Friday, July 29, 2011

Dad to stand trial in death of 3-month-old son (Montgomery County, Pennsylvania)

"Caretaking" dad JAMEEL EAST will be standing trial on 3rd-degree murder charges in the death of his 3-month-old son.

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/the_intelligencer_news/father-to-stand-trial-in-infant-s-death/article_463a5296-0614-5e49-bfb7-00aa09d816d2.html

Father to stand trial in infant's death
Posted: Friday, July 29, 2011 12:00 am | Updated: 6:12 am, Fri Jul 29, 2011.

By BILL DEVLIN
STAFF WRITER Calkins Media, Inc.

The Towamencin man accused in the death of his infant son will be tried in Montgomery County Court.

Jameel Earthy East, 22, is charged with third-degree murder in the death of 3-month-old Enzo East.

On Thursday, District Judge Catherine Hummel Fried ordered East held for county court on the murder charge and a charge of making false statements to police.

The infant died June 25 in The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia from head injuries, including two skull fractures, that authorities said occurred when East was caring for the child.

Questioned by authorities, East initially told them that, while he was carrying the child down the staircase, he began to fall and the child’s head slammed against the wall. He later told authorities he felt “overwhelmed” when the child vomited on him. He took the child into the bathroom to bathe him and struck the child’s head against the hard counter surface between the two sinks, he later said.

East could be sentenced to a maximum of 20 to 40 years in prison if convicted of third-degree murder.

He is being held in Montgomery County Prison.