “sufficient parenting”. Justin and Melissa had an excuse for every concern presented. His cries for help were silenced.
Also in the Star’s 2013 report, Department of Social Services spokesperson Rebecca Woelfel said the case had been reviewed and it was determined that “staff members violated agency policy” and those two employees were no longer working for the agency.
Justin Webb is currently out on bond. He pleaded not guilty to the charges against him in 2014. All hearings for Justin have been canceled and nothing is scheduled. Social media posts on the “R.I.P. Lucas Webb” Facebook page state Melissa agreed to testify on Justin’s behalf as part of her plea.
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Prosecutors seek to deprive abusive custodial father of parental rights (Seoul, Korea)
A very typical crime story, in that the father's obvious custodial status is not explicitly identified. Nor is it ever explained how this girl's mother got eliminated from the picture. Given that this father was consistently violent and physically abusive, the odds are very high that the mother got the same treatment. Notice that Dad had complete "ownership" of this child even though he admits that he didn't want her. Very typical power/control impulse found in abusers.
UNNAMED DAD
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2016/01/116_195162.html
Prosecutors seek to deprive abusive father of parental rights
By Chung Ah-young
Prosecutors said Monday that they asked a court to terminate the parental rights of a father who allegedly abused his daughter for more than three years.
The prosecution has indicted the 32-year-old father and two accomplices ― his girlfriend and another friend ― on charges of child abuse and demanded the court strip him of his parental rights. They allegedly confined the 11-year-old girl at home in Incheon and a motel in Seoul for three years and four months since 2012.
They habitually beat the girl, breaking her ribs, and didn't provide enough food for her.
Prosecutors said that he and his girlfriend habitually beat his daughter.
The abuse was brought to light after the girl escaped from home on Dec. 12. She tried to steal bread at a nearby supermarket but the owner caught her. Seeing that she was barefoot and wearing just shorts and a T-shirt, he called the police.
The father told police that he abused her because he doesn't like her.
Early in the investigation, police found that they had been abusing her since moving to Incheon from Bucheon in 2013. But prosecutors discovered additional evidence that she has been mistreated since 2012.
"We confirmed that she had been abused even before 2013 when they lived in Seoul," a prosecutor said.
Right after the incident in December, the Incheon District Court temporarily suspended the father's parental rights and designated an official at a child protection center as her guardian.
The relevant law requires prosecutors to ask the court for termination of parental rights when parents' abuse causes serious injuries to children or they habitually beat them for an extended period.
The law was enacted in 2014 following a case where a seven-year-old girl in Ulsan died after her stepmother beat her for about an hour in 2013.
UNNAMED DAD
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2016/01/116_195162.html
Prosecutors seek to deprive abusive father of parental rights
By Chung Ah-young
Prosecutors said Monday that they asked a court to terminate the parental rights of a father who allegedly abused his daughter for more than three years.
The prosecution has indicted the 32-year-old father and two accomplices ― his girlfriend and another friend ― on charges of child abuse and demanded the court strip him of his parental rights. They allegedly confined the 11-year-old girl at home in Incheon and a motel in Seoul for three years and four months since 2012.
They habitually beat the girl, breaking her ribs, and didn't provide enough food for her.
Prosecutors said that he and his girlfriend habitually beat his daughter.
The abuse was brought to light after the girl escaped from home on Dec. 12. She tried to steal bread at a nearby supermarket but the owner caught her. Seeing that she was barefoot and wearing just shorts and a T-shirt, he called the police.
The father told police that he abused her because he doesn't like her.
Early in the investigation, police found that they had been abusing her since moving to Incheon from Bucheon in 2013. But prosecutors discovered additional evidence that she has been mistreated since 2012.
"We confirmed that she had been abused even before 2013 when they lived in Seoul," a prosecutor said.
Right after the incident in December, the Incheon District Court temporarily suspended the father's parental rights and designated an official at a child protection center as her guardian.
The relevant law requires prosecutors to ask the court for termination of parental rights when parents' abuse causes serious injuries to children or they habitually beat them for an extended period.
The law was enacted in 2014 following a case where a seven-year-old girl in Ulsan died after her stepmother beat her for about an hour in 2013.
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Dad charged with severely injuring 2-month-old son while baby in dad's custody (Tampa, Florida)
Utterly ridiculous that a 2-month-old infant should have been subjected to visitation. Dad is identified as KENT HAWKINS JOHNSON SR. How much do you want to bet that Daddy had a previous record of violence that was ignored when these custody arrangements were inflicted on this poor baby.
http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/hillsborough-regional-news/father-charged-with-severely-injuring-infant-son
Father charged with severely injuring infant son
By: WFTS Webteam
Posted: 8:31 PM, Dec 29, 2015 Updated: 11:17 PM, Dec 29, 2015
A 2-month-old child clung to life Tuesday after Hillsborough County deputies say his father left him in critical condition.
Kent Hawkins Johnson Sr., 23, of Tampa has been charged with two counts of aggravated child abuse.
A family member told ABC Action News the child, Kent Johnson Jr., is the suspect's son.
ABC Action News will have more on this story on air at 11 p.m., including the latest update on the child's condition.
Deputies began investigating after the victim arrived at a hospital 4:30 a.m. Monday with severe injuries.
The child’s injuries occurred on two separate days while he was in Johnson’s custody, according to law enforcement. On Dec. 19 the child’s ribs and femur were fractured.
The child’s skull was fractured Sunday.
Johnson told law enforcement he was holding the child on his shoulders and spinning him in circles when he fell, causing the boy to hit tile floor.
He said this is probably when the child’s ribs and leg were fractured.
Law enforcement said Johnson told them he purposely hit the child on the head Sunday while the boy was crying.
Johnson is being held without bond at the Hillsborough County Jail.
http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/hillsborough-regional-news/father-charged-with-severely-injuring-infant-son
Father charged with severely injuring infant son
By: WFTS Webteam
Posted: 8:31 PM, Dec 29, 2015 Updated: 11:17 PM, Dec 29, 2015
A 2-month-old child clung to life Tuesday after Hillsborough County deputies say his father left him in critical condition.
Kent Hawkins Johnson Sr., 23, of Tampa has been charged with two counts of aggravated child abuse.
A family member told ABC Action News the child, Kent Johnson Jr., is the suspect's son.
ABC Action News will have more on this story on air at 11 p.m., including the latest update on the child's condition.
Deputies began investigating after the victim arrived at a hospital 4:30 a.m. Monday with severe injuries.
The child’s injuries occurred on two separate days while he was in Johnson’s custody, according to law enforcement. On Dec. 19 the child’s ribs and femur were fractured.
The child’s skull was fractured Sunday.
Johnson told law enforcement he was holding the child on his shoulders and spinning him in circles when he fell, causing the boy to hit tile floor.
He said this is probably when the child’s ribs and leg were fractured.
Law enforcement said Johnson told them he purposely hit the child on the head Sunday while the boy was crying.
Johnson is being held without bond at the Hillsborough County Jail.
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Custodial dad arrested for abusing, starving 11-year-old daughter for two years; what happened to mom? (Korea)
This particular instance of child abuse by a custodial father took place in Korea, but the media obfuscations appear nearly everywhere.
Notice how the mother just suddenly "disappears" eight years ago. What happened to her? Nobody even bothers to ask. Given that Daddy kept this girl a virtual prisoner and beat her badly enough to cause rib fractures, isn't it even remotely possible he dished out similar treatment to Mom? (In reality, it's more than "remotely possible." It's statistically very likely.) So is she dead or "missing" under mysterious circumstances? Did this POS pull legal manoevers to force the mother out? This is in fact a very likely thing for a batterer to do, and they are remarkably successful at it.
Once again, the circumstances that put this child in harm's way--i.e. in the full custody of a violent dad--are erased. No one is held responsible.
UNNAMED DAD
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2015/12/116_193613.html
Father arrested for abusing, starving daughter for 2 years
By Kim Se-jeong
Police, supervised by the prosecution, have arrested a man for abusing and starving his 11-year-old daughter for two years.
According to the Incheon Yeonsu Police, Sunday, they arrested the 32-year-old father on charges of child abuse. His live-in girlfriend and another friend were also charged with the same offense and arrested.
They allegedly confined the girl at home and did not provide enough food from 2013.
The unemployed father was a computer game addict and did not let her go to school. She told police that her father played computer games all day long except for when he ate and slept.
The abuse was brought to light after the girl fled home on Dec. 12 by climbing down pipes from her room on the second floor.
She tried to steal bread at a nearby supermarket but the owner caught her. Seeing that she was barefoot and wearing just shorts and a tee-shirt, he called the police.
The police took her to a hospital where she was found to have fractured ribs and bruises on her legs and arms. She said the father hit her with his fists, feet and sometimes steel pipes. She has since been hospitalized for treatment.
The girl said she often had to endure a week without any food but couldn't imagine running away as she feared her father.
When police found the girl, she was 120 centimeters tall but weighed only 16 kilograms, the standard weight for a four-year-old child.
The father was separated from the daughter's biological mother eight years ago, and was living off his girlfriend's paycheck. He admitted that he beat the girl, but claimed it was for discipline.
After treatment, police will send the girl to a counseling center.
Notice how the mother just suddenly "disappears" eight years ago. What happened to her? Nobody even bothers to ask. Given that Daddy kept this girl a virtual prisoner and beat her badly enough to cause rib fractures, isn't it even remotely possible he dished out similar treatment to Mom? (In reality, it's more than "remotely possible." It's statistically very likely.) So is she dead or "missing" under mysterious circumstances? Did this POS pull legal manoevers to force the mother out? This is in fact a very likely thing for a batterer to do, and they are remarkably successful at it.
Once again, the circumstances that put this child in harm's way--i.e. in the full custody of a violent dad--are erased. No one is held responsible.
