Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Dad on trial for murdering 2-year-old son (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Dad is identified as ANTRONE SMITH.

http://www.local12.com/news/local/story/Lawyer-Dad-Didnt-Mean-To-Kill-Two-Year-Old-Son/r_bBO92x80---K6RtP4olg.cspx

Lawyer: Dad Didn't Mean To Kill Two Year Old Son

Published: 4:31 pm Updated: 4:35 pm

A father is on trial for murdering his two year old son. Antrone Smith admits to causing his boy's death, but his attorney says he shouldn't die for the crime.

Antrone Smith admits to punching his son, Damarcus, in the stomach in October of 2011, which caused his death. The blow tore a hole in the boy's intestine, causing him to bleed to death. The prosecutor says scars and bruises covered Damarcus' body.

During opening statements, Smith's attorney told jurors those injuries had nothing to do with Damarcus' death and Smith tried to save his son by calling 911 and performing CPR. Smith's attorney called the punch stupid and ignorant, but said Smith didn't mean to kill his toddler.

The first witness was the foster mother who took care of Damarcus and his three brothers in the first two years of Damarcus' life. She didn't want to go on camera. She said he was a happy loving baby.

To help with the transition, she took Damarcus for an afternoon after he spent time in the hospital for a seizure. She says he did not want to go back to his parents. "When I brought him back Damarcus still screaming and hollering and Antrone said 'stop acting like you're never going to see her again, you'll see her,'" says Damarcus' foster mother, "I seen him was at the funeral, that was the last time I seen him."

At the funeral the foster mother said Damarcus didn't look the same and he'd lost weight.

Damarcus' biological mother Latricia Jackson faces a child endangering charge.