A 25-year-old man is facing serious charges following the death of an 18-month-old girl. Arkansas medical examiners have claimed the toddler, who was the daughter of the man’s girlfriend, was a violent crimes victim. If he is found guilty of the criminal charges, he could spend years in prison.
The report states police were called to a medical center around 4:15 p.m. on the afternoon of Jan. 30 when the man and his 20-year-old girlfriend carried the body of the deceased toddler into the emergency room. Police immediately launched an investigation, which led to the man allegedly admitting to punching the child in the abdomen several times, as well as having struck the child in the past. Medical examiners confirmed the girl died of blunt force abdominal trauma.
Police searched the couple’s apartment, leading to the man’s arrest for felony possession of a firearm as well as first-degree murder. The man has been arrested and convicted in several states in the past, and he is now being held by Sebastian County officials in advance of a trial date. No further court date has been reported at this time.
The death of a child is a horrific tragedy, and to be charged with violent crimes associated with that death is clearly a serious situation. In order for a first-degree murder conviction to be secured, Arkansas prosecutors will have to prove the man knowingly caused the child’s death. His defense representation clearly has a difficult task but will fight to ensure that the man’s not insubstantial legal rights are fully protected at every stage of the coming court proceedings.
Source: arkansasonline.com, “Man jailed on murder charge in death of girlfriend’s child“, Feb. 4, 2018