UNNAMED DAD
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2015/12/116_193613.html
Father arrested for abusing, starving daughter for 2 years
By Kim Se-jeong
Police, supervised by the prosecution, have arrested a man for abusing and starving his 11-year-old daughter for two years.
According to the Incheon Yeonsu Police, Sunday, they arrested the 32-year-old father on charges of child abuse. His live-in girlfriend and another friend were also charged with the same offense and arrested.
They allegedly confined the girl at home and did not provide enough food from 2013.
The unemployed father was a computer game addict and did not let her go to school. She told police that her father played computer games all day long except for when he ate and slept.
The abuse was brought to light after the girl fled home on Dec. 12 by climbing down pipes from her room on the second floor.
She tried to steal bread at a nearby supermarket but the owner caught her. Seeing that she was barefoot and wearing just shorts and a tee-shirt, he called the police.
The police took her to a hospital where she was found to have fractured ribs and bruises on her legs and arms. She said the father hit her with his fists, feet and sometimes steel pipes. She has since been hospitalized for treatment.
The girl said she often had to endure a week without any food but couldn't imagine running away as she feared her father.
When police found the girl, she was 120 centimeters tall but weighed only 16 kilograms, the standard weight for a four-year-old child.
The father was separated from the daughter's biological mother eight years ago, and was living off his girlfriend's paycheck. He admitted that he beat the girl, but claimed it was for discipline.
After treatment, police will send the girl to a counseling center.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
"Primary caretaker" dad pleads guilty to involutary manslaughter in death of 3-month-old son; threw baby into because he was "frustrated" (Macon, Georgia)
Dad is identified as RICHARD ALLEN HICKS.
http://www.macon.com/news/local/crime/article38849418.html
Macon father sentenced to prison in infant son’s 2012 death
Richard Allen Hicks, 28, of Macon, pleaded guilty Monday to involuntary manslaughter in the 2012 death of his infant son, Desmond.
He was sentenced to eight years in prison followed by two years on probation.
By AMY LEIGH WOMACK
A little more than two years after Richard Allen Hicks was injured in a grenade attack in Iraq, he was charged with murder in the death of his 3-month-old son.
Hicks had served about five years in the U.S. Army.
After receiving the purple heart and other awards, he was honorably discharged in July 2011, his lawyer, Mark Beberman said during a Monday hearing in Bibb County Superior Court.
After finding it difficult to land a job, Hicks became the primary caregiver for his three children.
July 14, 2012, the mother of his youngest child, 3-month-old Desmond, came home and found the boy seemingly asleep on Hicks’ chest, said prosecutor Kevin Ströberg.
“She picked up Desmond and he wasn’t responsive. He wasn’t breathing,” Ströberg said.
After an unsuccessful attempt to revive the child by CPR, he was rushed to a local hospital where doctors discovered he had a fractured skull and a brain bleed.
The boy’s ribs also were fractured, Ströberg said.
Desmond was declared brain dead two days later, Ströberg said.
Hicks, 28, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter Monday as part of an agreement with prosecutors.
He was sentenced to eight years in prison followed by two years on probation.
Once released, Hicks also must complete Bibb County’s Veterans Court program as a condition of his probation.
Ströberg said Hicks initially denied knowing his son was ill, but later admitted he threw him into a bassinet after becoming “frustrated” by the child’s crying.
The injuries Desmond suffered couldn’t have been the result of an accident unless he’d “fallen from a height of two stories,” Ströberg said.
Had the case gone to trial, Beberman said he would have argued that Desmond’s death was an accident and his client suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
The boy’s head struck a plastic music box attached to the bassinet, likely causing a slow brain bleed, he said.
Children suffering such an injury have been known to cry at first, but then get quiet and go to sleep and show no outward signs that something’s wrong as the brain swells, Beberman said.
There’s a good chance the rib injuries are a result of the CPR attempt, he said.
Hicks has been held at the county jail since his July 16, 2012, arrest, according to jail records.
http://www.macon.com/news/local/crime/article38849418.html
Macon father sentenced to prison in infant son’s 2012 death
Richard Allen Hicks, 28, of Macon, pleaded guilty Monday to involuntary manslaughter in the 2012 death of his infant son, Desmond.
He was sentenced to eight years in prison followed by two years on probation.
By AMY LEIGH WOMACK
A little more than two years after Richard Allen Hicks was injured in a grenade attack in Iraq, he was charged with murder in the death of his 3-month-old son.
Hicks had served about five years in the U.S. Army.
After receiving the purple heart and other awards, he was honorably discharged in July 2011, his lawyer, Mark Beberman said during a Monday hearing in Bibb County Superior Court.
After finding it difficult to land a job, Hicks became the primary caregiver for his three children.
July 14, 2012, the mother of his youngest child, 3-month-old Desmond, came home and found the boy seemingly asleep on Hicks’ chest, said prosecutor Kevin Ströberg.
“She picked up Desmond and he wasn’t responsive. He wasn’t breathing,” Ströberg said.
After an unsuccessful attempt to revive the child by CPR, he was rushed to a local hospital where doctors discovered he had a fractured skull and a brain bleed.
The boy’s ribs also were fractured, Ströberg said.
Desmond was declared brain dead two days later, Ströberg said.
Hicks, 28, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter Monday as part of an agreement with prosecutors.
He was sentenced to eight years in prison followed by two years on probation.
Once released, Hicks also must complete Bibb County’s Veterans Court program as a condition of his probation.
Ströberg said Hicks initially denied knowing his son was ill, but later admitted he threw him into a bassinet after becoming “frustrated” by the child’s crying.
The injuries Desmond suffered couldn’t have been the result of an accident unless he’d “fallen from a height of two stories,” Ströberg said.
Had the case gone to trial, Beberman said he would have argued that Desmond’s death was an accident and his client suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
The boy’s head struck a plastic music box attached to the bassinet, likely causing a slow brain bleed, he said.
Children suffering such an injury have been known to cry at first, but then get quiet and go to sleep and show no outward signs that something’s wrong as the brain swells, Beberman said.
There’s a good chance the rib injuries are a result of the CPR attempt, he said.
Hicks has been held at the county jail since his July 16, 2012, arrest, according to jail records.
Monday, October 12, 2015
Dad on trial for child abuse death of infant son (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Dad is identified as DAVID A. ALLEN SR.
http://www.startribune.com/jury-deliberating-wisconsin-case-alleging-shaken-baby-death/331889411/
Jury deliberating in trial of Milwaukee man accused in 2013 death of infant son
Associated Press October 10, 2015 — 5:30pm
MILWAUKEE — Jury deliberations are expected to resume Monday in the trial of a Milwaukee man accused of physical abuse that allegedly led to the 2013 death of his infant son.
Jurors began deliberating the case of David A. Allen Sr. shortly before 3 p.m. Friday but did not reach a verdict, the Journal Sentinel (http://bit.ly/1jhMHsX ) reported.
Allen, 34, and the boy's mother, took their son to a West Allis hospital on Oct. 6, 2012, after a day when he wasn't eating normally and seemed lethargic. After giving a series of changing explanations of what might have injured the boy, Allen admitted he squeezed the baby too hard once, and another time shook the boy when he wouldn't stop clawing at his face.
Junior was put in foster care, where his condition deteriorated until he died in April 2013. Prosecutors then charged Allen, already facing child abuse counts, with reckless homicide.
The two-week trial has highlighted uncertainty about whether "shaken baby syndrome" is always the only explanation for certain brain injuries in children.
Defense experts who questioned both the medical basis for concluding the infant died of child abuse and the validity of Allen's confession to shaking the child earned more than $40,000 for their efforts to create "a courtroom controversy," a prosecutor told a jury Friday.
Assistant District Attorney Matthew Torbenson called the experts "frequent fliers" who came from four states and England to "collect a paycheck" while trying to raise doubt that Allen's actions led to the death of his son.
Torbenson said there was no doubt that child abuse led to the boy's death. He cited diagnoses from local pediatric experts who treated David Allen Jr. at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. He said those were corroborated by Allen's admissions about squeezing, shaking and dropping his son in the fall of 2012, just months after the boy, who was born two months prematurely, was released from intensive care.
In addition to the brain injuries, the boy had 12 broken ribs.
In the defense closing argument, attorney Anthony Cotton reminded jurors of his experts' credentials, and said they testified because there is a contentious debate in the medical community about attributing certain injuries to child abuse without more evidence than particular brain conditions.
"Your job isn't to reconcile that debate," Cotton told the jury.
Cotton summarized defense experts' findings that conditions resulting from the boy's premature birth could have caused silent seizures, resulting in bleeding near his brain, and that his ribs were so weak they could have been broken by normal handling.
The defense attorney reminded jurors there were no bruises, skull fractures or evidence that the child screamed or reacted as would be expected around the time his father later said he had squeezed the boy too hard.
http://www.startribune.com/jury-deliberating-wisconsin-case-alleging-shaken-baby-death/331889411/
Jury deliberating in trial of Milwaukee man accused in 2013 death of infant son
Associated Press October 10, 2015 — 5:30pm
MILWAUKEE — Jury deliberations are expected to resume Monday in the trial of a Milwaukee man accused of physical abuse that allegedly led to the 2013 death of his infant son.
Jurors began deliberating the case of David A. Allen Sr. shortly before 3 p.m. Friday but did not reach a verdict, the Journal Sentinel (http://bit.ly/1jhMHsX ) reported.
Allen, 34, and the boy's mother, took their son to a West Allis hospital on Oct. 6, 2012, after a day when he wasn't eating normally and seemed lethargic. After giving a series of changing explanations of what might have injured the boy, Allen admitted he squeezed the baby too hard once, and another time shook the boy when he wouldn't stop clawing at his face.
Junior was put in foster care, where his condition deteriorated until he died in April 2013. Prosecutors then charged Allen, already facing child abuse counts, with reckless homicide.
