Dad ANDREW KEITH JOHNSTON may be charged with homicide in the death of his 1-month-old son. Appears that the baby suffered general abuse in addition to abusive head trauma, which left the infant lethargic. In a panic, Daddy then put the kid in cold water to revive him, which caused hypothermia, especially in a newborn. But of course, cold water does nothing to help when you have a hemorrhage in the brain. The baby died after being removed from life support.
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Homicide charges likely against Normandy father
Posted: Jan 27, 2011 4:01 PM CST
NORMANDY, Tenn. – Homicide charges are likely to be filed against a Normandy man charged with abusing his one-month-old son, who later died from his injuries.
An autopsy from the state medical examiner office determined the cause of death of the infant to be homicide, according to a report in the Shelbyville Times Gazette, and the aggravated child abuse charge against the child's father, 18-year-old Andrew Keith Johnston, would likely be amended.
Johnston's son died last October 22 after doctors at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville removed him from life support a night earlier.
Authorities became aware of the alleged abuse on the night of October 15, after a call went out about an unresponsive baby on Normandy Road.
The baby was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for hypothermia and his condition seemed to be improving.
According to a report filed with the Tullahoma Police Department, the child was normal and responsive until a few days later, when his mother noticed that the infant's left eye was extremely dilated, and it was discovered that the child had hemorrhaging in the brain.
The child was taken to Vanderbilt where doctors reported the boy also had broken ribs and fingerprint marks on one of his legs.
The boy's father told hospital personnel that he put the baby in cold water in the shower for a few minutes in an attempt to wake him.
A preliminary hearing has been set for February 24 during which a judge will determine whether there is enough evidence to bind Johnston over to the Bedford County grand jury.