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Father Acquitted of Murder and Child Abuse of Baby Son

By Janet Langjahr

Father and five month old Son are staying with relatives in Florida.

Father falls asleep with Son lying on a queen-sized bed.

When Father awakens, Son is face-down at the edge of the bed, stuck against a dresser.

Son isn’t breathing.

Father administers CPR but is unable to revive Son.

Father yells for help and Aunt calls 911.

Paramedics are also unable to revive Son.

Father is very distraught and police Baker Act him (that is, take him into protective custody for psychiatric evaluation).

Medical examiners call Son’s death a homicide due to presence of extensive injuries, including broken ribs, ruptured bowel and internal bleeding.

Police eventually arrest Father for first degree murder and aggravated child abuse.

At his trial, Father maintains that Son’s ribs were broken in a fall weeks before Son’s death. Father reasons that the other injuries resulted from his failed CPR efforts.

Jury acquits Father on both murder and child abuse charges.

Read more in this Tampa Tribune article: Hillsborough jury acquits father in son’s death.

Full post as published by Florida Divorce - Child Custody - Domestic Abuse Law on September 03, 2010 (boomark / email).