The two-week trial has highlighted uncertainty about whether "shaken baby syndrome" is always the only explanation for certain brain injuries in children.
Defense experts who questioned both the medical basis for concluding the infant died of child abuse and the validity of Allen's confession to shaking the child earned more than $40,000 for their efforts to create "a courtroom controversy," a prosecutor told a jury Friday.
Assistant District Attorney Matthew Torbenson called the experts "frequent fliers" who came from four states and England to "collect a paycheck" while trying to raise doubt that Allen's actions led to the death of his son.
Torbenson said there was no doubt that child abuse led to the boy's death. He cited diagnoses from local pediatric experts who treated David Allen Jr. at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. He said those were corroborated by Allen's admissions about squeezing, shaking and dropping his son in the fall of 2012, just months after the boy, who was born two months prematurely, was released from intensive care.
In addition to the brain injuries, the boy had 12 broken ribs.
In the defense closing argument, attorney Anthony Cotton reminded jurors of his experts' credentials, and said they testified because there is a contentious debate in the medical community about attributing certain injuries to child abuse without more evidence than particular brain conditions.
"Your job isn't to reconcile that debate," Cotton told the jury.
Cotton summarized defense experts' findings that conditions resulting from the boy's premature birth could have caused silent seizures, resulting in bleeding near his brain, and that his ribs were so weak they could have been broken by normal handling.
The defense attorney reminded jurors there were no bruises, skull fractures or evidence that the child screamed or reacted as would be expected around the time his father later said he had squeezed the boy too hard.
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Dad's child abuse rescheduled; charged with abusing infant sons (Logan, Utah)
Dad is identified as RYAN UDY.
http://www.cachevalleydaily.com/news/local/article_9bab8a04-6088-11e5-9734-f30b1b051e6c.html
Ryan Udy child abuse trial rescheduled for May 2016
Posted: Monday, September 21, 2015 11:45 am
Will Feelright
LOGAN — The child abuse trial for a 32-year-old Logan father, Ryan Udy, has been rescheduled for May 31, 2016, after attorneys for both sides asked for additional time to gather and review new evidence in the case.
Udy appeared in 1st District Court Monday morning. He faces two charges of child abuse, both second-degree felonies. His attorney told the court, they had met with state prosecutors and were requesting additional health records from when the victim had received medical treatment, since the alleged abuse.
Prosecutors have claimed Udy abused his infant son several times, breaking his arm, and causing bruises and other injuries. The abuse was reported in December 2012 and March 2013.
Defense attorneys argue Udy was only with the child for a short time and that the abuse was caused by the child's mother.
On September 2, an eight-day jury trial was postponed after a witness in the case claimed to have received two anonymous emails, describing how the mother reportedly abused the child.
Judge Brandon Maynard had tried to schedule the trial for January but later settled on the May date after prosecutors said the victim's mother was expecting a child in early spring.
Udy was ordered to appear again in court April 19 for a final pretrial conference.
http://www.cachevalleydaily.com/news/local/article_9bab8a04-6088-11e5-9734-f30b1b051e6c.html
Ryan Udy child abuse trial rescheduled for May 2016
Posted: Monday, September 21, 2015 11:45 am
Will Feelright
LOGAN — The child abuse trial for a 32-year-old Logan father, Ryan Udy, has been rescheduled for May 31, 2016, after attorneys for both sides asked for additional time to gather and review new evidence in the case.
Udy appeared in 1st District Court Monday morning. He faces two charges of child abuse, both second-degree felonies. His attorney told the court, they had met with state prosecutors and were requesting additional health records from when the victim had received medical treatment, since the alleged abuse.
Prosecutors have claimed Udy abused his infant son several times, breaking his arm, and causing bruises and other injuries. The abuse was reported in December 2012 and March 2013.
Defense attorneys argue Udy was only with the child for a short time and that the abuse was caused by the child's mother.
On September 2, an eight-day jury trial was postponed after a witness in the case claimed to have received two anonymous emails, describing how the mother reportedly abused the child.
Judge Brandon Maynard had tried to schedule the trial for January but later settled on the May date after prosecutors said the victim's mother was expecting a child in early spring.
Udy was ordered to appear again in court April 19 for a final pretrial conference.
Dad pleads guilty to murder of 2-month-old daughter (Erie, Pennsylvania)
Dad is identified as WENDELL T. MULKEY.
http://www.goerie.com/corry-father-to-plead-guilty-in-infant-death
Corry father to plead guilty in infant death
ERIE, Pa. -- A Corry father plans to plead guilty to third-degree murder in the March 2014 death of his 2-month-old daughter, his lawyer said.
Wendell T. Mulkey, 27, who had been scheduled to face trial Monday, is now scheduled for a plea hearing that day before Erie County Judge Daniel Brabender, according to court records.
Mulkey's lawyer, Eric Hackwelder, said Mulkey intends to plead guilty to felony charges of third-degree murder, aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
The child, identified in court records as "S.M.," died of abusive head trauma March 10, 2014, at UPMC's Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. An autopsy showed she also suffered 34 fractures to her ribs and leg bones that were in various stages of healing.
The plea would allow Mulkey to avoid the possibility of a life sentence. Had Mulkey gone to trial, the prosecution planned to seek a conviction for first-degree murder, which carries a mandatory sentence of life with no parole.
Hackwelder said the plea decision was driven in part by the fact the infant's mother, Miranda C. Fay, 21, entered a plea agreement Friday and pledged to testify against Mulkey at his trial. Hackwelder also said that statements Fay and Mulkey made to investigators could have been used against Mulkey at trial.
Hackwelder said some infant death cases are resolved with pleas to involuntary manslaughter, which is a death caused by a defendant's recklessness, but Mulkey's daughter had multiple injuries, some of them healing.
"That is why we came to the conclusion we did," he said.
His client, Hackwelder said, is also deeply remorseful.
"It was his call. That is what he wanted to do. I think it is the right call," he said.
First Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz declined to comment.
Third-degree murder is a malicious, unintentional killing. It carries a 20-year maximum sentence.
The case began with Fay's 911 call on March 10, 2014.
A doctor who examined S.M. in the hospital in Pittsburgh discovered bruises on the baby's face, back and chest. S.M.'s brain and retinas were bleeding, the doctor said.
She concluded S.M. died of abusive head trauma and physical abuse.
According to a criminal complaint, Mulkey and Fay told investigators in a March 11, 2014, interview that the baby had not had any medical problems before her death. They said she was solely in their care in their home on East Airport Road in Corry.
Mulkey admitted he had lost his temper and shaken S.M. on previous occasions, investigators said.
He also said that on one occasion while changing the baby's diaper, he heard her leg make a "popping" sound, which he said might have been her leg breaking.
Fay pleaded guilty to two third-degree felony charges of endangering the welfare of a child on Friday. She admitted that between Feb. 10 and March 10, 2014, she failed to seek medical help for her child when she knew that the child had suffered a broken leg, rib fractures and severe head injuries, allegedly inflicted by Mulkey.
http://www.goerie.com/corry-father-to-plead-guilty-in-infant-death
Corry father to plead guilty in infant death
ERIE, Pa. -- A Corry father plans to plead guilty to third-degree murder in the March 2014 death of his 2-month-old daughter, his lawyer said.
Wendell T. Mulkey, 27, who had been scheduled to face trial Monday, is now scheduled for a plea hearing that day before Erie County Judge Daniel Brabender, according to court records.
Mulkey's lawyer, Eric Hackwelder, said Mulkey intends to plead guilty to felony charges of third-degree murder, aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
The child, identified in court records as "S.M.," died of abusive head trauma March 10, 2014, at UPMC's Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. An autopsy showed she also suffered 34 fractures to her ribs and leg bones that were in various stages of healing.
The plea would allow Mulkey to avoid the possibility of a life sentence. Had Mulkey gone to trial, the prosecution planned to seek a conviction for first-degree murder, which carries a mandatory sentence of life with no parole.
Hackwelder said the plea decision was driven in part by the fact the infant's mother, Miranda C. Fay, 21, entered a plea agreement Friday and pledged to testify against Mulkey at his trial. Hackwelder also said that statements Fay and Mulkey made to investigators could have been used against Mulkey at trial.
Hackwelder said some infant death cases are resolved with pleas to involuntary manslaughter, which is a death caused by a defendant's recklessness, but Mulkey's daughter had multiple injuries, some of them healing.
"That is why we came to the conclusion we did," he said.
His client, Hackwelder said, is also deeply remorseful.
"It was his call. That is what he wanted to do. I think it is the right call," he said.
First Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz declined to comment.
Third-degree murder is a malicious, unintentional killing. It carries a 20-year maximum sentence.
The case began with Fay's 911 call on March 10, 2014.
A doctor who examined S.M. in the hospital in Pittsburgh discovered bruises on the baby's face, back and chest. S.M.'s brain and retinas were bleeding, the doctor said.
She concluded S.M. died of abusive head trauma and physical abuse.
According to a criminal complaint, Mulkey and Fay told investigators in a March 11, 2014, interview that the baby had not had any medical problems before her death. They said she was solely in their care in their home on East Airport Road in Corry.
Mulkey admitted he had lost his temper and shaken S.M. on previous occasions, investigators said.
He also said that on one occasion while changing the baby's diaper, he heard her leg make a "popping" sound, which he said might have been her leg breaking.
Fay pleaded guilty to two third-degree felony charges of endangering the welfare of a child on Friday. She admitted that between Feb. 10 and March 10, 2014, she failed to seek medical help for her child when she knew that the child had suffered a broken leg, rib fractures and severe head injuries, allegedly inflicted by Mulkey.
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Dad who killed newborn daughter two years ago now convicted of attempted murder of infant boy (Glasgow, Scotland)
Dad is identified as IAN RUDDOCK.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/609363/Glasgow-dad-who-killed-baby-faces-jail
Glasgow dad who killed baby faces jail
A TWISTED father who shook his newborn daughter to death two years ago and later tried to murder another infant is behind bars.
By David Scott
PUBLISHED: 00:01, Fri, Oct 2, 2015
Ian Ruddock killed his five-week old daughter, Olivia, at their family home
Ian Ruddock killed five-week-old Olivia at the family home and two years later attacked the second child.
He was convicted of culpable homicide and attempted murder.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how the 34-year-old evaded justice and the baby’s fate was only discovered after doctors treating his second victim tipped off police.
The court heard Ruddock left the boy with a fractured skull and ribs – similar to injuries suffered by Olivia. Ruddock, of Shawlands in Glasgow, told the court: “I was trying to get her to wake up. I can just remember holding her and trying to get her to wake up. I don’t remember very much at all. I do not remember much for the next few weeks.”
Asked whether he believed he had harmed his daughter, the father-of-three replied: “I don’t believe for a minute that I’ve caused her death. It’s not even remotely possible.”
Two years after Olivia was killed at a house in Williamwood, East Renfrewshire, Ruddock targeted another child in Glasgow.
He seized the boy – who can’t be identified for legal reasons – inflicting blunt force trauma to his head and body.
Police launched their investigation after hospital staff treated the boy, detectives discovering what happened to Olivia when checking Ruddock’s past.
Consultant radiologist Greg Irwin, who worked at Glasgow’s Yorkhill Children’s Hospital, told the court there was “incontrovertible” evidence Olivia sustained three fractured ribs before her death.
At the time, doctors concluded she had died from bronchial pneumonia.
Mr Irwin said it was a “regular occurrence” for medical staff to misdiagnose fractures.
Ruddock’s wife, Wendy, 37, told the court she “never believed” her husband had done anything wrong after Olivia’s death in March 2011.
Last night, Detective Chief Inspector Maxine Martin said: “It is difficult to understand how anyone could harm a defenceless child, let alone her father, who should have been there to protect her. This was a particularly difficult case due to the passage of time, the ages of the children and complexity of the medical evidence.”
Sentence on Ruddock was deferred and he was remanded in custody.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/609363/Glasgow-dad-who-killed-baby-faces-jail
Glasgow dad who killed baby faces jail
A TWISTED father who shook his newborn daughter to death two years ago and later tried to murder another infant is behind bars.
By David Scott
PUBLISHED: 00:01, Fri, Oct 2, 2015
Ian Ruddock killed his five-week old daughter, Olivia, at their family home
Ian Ruddock killed five-week-old Olivia at the family home and two years later attacked the second child.
He was convicted of culpable homicide and attempted murder.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how the 34-year-old evaded justice and the baby’s fate was only discovered after doctors treating his second victim tipped off police.
The court heard Ruddock left the boy with a fractured skull and ribs – similar to injuries suffered by Olivia. Ruddock, of Shawlands in Glasgow, told the court: “I was trying to get her to wake up. I can just remember holding her and trying to get her to wake up. I don’t remember very much at all. I do not remember much for the next few weeks.”
Asked whether he believed he had harmed his daughter, the father-of-three replied: “I don’t believe for a minute that I’ve caused her death. It’s not even remotely possible.”
Two years after Olivia was killed at a house in Williamwood, East Renfrewshire, Ruddock targeted another child in Glasgow.
He seized the boy – who can’t be identified for legal reasons – inflicting blunt force trauma to his head and body.
Police launched their investigation after hospital staff treated the boy, detectives discovering what happened to Olivia when checking Ruddock’s past.
Consultant radiologist Greg Irwin, who worked at Glasgow’s Yorkhill Children’s Hospital, told the court there was “incontrovertible” evidence Olivia sustained three fractured ribs before her death.
At the time, doctors concluded she had died from bronchial pneumonia.
Mr Irwin said it was a “regular occurrence” for medical staff to misdiagnose fractures.
Ruddock’s wife, Wendy, 37, told the court she “never believed” her husband had done anything wrong after Olivia’s death in March 2011.
Last night, Detective Chief Inspector Maxine Martin said: “It is difficult to understand how anyone could harm a defenceless child, let alone her father, who should have been there to protect her. This was a particularly difficult case due to the passage of time, the ages of the children and complexity of the medical evidence.”
Sentence on Ruddock was deferred and he was remanded in custody.
Dad charged in assault on 3-month-old son (Ogden, Utah)
Dad is identified as CHRISTOPHER ANDERSON.
http://www.standard.net/Courts/2015/10/02/Ogden-father-suspected-of-shaking-baby-causing-hemorrhages.html
Ogden father suspected of shaking baby, causing hemorrhages
Friday , October 02, 2015 - 6:29 PM
By TAYLOR HINTZ Standard-Examiner staff
OGDEN -- An Ogden man accused of shaking his infant son hard enough to cause several hemorrhages and broken ribs appeared before Judge Michael DiReda Thursday, Oct. 1, for a preliminary hearing.
Christopher Anderson, 21, is charged with child abuse and intentionally inflicting serious physical injury, second-degree felonies. He was booked into Weber County Jail July 28 and made bail Aug. 4 through a $10,000 bond posted by Hy & Mike’s Bail Bonds.
On July 21, South Ogden police responded to an emergency call from Christopher Anderson, 21, at his apartment in the area of 3700 South Grant Ave. There, Anderson was found rubbing his 3-month-old infant’s chest and told law enforcement that his son was having a hard time breathing to the point his body had gone limp. Police, however, found the infant was not responsive, according to court documents. Anderson was the only person home with the infant.
Anderson said the child was napping when he heard him struggling for air. The father said he picked the boy up and shook him to “bring him out of it.” He also attempted to do CPR, according to the statement.
The child was transported first to McKay Dee Hospital and then to Primary Children’s Medical Center via LifeFlight. According to the statement, the infant continued to have seizures for several days as a result of the abuse.
Karen Hansen, a doctor with Safe and Healthy Families, treated the child and found a subdural hemorrhage, possibly two weeks old, and another fresh hemorrhage on the right side closer to the brain. A retinal study also found hemorrhaging in both eyes. Hansen advised that medical issues were symptoms of “shaken baby syndrome.”.
A skeletal exam also found two broken ribs, according to the statement. Hansen said the long-term effects are still unknown but the significant brain damage will cause the child to have medical problems longterm.
George Zamora, the baby’s grandfather, said although the boy is doing better since going to the hospital, he still suffers from the traumatic event.
“Because of the brain trauma, he forgot how to swallow. He can’t take anything by mouth, he has to have a feeding tube,” Zamora said. “There’s some paralysis on his left side and his legs aren’t working as well as the doctors were hoping.” Zamora, who is now caring for the child after a no contact order was issued against Anderson, also said he hopes that awareness of his grandson’s injuries will help bring justice against Anderson.
“Second of all, we want people to know that this is a problem. There’s ways you can handle things without hurting a baby,“ Zamora said. ”But first of all, I want people to know about this so Carter can receive justice. This isn’t something he should have gone through.“
Anderson is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing 9 a.m. Dec. 4.
http://www.standard.net/Courts/2015/10/02/Ogden-father-suspected-of-shaking-baby-causing-hemorrhages.html
Ogden father suspected of shaking baby, causing hemorrhages
Friday , October 02, 2015 - 6:29 PM
By TAYLOR HINTZ Standard-Examiner staff
OGDEN -- An Ogden man accused of shaking his infant son hard enough to cause several hemorrhages and broken ribs appeared before Judge Michael DiReda Thursday, Oct. 1, for a preliminary hearing.
Christopher Anderson, 21, is charged with child abuse and intentionally inflicting serious physical injury, second-degree felonies. He was booked into Weber County Jail July 28 and made bail Aug. 4 through a $10,000 bond posted by Hy & Mike’s Bail Bonds.
On July 21, South Ogden police responded to an emergency call from Christopher Anderson, 21, at his apartment in the area of 3700 South Grant Ave. There, Anderson was found rubbing his 3-month-old infant’s chest and told law enforcement that his son was having a hard time breathing to the point his body had gone limp. Police, however, found the infant was not responsive, according to court documents. Anderson was the only person home with the infant.
Anderson said the child was napping when he heard him struggling for air. The father said he picked the boy up and shook him to “bring him out of it.” He also attempted to do CPR, according to the statement.
The child was transported first to McKay Dee Hospital and then to Primary Children’s Medical Center via LifeFlight. According to the statement, the infant continued to have seizures for several days as a result of the abuse.
Karen Hansen, a doctor with Safe and Healthy Families, treated the child and found a subdural hemorrhage, possibly two weeks old, and another fresh hemorrhage on the right side closer to the brain. A retinal study also found hemorrhaging in both eyes. Hansen advised that medical issues were symptoms of “shaken baby syndrome.”.
A skeletal exam also found two broken ribs, according to the statement. Hansen said the long-term effects are still unknown but the significant brain damage will cause the child to have medical problems longterm.
George Zamora, the baby’s grandfather, said although the boy is doing better since going to the hospital, he still suffers from the traumatic event.
“Because of the brain trauma, he forgot how to swallow. He can’t take anything by mouth, he has to have a feeding tube,” Zamora said. “There’s some paralysis on his left side and his legs aren’t working as well as the doctors were hoping.” Zamora, who is now caring for the child after a no contact order was issued against Anderson, also said he hopes that awareness of his grandson’s injuries will help bring justice against Anderson.
“Second of all, we want people to know that this is a problem. There’s ways you can handle things without hurting a baby,“ Zamora said. ”But first of all, I want people to know about this so Carter can receive justice. This isn’t something he should have gone through.“
Anderson is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing 9 a.m. Dec. 4.
Dad charged with homicide in death of 2-month-old infant, mom charged with "endangering" for failure to protect, seek medical care (Erie, Pennsylvania)
Do I know for a fact that the mom did everything within her actual power to save this baby? No.
But I know that 14 years in prison is a lot longer than many fathers serve who actually kill babies.
Dad is identified as WENDELL T. MULKEY.
http://www.goerie.com/mother-enters-plea-in-corry-infant-death-case
Mother enters plea in Corry infant death case
By Lisa Thompson 814-870-1802
Erie Times-News
October 3, 2015 06:29 AM
ERIE, Pa. -- The mother of a Corry 2-month-old who died in 2014 of severe head trauma has agreed to testify against the child's father when he stands trial on homicide charges in mid-October.
Miranda C. Fay, 21, appeared in Erie County Court on Friday to plead guilty to reduced charges stemming from the abuse and death of her daughter.
Fay pleaded guilty to two third-degree felony charges of endangering the welfare of a child and agreed to testify against the baby's father, Wendell T. Mulkey, 27, who is scheduled to face trial on homicide and related charges Oct. 12.
In exchange for Fay's plea and her pledge to testify against Mulkey, First Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz dropped one third-degree felony count of endangering the welfare of a child.
With the plea, Fay admitted that between Feb. 10 and March 10, 2014, she failed to seek medical help for her child when she knew that the child had suffered a broken leg, rib fractures and severe head injuries, allegedly inflicted by Mulkey.
Fay said little at the hearing. She indicated she understood her rights and was guilty of the crimes.
She is being held in the Erie County Prison after failing to post $150,000 bond.
Fay was pregnant at the time of her and Mulkey's arrests in March. She recently delivered the child, who is now in the custody of the Erie County Office of Children and Youth, the Erie County District Attorney's Office said.
Fay faces up to 14 years in prison and a $30,000 fine at sentencing, which Judge William R. Cunningham scheduled for Nov. 6. She is being represented by Assistant Public Defender John Bonanti.
Mulkey, who is in the Erie County Prison with no bond set, is accused of homicide and two felony counts each of aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child in the March 10, 2014, death of the couple's daughter.
The infant, identified in court records only as S.M., suffered severe head trauma and 34 fractures to her ribs and leg bones that were in various stages of healing, the prosecution has said. Investigators had to wait for a review of medical evidence before they could file charges in March.
According to a criminal complaint, Mulkey and Fay told investigators in a March 11, 2014, interview that the baby had not had any medical problems before her death on March 10, 2014. They said she was solely in their care in their home on East Airport Road in Corry.
Mulkey admitted he had lost his temper and shaken S.M. on previous occasions, investigators said.
He also said that on one occasion while changing the baby's diaper, he heard her leg make a "popping" sound, which he said might have been her leg breaking.
But I know that 14 years in prison is a lot longer than many fathers serve who actually kill babies.
Dad is identified as WENDELL T. MULKEY.
http://www.goerie.com/mother-enters-plea-in-corry-infant-death-case
Mother enters plea in Corry infant death case
By Lisa Thompson 814-870-1802
Erie Times-News
October 3, 2015 06:29 AM
ERIE, Pa. -- The mother of a Corry 2-month-old who died in 2014 of severe head trauma has agreed to testify against the child's father when he stands trial on homicide charges in mid-October.
Miranda C. Fay, 21, appeared in Erie County Court on Friday to plead guilty to reduced charges stemming from the abuse and death of her daughter.
Fay pleaded guilty to two third-degree felony charges of endangering the welfare of a child and agreed to testify against the baby's father, Wendell T. Mulkey, 27, who is scheduled to face trial on homicide and related charges Oct. 12.
In exchange for Fay's plea and her pledge to testify against Mulkey, First Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz dropped one third-degree felony count of endangering the welfare of a child.
With the plea, Fay admitted that between Feb. 10 and March 10, 2014, she failed to seek medical help for her child when she knew that the child had suffered a broken leg, rib fractures and severe head injuries, allegedly inflicted by Mulkey.
Fay said little at the hearing. She indicated she understood her rights and was guilty of the crimes.
She is being held in the Erie County Prison after failing to post $150,000 bond.
Fay was pregnant at the time of her and Mulkey's arrests in March. She recently delivered the child, who is now in the custody of the Erie County Office of Children and Youth, the Erie County District Attorney's Office said.
Fay faces up to 14 years in prison and a $30,000 fine at sentencing, which Judge William R. Cunningham scheduled for Nov. 6. She is being represented by Assistant Public Defender John Bonanti.
Mulkey, who is in the Erie County Prison with no bond set, is accused of homicide and two felony counts each of aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child in the March 10, 2014, death of the couple's daughter.
The infant, identified in court records only as S.M., suffered severe head trauma and 34 fractures to her ribs and leg bones that were in various stages of healing, the prosecution has said. Investigators had to wait for a review of medical evidence before they could file charges in March.
According to a criminal complaint, Mulkey and Fay told investigators in a March 11, 2014, interview that the baby had not had any medical problems before her death on March 10, 2014. They said she was solely in their care in their home on East Airport Road in Corry.
Mulkey admitted he had lost his temper and shaken S.M. on previous occasions, investigators said.
He also said that on one occasion while changing the baby's diaper, he heard her leg make a "popping" sound, which he said might have been her leg breaking.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Dad on trial for killing infant son will challenge confession (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Dad is identified as DAVID A. ALLEN.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/crime/father-on-trial-for-killing-infant-son-will-challenge-confession-b99586810z1-329978301.html
Father on trial for killing infant son will challenge confession
By Bruce Vielmetti
Sept. 29, 2015
A Milwaukee man charged with killing his infant premature son falsely confessed to abuse during a police interview so that the child's mother would be released as a suspect, his attorney told jurors Tuesday.
The case could also highlight a growing doubt within the medical community that certain brain injuries among children can result only from "shaken baby syndrome," imposed by stressed-out, frustrated caregivers.
David A. Allen, 34, is on trial for first-degree reckless homicide as well as child abuse and neglect causing great bodily harm. His namesake son died in April 2013, six months after the then 12-week-old boy was first taken to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, where doctors diagnosed broken ribs and brain damage later attributed to blunt force trauma. Allen was first charged in October 2012; prosecutors upgraded the charges after the child died.
"Home. There should be no safer place for a child," Assistant District Attorney Matt Torbenson told the jury in an opening statement. But the victim, referred to as Junior, spent his last day at home unable to eat, deteriorating as his father "watched and did nothing."
As in most child abuse prosecutions, medical experts for the state will testify that Junior's injuries were inconsistent with any cause other than abuse, Torbenson said. On top of that, he said, jurors will hear Allen's varied explanations of accidents that might have led to the injuries.
He first mentioned a fall from a 3-inch mattress, a bump on the faucet during a bath, then a fall from his arms to a concrete floor, then finally saying that, with Junior clawing at his face, Allen shook the boy, hard.
The next morning, the boy wouldn't eat, and his condition worsened before his parents finally called 911.
At the end of his final police interview, Torbenson said, Allen is seen alone in the interrogation room, holding his head in his hands and saying, repeatedly, "I'm so sorry, my son."
But defense attorney Anthony Cotton promised jurors a different view of the evidence from other experts, including one who studies false confessions. Cotton noted that in a quarter of cases where convicted offenders have been cleared by DNA evidence, they had falsely confessed to crimes.
Cotton said the pair of intense interviews Allen was subjected to right after his son was hospitalized in October 2012 were exactly the kind that lead to false confessions. He said the detective provided facts relayed to him by doctors at Children's Hospital, and kept Allen talking until he described doing something to the child that would be consistent with the injuries. Only then would Junior's mother, who had also been arrested, be released "to go and pray over your dying child," Cotton said the detective told Allen.
Cotton suggested Junior's injuries could just as consistently be explained by his birth — two months premature — and compromised health.
He said no one around the couple, not even the baby's mother, will testify they ever saw Allen seeming depressed or overwhelmed, as he told a detective. In fact, staff from the neonatal intensive care unit where Junior spent a month before going home will say Allen was very attentive and appropriate with his son.
Later, the boy and his parents moved into a house with seven other people, and none of them saw any signs of depressions or abusive behavior in Allen, Cotton said.
"He loved his son," Cotton said of Allen. "He was not quick to anger."
http://www.jsonline.com/news/crime/father-on-trial-for-killing-infant-son-will-challenge-confession-b99586810z1-329978301.html
Father on trial for killing infant son will challenge confession
By Bruce Vielmetti
Sept. 29, 2015
A Milwaukee man charged with killing his infant premature son falsely confessed to abuse during a police interview so that the child's mother would be released as a suspect, his attorney told jurors Tuesday.
The case could also highlight a growing doubt within the medical community that certain brain injuries among children can result only from "shaken baby syndrome," imposed by stressed-out, frustrated caregivers.
David A. Allen, 34, is on trial for first-degree reckless homicide as well as child abuse and neglect causing great bodily harm. His namesake son died in April 2013, six months after the then 12-week-old boy was first taken to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, where doctors diagnosed broken ribs and brain damage later attributed to blunt force trauma. Allen was first charged in October 2012; prosecutors upgraded the charges after the child died.
"Home. There should be no safer place for a child," Assistant District Attorney Matt Torbenson told the jury in an opening statement. But the victim, referred to as Junior, spent his last day at home unable to eat, deteriorating as his father "watched and did nothing."
As in most child abuse prosecutions, medical experts for the state will testify that Junior's injuries were inconsistent with any cause other than abuse, Torbenson said. On top of that, he said, jurors will hear Allen's varied explanations of accidents that might have led to the injuries.
He first mentioned a fall from a 3-inch mattress, a bump on the faucet during a bath, then a fall from his arms to a concrete floor, then finally saying that, with Junior clawing at his face, Allen shook the boy, hard.
The next morning, the boy wouldn't eat, and his condition worsened before his parents finally called 911.
At the end of his final police interview, Torbenson said, Allen is seen alone in the interrogation room, holding his head in his hands and saying, repeatedly, "I'm so sorry, my son."
But defense attorney Anthony Cotton promised jurors a different view of the evidence from other experts, including one who studies false confessions. Cotton noted that in a quarter of cases where convicted offenders have been cleared by DNA evidence, they had falsely confessed to crimes.
Cotton said the pair of intense interviews Allen was subjected to right after his son was hospitalized in October 2012 were exactly the kind that lead to false confessions. He said the detective provided facts relayed to him by doctors at Children's Hospital, and kept Allen talking until he described doing something to the child that would be consistent with the injuries. Only then would Junior's mother, who had also been arrested, be released "to go and pray over your dying child," Cotton said the detective told Allen.
Cotton suggested Junior's injuries could just as consistently be explained by his birth — two months premature — and compromised health.
He said no one around the couple, not even the baby's mother, will testify they ever saw Allen seeming depressed or overwhelmed, as he told a detective. In fact, staff from the neonatal intensive care unit where Junior spent a month before going home will say Allen was very attentive and appropriate with his son.
Later, the boy and his parents moved into a house with seven other people, and none of them saw any signs of depressions or abusive behavior in Allen, Cotton said.
"He loved his son," Cotton said of Allen. "He was not quick to anger."
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Dad admits killing 9-week-old daughter (Australia)
The more-useless-than-trash father is identified as BRETT ANDREW KITCHIN.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-18/father-brett-andrew-kitchen-admits-to-shaking-murder-of-his-baby/6786918
Baby shaking murder: Brett Andrew Kitchin admits to killing nine-week old daughter
By Sallese Gibson
Posted Thu at 11:40pm
A northern Tasmanian man has pleaded guilty to the shaking murder of his nine-week-old daughter. Azzali Dolcie May Thomson died of head injuries in February 2014, consistent with being shaken forcefully.
Her 28-year-old father, Brett Andrew Kitchin, was charged with her murder and ill-treatment.
He had previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, but entered guilty pleas in the Supreme Court in Launceston this morning.
The court heard Kitchin regularly squeezed, shook, poked and pinched his daughter over a six-week period, causing multiple rib fractures and severe bruising.
Police prosecutors told the court Kitchin got into a rage after having difficulty feeding his daughter and applied pressure to her neck, squeezed her chest and shook her forcefully, causing the massive brain injuries that resulted in her death.
Court hears details of crime The court heard Kitchin woke to feed Azzali at 7:00am on February 2, 2014, and became angry when it became difficult.
He shook her forcefully, causing massive brain injuries, fractured shoulders and ribs and bruising to her neck, jaw and face.
He then put her back into the bassinet and went back to bed.
Azzali continued to scream for several hours.
Her mother tried to feed her at 11:00am and noticed she would not open her mouth and had a swollen face.
Azzali was taken to the Launceston General Hospital at 1:20pm, in a semi-conscious state.
Kitchin told doctors he may have bumped Azzali's head when getting her out of the car.
An emergency CT scan found bleeding on her brain and showed a number of historic rib fractures.
She was airlifted to the Royal Hobart Hospital's neo-natal unit. Azzali died on February 6, after her life support was switched off.
The coroner found Azzali died of head injuries consistent with being shaken and that it was not clear which violent incident caused her death, as she had been subject to severe and progressive damage over a period of weeks.
The police prosecutor told the court Azzali was defenceless and that the violence inflicted on her was extreme.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-18/father-brett-andrew-kitchen-admits-to-shaking-murder-of-his-baby/6786918
Baby shaking murder: Brett Andrew Kitchin admits to killing nine-week old daughter
By Sallese Gibson
Posted Thu at 11:40pm
A northern Tasmanian man has pleaded guilty to the shaking murder of his nine-week-old daughter. Azzali Dolcie May Thomson died of head injuries in February 2014, consistent with being shaken forcefully.
Her 28-year-old father, Brett Andrew Kitchin, was charged with her murder and ill-treatment.
He had previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, but entered guilty pleas in the Supreme Court in Launceston this morning.
The court heard Kitchin regularly squeezed, shook, poked and pinched his daughter over a six-week period, causing multiple rib fractures and severe bruising.
Police prosecutors told the court Kitchin got into a rage after having difficulty feeding his daughter and applied pressure to her neck, squeezed her chest and shook her forcefully, causing the massive brain injuries that resulted in her death.
Court hears details of crime The court heard Kitchin woke to feed Azzali at 7:00am on February 2, 2014, and became angry when it became difficult.
He shook her forcefully, causing massive brain injuries, fractured shoulders and ribs and bruising to her neck, jaw and face.
He then put her back into the bassinet and went back to bed.
Azzali continued to scream for several hours.
Her mother tried to feed her at 11:00am and noticed she would not open her mouth and had a swollen face.
Azzali was taken to the Launceston General Hospital at 1:20pm, in a semi-conscious state.
Kitchin told doctors he may have bumped Azzali's head when getting her out of the car.
An emergency CT scan found bleeding on her brain and showed a number of historic rib fractures.
She was airlifted to the Royal Hobart Hospital's neo-natal unit. Azzali died on February 6, after her life support was switched off.
The coroner found Azzali died of head injuries consistent with being shaken and that it was not clear which violent incident caused her death, as she had been subject to severe and progressive damage over a period of weeks.
The police prosecutor told the court Azzali was defenceless and that the violence inflicted on her was extreme.
Sunday, September 6, 2015
"Caretaking" dad abuses 2-month-old son while Mom at work, but she's also charged for leaving him with dad (Forsyth, Missouri)
The double standard is breathtaking. Dad BRYAN JOSEPH MATLOCK is the one who admits to doing all the damage while Mom was at work. Yet Mom is charged with the same thing--endangering--for "failing" to stop this violent, obviously easily frustrated deadbeat father.
But really, what are her choices here? Mothers are continually lectured that mothers and fathers are interchangeable caretakers, when they clearly aren't. Mothers are routinely punished when they use their own judgment and try to make their own decisions about their infant caretakers or limit the father's access.
And yet mothers are also held responsible for the failures of "caretaker" dads, while working fathers are virtually never held responsible for anything the mother does.
And if she were to leave him and tell the family court that he was too rough with the baby, she would no doubt be labeled a liar and an alienator. Dad would easily repackage himself as the concerned "primary caretaker" who took care of the baby while the selfish mother was only interested in her "career." Abusers love this. Hurt the "b***ch" in the worse possible way--by taking her baby away from her for leaving his lazy, worthless @$$--and making her pay financially by sicking her with child support.
http://www.bransontrilakesnews.com/news_story/article_3c3123cc-50ca-11e5-8b0a-8baaa68503f7.html
Hollister couple facing felonies for child abuse
Posted: Tuesday, September 1, 2015 9:00 pm
Cliff Sain
FORSYTH — A Hollister couple is in jail relating to accusations of abuse against their two-month-old child, including the father swinging the child by his legs until his head hit a piece of furniture.
According to a police report from the Taney County Sheriff’s Office, the child’s father, Bryan Joseph Matlock, 28, is accused of injuring the infant several times; and the mother, Alexa Renee Smith, 21, is accused of endangering the child after leaving him in the care of Matlock.
The report states police received a call from Matlock Aug. 26 that the boy was having difficulty breathing and was unresponsive. Matlock reportedly told police he had tripped and fallen on the child, causing the injuries.
According to the report, the boy was taken to Cox Medical Center Branson, but it was determined his injuries were serious enough that he was transported to CoxSouth hospital in Springfield. The report states that two separate physicians concluded the child’s injuries were not accidental. A physician’s report stated the injuries were not consistent with Matlock’s story. The child’s injuries include a subdural and subarachnoid hemorrhage, a partially healed posterior left-side rib fracture, multiple contusions and a possible bite mark on the boy’s arm.
After being given his Miranda rights, Matlock said that on Aug. 26, he was watching the boy while Smith was away at work. He told police he:
• hit the child in the face with a pillow multiple times.
• held the child upside down by his legs and swung him, causing him to hit his head on the wooden portion of a couch
• bit the child on his arm to cause him pain
• squeezed him very hard against his chest for about two or three minutes attempting to get him to be quiet
• squeezed him hard enough to cause bruising to his lower stomach area
• threw the child on the couch forcefully four or five times
According to the report, Matlock also told police he had hurt the child in the past and that his wife had caught him pinching the child to cause pain, and squeezing the child hard enough that he “heard something pop.” Matlock told police he believed that is when the fractured rib happened.
The report also states Matlock told police he wishes to hurt people sometimes and gets mad at people for no reason. He also reportedly stated that he is a horrible person.
Smith told police Matlock watches the child on a regular basis while she is at work and that the child did not have any injuries before she left him in Matlock’s care when she went to work Aug. 26, according to the report.
Smith reportedly told police that in the last month she had witnessed Matlock pinch the child; squeeze him; and bite him in the ear, causing bruises. She also told police she told Matlock she would leave him if he didn’t stop, according to the report.
Matlock and Smith are each charged with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, a class C felony. Matlock is also charged with abuse or neglect of a child, a class B felony. Matlock’s bond is set at $100,000, and Smith’s is at $25,000.
They both had a court hearing scheduled on Sept. 1. Results were not available by Branson Tri-Lakes News press time.
But really, what are her choices here? Mothers are continually lectured that mothers and fathers are interchangeable caretakers, when they clearly aren't. Mothers are routinely punished when they use their own judgment and try to make their own decisions about their infant caretakers or limit the father's access.
And yet mothers are also held responsible for the failures of "caretaker" dads, while working fathers are virtually never held responsible for anything the mother does.
And if she were to leave him and tell the family court that he was too rough with the baby, she would no doubt be labeled a liar and an alienator. Dad would easily repackage himself as the concerned "primary caretaker" who took care of the baby while the selfish mother was only interested in her "career." Abusers love this. Hurt the "b***ch" in the worse possible way--by taking her baby away from her for leaving his lazy, worthless @$$--and making her pay financially by sicking her with child support.
http://www.bransontrilakesnews.com/news_story/article_3c3123cc-50ca-11e5-8b0a-8baaa68503f7.html
Hollister couple facing felonies for child abuse
Posted: Tuesday, September 1, 2015 9:00 pm
Cliff Sain
FORSYTH — A Hollister couple is in jail relating to accusations of abuse against their two-month-old child, including the father swinging the child by his legs until his head hit a piece of furniture.
According to a police report from the Taney County Sheriff’s Office, the child’s father, Bryan Joseph Matlock, 28, is accused of injuring the infant several times; and the mother, Alexa Renee Smith, 21, is accused of endangering the child after leaving him in the care of Matlock.
The report states police received a call from Matlock Aug. 26 that the boy was having difficulty breathing and was unresponsive. Matlock reportedly told police he had tripped and fallen on the child, causing the injuries.
According to the report, the boy was taken to Cox Medical Center Branson, but it was determined his injuries were serious enough that he was transported to CoxSouth hospital in Springfield. The report states that two separate physicians concluded the child’s injuries were not accidental. A physician’s report stated the injuries were not consistent with Matlock’s story. The child’s injuries include a subdural and subarachnoid hemorrhage, a partially healed posterior left-side rib fracture, multiple contusions and a possible bite mark on the boy’s arm.
After being given his Miranda rights, Matlock said that on Aug. 26, he was watching the boy while Smith was away at work. He told police he:
• hit the child in the face with a pillow multiple times.
• held the child upside down by his legs and swung him, causing him to hit his head on the wooden portion of a couch
• bit the child on his arm to cause him pain
• squeezed him very hard against his chest for about two or three minutes attempting to get him to be quiet
• squeezed him hard enough to cause bruising to his lower stomach area
• threw the child on the couch forcefully four or five times
According to the report, Matlock also told police he had hurt the child in the past and that his wife had caught him pinching the child to cause pain, and squeezing the child hard enough that he “heard something pop.” Matlock told police he believed that is when the fractured rib happened.
The report also states Matlock told police he wishes to hurt people sometimes and gets mad at people for no reason. He also reportedly stated that he is a horrible person.
Smith told police Matlock watches the child on a regular basis while she is at work and that the child did not have any injuries before she left him in Matlock’s care when she went to work Aug. 26, according to the report.
Smith reportedly told police that in the last month she had witnessed Matlock pinch the child; squeeze him; and bite him in the ear, causing bruises. She also told police she told Matlock she would leave him if he didn’t stop, according to the report.
Matlock and Smith are each charged with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, a class C felony. Matlock is also charged with abuse or neglect of a child, a class B felony. Matlock’s bond is set at $100,000, and Smith’s is at $25,000.
They both had a court hearing scheduled on Sept. 1. Results were not available by Branson Tri-Lakes News press time.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Dad charged with abusing 40-day-old daughter (Ocala, Florida)
Dad is identified as DEVIN JOHN CHAMPAGNE.
http://www.ocala.com/article/20150821/ARTICLES/150829950/1005/sports01?p=1&tc=pg
Father charged with child abuse
By Austin L. Miller Staff writer Published: Friday, August 21, 2015 at 4:58 p.m. Last Modified: Friday, August 21, 2015 at 4:58 p.m.
OCALA – Without hesitation, Devin John Champagne said he deserves to be locked up at the Marion County Jail for abusing his infant daughter.
Champagne said the girl, Skylar Champagne, is 40 days old and that he broke her arm because he was frustrated.
“Yes, I think I should be arrested because I did it. I was trying to calm her down from her being fussy,” said the 18-year-old Champagne during an interview Friday afternoon while he was sitting on an aluminum bench at the jail.
Champagne was arrested Thursday by Marion County Sheriff's Office detective Thomas Newbanks and was charged with aggravated child abuse and child abuse.
On Friday, Champagne faced a judge via video link from the jail to the courthouse. He said his bail was set at $25,000 and that he is being represented by the Public Defender's Office.
According to Newbanks' report, the baby has six possible fractures: Three in her right leg, one in her left arm and two in her ribs.
Champagne agreed to take a polygraph, which, officials said, he failed. Champagne was then interviewed by Newbanks and admitted grabbing the baby's arm and forcefully twisting and pushing down. He said he heard a pop and realized the girl was injured. He also said that, at times, he would forcefully hold the victim's legs down, according to Newbanks' report.
Officials said they believe the fractures to the baby's legs may have come from Champagne holding her legs.
During the interview at the jail, Champagne, said he did not know why his daughter was fussing and that he had her arms folded “trying to calm her down" and "heard a pop.” He said Skylar was “never a quiet child” and has always been a “very active child.” He said any other injuries sustained by his daughter were not made by him.
Newbanks' report states that personnel at a hospital told him the injuries suffered by the child were indicative of child abuse.
Newbanks talked with the girl's mother, who said she and Champagne went out and left the child with his mother. When they got home, she said, her daughter was fine and was sleeping. She said she left the bedroom and was outside for about two to five minutes. When she came back inside, she said, Champagne told her it appeared their child was injured.
Champagne's mother told the detective that her son and the child's mother had been arguing all day and that she had gone to Wal-Mart to pick up her grandchild from its parents. She said when she got home, the child was fine. The woman said she was at the home when the child was injured and that she is the one who took her to the hospital.
Champagne said that as far as he knows, his daughter is at an Orlando hospital under the custody of the Department of Children and Families.
A DCF spokesperson confirmed Friday that the infant remains in an Orlando hospital and said she will be sheltered from Champagne. As the investigation continues, the representative said, the child may be released to her mother.
http://www.ocala.com/article/20150821/ARTICLES/150829950/1005/sports01?p=1&tc=pg
Father charged with child abuse
By Austin L. Miller Staff writer Published: Friday, August 21, 2015 at 4:58 p.m. Last Modified: Friday, August 21, 2015 at 4:58 p.m.
OCALA – Without hesitation, Devin John Champagne said he deserves to be locked up at the Marion County Jail for abusing his infant daughter.
Champagne said the girl, Skylar Champagne, is 40 days old and that he broke her arm because he was frustrated.
“Yes, I think I should be arrested because I did it. I was trying to calm her down from her being fussy,” said the 18-year-old Champagne during an interview Friday afternoon while he was sitting on an aluminum bench at the jail.
Champagne was arrested Thursday by Marion County Sheriff's Office detective Thomas Newbanks and was charged with aggravated child abuse and child abuse.
On Friday, Champagne faced a judge via video link from the jail to the courthouse. He said his bail was set at $25,000 and that he is being represented by the Public Defender's Office.
According to Newbanks' report, the baby has six possible fractures: Three in her right leg, one in her left arm and two in her ribs.
Champagne agreed to take a polygraph, which, officials said, he failed. Champagne was then interviewed by Newbanks and admitted grabbing the baby's arm and forcefully twisting and pushing down. He said he heard a pop and realized the girl was injured. He also said that, at times, he would forcefully hold the victim's legs down, according to Newbanks' report.
Officials said they believe the fractures to the baby's legs may have come from Champagne holding her legs.
During the interview at the jail, Champagne, said he did not know why his daughter was fussing and that he had her arms folded “trying to calm her down" and "heard a pop.” He said Skylar was “never a quiet child” and has always been a “very active child.” He said any other injuries sustained by his daughter were not made by him.
Newbanks' report states that personnel at a hospital told him the injuries suffered by the child were indicative of child abuse.
Newbanks talked with the girl's mother, who said she and Champagne went out and left the child with his mother. When they got home, she said, her daughter was fine and was sleeping. She said she left the bedroom and was outside for about two to five minutes. When she came back inside, she said, Champagne told her it appeared their child was injured.
Champagne's mother told the detective that her son and the child's mother had been arguing all day and that she had gone to Wal-Mart to pick up her grandchild from its parents. She said when she got home, the child was fine. The woman said she was at the home when the child was injured and that she is the one who took her to the hospital.
Champagne said that as far as he knows, his daughter is at an Orlando hospital under the custody of the Department of Children and Families.
A DCF spokesperson confirmed Friday that the infant remains in an Orlando hospital and said she will be sheltered from Champagne. As the investigation continues, the representative said, the child may be released to her mother.
Dad charged with abusing 28-day-old baby; baby has skull fracture, multiple brain bleeds, fractures (Edmond, Oklahoma)
Dad is identified as JOHNATHAN MCKEE.
http://www.news9.com/story/29869650/edmond-father-accused-of-abusing-28-day-old-child
Edmond Father Accused Of Abusing 28-Day-Old Child
Posted: Aug 24, 2015 7:38 PM EST Updated: Aug 24, 2015 7:38 PM EST
By Dana Hertneky, News 9
EDMOND, Oklahoma - A 28-day-old baby is rushed to the hospital with severe injuries including a skull fracture and brain bleed.
This weekend, Edmond police arrested his father who is accused of abusing him.
Johnathan McKee was booked into the Oklahoma County jail Saturday night after investigators concluded he was responsible for the severe abuse of his 4-week-old baby.
Just before 6 a.m. August 1, emergency crews were called to the Edmond home on Tambos Trail near 2nd Street and Interstate 35.
“My son is a newborn and he is gurgling blood and spitting up blood and he’s not breathing right,” McKee told a dispatcher.
According to court papers the infant was rushed to OU Medical Center where doctors determined he had "multiple brain bleeds, skull fracture, multiple rib fractures and retinal hemorrhages, all indicative of child abuse."
Neither the baby's parents nor McKee's parents, who the couple was living with, would talk to investigators when they arrived at the hospital.
“We went immediately there and tried to meet with the mother and father of the infant and the grandparents of the infant and were told once we got to the hospital they had retained an attorney and were not going to cooperate with us,” Edmond police spokeswoman Jennifer Monroe said. “He has extensive injuries that will take a lifetime to recover from."
McKee has since bonded out of jail.
He was being held on a $10,000 bond.
http://www.news9.com/story/29869650/edmond-father-accused-of-abusing-28-day-old-child
Edmond Father Accused Of Abusing 28-Day-Old Child
Posted: Aug 24, 2015 7:38 PM EST Updated: Aug 24, 2015 7:38 PM EST
By Dana Hertneky, News 9
EDMOND, Oklahoma - A 28-day-old baby is rushed to the hospital with severe injuries including a skull fracture and brain bleed.
This weekend, Edmond police arrested his father who is accused of abusing him.
Johnathan McKee was booked into the Oklahoma County jail Saturday night after investigators concluded he was responsible for the severe abuse of his 4-week-old baby.
Just before 6 a.m. August 1, emergency crews were called to the Edmond home on Tambos Trail near 2nd Street and Interstate 35.
“My son is a newborn and he is gurgling blood and spitting up blood and he’s not breathing right,” McKee told a dispatcher.
According to court papers the infant was rushed to OU Medical Center where doctors determined he had "multiple brain bleeds, skull fracture, multiple rib fractures and retinal hemorrhages, all indicative of child abuse."
Neither the baby's parents nor McKee's parents, who the couple was living with, would talk to investigators when they arrived at the hospital.
“We went immediately there and tried to meet with the mother and father of the infant and the grandparents of the infant and were told once we got to the hospital they had retained an attorney and were not going to cooperate with us,” Edmond police spokeswoman Jennifer Monroe said. “He has extensive injuries that will take a lifetime to recover from."
McKee has since bonded out of jail.
He was being held on a $10,000 bond.
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Dad charged with 1st-degree murder in death of 3-month-old daughter (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
Dad is identified as JOHN WILLIAM HOPE.
http://theadvocate.com/news/13151635-123/baton-rouge-police-detectives-accuse
Baton Rouge police detectives accuse father of first-degree murder in the death of 3-month-old daughter
Advocate staff report
Aug. 12, 2015
The father of a 3-month-old baby who died Saturday from blunt-force trauma has been booked on a count of murder, Baton Rouge police said Tuesday.
Police detectives upgraded the count filed against John William Hope, 28, from second-degree cruelty to a juvenile to first-degree murder in the death of his daughter, Josephine Hope, said Cpl. Don Coppola, a police spokesman.
An autopsy conducted Monday resulted in East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner Dr. Beau Clark determining the baby’s death was a homicide.
The staff at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center contacted police Wednesday morning to report that Hope had brought in Josephine with life-threatening injuries — three skull fractures, multiple rib fractures, face and neck bruising, a bloody mouth and bloodshot eyes, according to police reports.
The baby was in critical condition Friday with no brain activity. She died Saturday.
Hope and the baby’s mother, Christine Hope, told doctors their daughter had fallen off a changing table, but emergency room staff said the child’s injuries did not align with the parents’ story, the report says.
“Injuries around the (child’s) neck were consistent with someone grabbing the baby by the neck,” the report says.
The father told police he left the baby on a changing table about 8 a.m. Wednesday while going to get a bottle. After he left the room, he heard a crash and walked back in to find Josephine on the floor, he told police.
He told Christine Hope the same story, and the couple took the baby to the hospital.
Hope also told police a knot on the baby’s head was caused earlier that morning when the baby head-butted him, but he had no explanation for the marks around her neck, the report says. Christine Hope said Josephine had no marks on her before going to sleep the night before.
Hope could face formal murder charges in her death, District Attorney Hillar Moore III said Monday, adding the decision to charge Hope will be left up to a grand jury.
“I anticipate second-degree murder would be an appropriate charge,” he said. “It’ll be some time before it gets to the grand jury because we have other cases before it.”
http://theadvocate.com/news/13151635-123/baton-rouge-police-detectives-accuse
Baton Rouge police detectives accuse father of first-degree murder in the death of 3-month-old daughter
Advocate staff report
Aug. 12, 2015
The father of a 3-month-old baby who died Saturday from blunt-force trauma has been booked on a count of murder, Baton Rouge police said Tuesday.
Police detectives upgraded the count filed against John William Hope, 28, from second-degree cruelty to a juvenile to first-degree murder in the death of his daughter, Josephine Hope, said Cpl. Don Coppola, a police spokesman.
An autopsy conducted Monday resulted in East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner Dr. Beau Clark determining the baby’s death was a homicide.
The staff at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center contacted police Wednesday morning to report that Hope had brought in Josephine with life-threatening injuries — three skull fractures, multiple rib fractures, face and neck bruising, a bloody mouth and bloodshot eyes, according to police reports.
The baby was in critical condition Friday with no brain activity. She died Saturday.
Hope and the baby’s mother, Christine Hope, told doctors their daughter had fallen off a changing table, but emergency room staff said the child’s injuries did not align with the parents’ story, the report says.
“Injuries around the (child’s) neck were consistent with someone grabbing the baby by the neck,” the report says.
The father told police he left the baby on a changing table about 8 a.m. Wednesday while going to get a bottle. After he left the room, he heard a crash and walked back in to find Josephine on the floor, he told police.
He told Christine Hope the same story, and the couple took the baby to the hospital.
Hope also told police a knot on the baby’s head was caused earlier that morning when the baby head-butted him, but he had no explanation for the marks around her neck, the report says. Christine Hope said Josephine had no marks on her before going to sleep the night before.
Hope could face formal murder charges in her death, District Attorney Hillar Moore III said Monday, adding the decision to charge Hope will be left up to a grand jury.
“I anticipate second-degree murder would be an appropriate charge,” he said. “It’ll be some time before it gets to the grand jury because we have other cases before it.”
"Home alone" dad charged with abusing 2-month-old son; baby may have permanent injuries (White Lake, Minnesota)
Yeah, like he can totally explain. He was home alone and all this stuff just, um, happened...
Dad is identified as ANTHONY MICHAEL LONGVILLE.
http://www.presspubs.com/white_bear/news/article_bd91e264-4083-11e5-ab6c-07fcc2292f04.html
Father charged with abusing baby
Posted: Tuesday, August 11, 2015 6:50 pm
A White Bear Township man is accused of abusing his infant son, possibly causing permanent harm.
Anthony Michael Longville, 29, was charged Aug. 7 with malicious punishment of a child. When he was 2-months-old, Longville's now 9-month-old son sustained multiple injuries allegedly caused by shaking or blunt force trauma.
According to the criminal complaint, the baby was taken to a hospital by ambulance because he was having difficulty breathing on Jan. 21. Longville was home alone with the baby and said he had left his son briefly unattended and returned to find him gasping for breath. The baby had no prior heath issues, Longville and his wife told an investigator.
Children's Hospital medical professionals found that the baby had bruising of his brain, bleeding and tearing in his eyes, scratches on his torso and multiple broken ribs in different stages of healing. Multiple medical professionals suspected the child was abused, according to the complaint. The brain injuries might have caused permanent brain damage and the eye injuries might have caused permanent vision impairment, the complaint states.
Longville's attorney provided a statement from a physician claiming that the baby's injuries might not have been the result of abuse. Dr. Steven Gabaeff reported the brain bleeding could have occurred before or shortly after the baby was born, that the difficulty breathing might have been caused by the vaccinations the baby received two days earlier and the broken ribs could have been caused by rickets.
Physicians at Children's Hospital's refuted Gabaeff's claims as improbable due to multiple reasons, according to the complaint. Dr. Alice Swenson “found that explanation to be unreasonable in light of the total constellation of injuries to this child, which are consistent with inflicted trauma and child abuse,” the complaint states.
Longville was booked and released on his own recognizance. His first court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 28.
Dad is identified as ANTHONY MICHAEL LONGVILLE.
http://www.presspubs.com/white_bear/news/article_bd91e264-4083-11e5-ab6c-07fcc2292f04.html
Father charged with abusing baby
Posted: Tuesday, August 11, 2015 6:50 pm
A White Bear Township man is accused of abusing his infant son, possibly causing permanent harm.
Anthony Michael Longville, 29, was charged Aug. 7 with malicious punishment of a child. When he was 2-months-old, Longville's now 9-month-old son sustained multiple injuries allegedly caused by shaking or blunt force trauma.
According to the criminal complaint, the baby was taken to a hospital by ambulance because he was having difficulty breathing on Jan. 21. Longville was home alone with the baby and said he had left his son briefly unattended and returned to find him gasping for breath. The baby had no prior heath issues, Longville and his wife told an investigator.
Children's Hospital medical professionals found that the baby had bruising of his brain, bleeding and tearing in his eyes, scratches on his torso and multiple broken ribs in different stages of healing. Multiple medical professionals suspected the child was abused, according to the complaint. The brain injuries might have caused permanent brain damage and the eye injuries might have caused permanent vision impairment, the complaint states.
Longville's attorney provided a statement from a physician claiming that the baby's injuries might not have been the result of abuse. Dr. Steven Gabaeff reported the brain bleeding could have occurred before or shortly after the baby was born, that the difficulty breathing might have been caused by the vaccinations the baby received two days earlier and the broken ribs could have been caused by rickets.
Physicians at Children's Hospital's refuted Gabaeff's claims as improbable due to multiple reasons, according to the complaint. Dr. Alice Swenson “found that explanation to be unreasonable in light of the total constellation of injuries to this child, which are consistent with inflicted trauma and child abuse,” the complaint states.
Longville was booked and released on his own recognizance. His first court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 28.
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