Latest news with #infantdeath
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Sweet-looking Oklahoma babysitter charged with unthinkable killing of child after being hired on Facebook
A sweet-looking babysitter who was hired by parents on Facebook has been charged with the death of a 22-day-old Oklahoma child after police found she committed a similar sickening act on a two-month-old. Holly Sheppard, who is already serving a life sentence at Oklahoma County Detention Center for abusing a child in 2023, was slapped with additional charges Monday in connection to the tragic Oklahoma City death of Willow Rose Shelton. The infant was brought to St. Anthony's Hospital on January 25 with 'non-accidental abusive head trauma,' police told KOKH. She died soon after. Shelton's mother said Sheppard was taking care of her baby for four days when the incident occurred, according to court documents obtained by the outlet. Several witnesses were interviewed, but the lead investigator couldn't determine exactly who was taking care of the infant when she was injured so the case was left unsolved for seven years. But five years after Shelton died, another baby, two-month-old Korra Burdick, was brought to Oklahoma Children's Hospital on July 14, 2023 with a brain injury after being babysat by Sheppard in Ponca City - a little more than an hour outside of Oklahoma City. She thankfully survived and was moved to the intensive care unit. At the time, Sheppard told investigators she didn't know how the baby got hurt, but she later changed her story several times and went on to admit she dropped Burdick twice, The Bull Tulsa reported. She told authorities she dropped the child after tripping over a toy, but doctors said her brain injury was too extensive to be caused by a drop, an affidavit, reviewed by the outlet, showed. The baby was left with internal bleeding, two skull fractures and had to have a flap of her skull removed to relieve pressure, Kay News Cow reported at the time. Sheppard was then arrested for child neglect, child abuse and obstruction of justice. Her bond was set at $500,000 and she was ordered not to have any contact with children, records detailed. In November 2024, she entered a blind plea of no contest and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of release after 25 years in Kay County. But, now she might never get out after being charged with first-degree murder in the death of the first child. It is unclear how many years she could face behind bars for the death of baby Shelton. Ponca City Deputy Chief of Police Josh Henderson said Sheppard's crimes were 'inexcusable and represent a profound betrayal of the trust placed in someone responsible for a child's care.' 'No child should ever suffer harm at the hands of those entrusted with their safety,' Henderson told KOKH. 'We are grateful for the opportunity to assist other agencies across Oklahoma in their pursuit of justice in heartbreaking cases such as these.' Although years have gone on with no answers for the first crime, McKenzie Allen, Burdick's mother, has made sure both her and Shelton's stories are told. She started a Facebook page called Korra's Journey, where she gives updates of her daughter's milestones and success since the horrible injury. On Tuesday, after hearing Sheppard was charged with Shelton's murder, Allen posted: 'Justice for Baby Willow is finally happening. #JusticeForWillow #Justice4Korra' On the day Sheppard was sentenced for her daughter's incident, Allen took to the page sharing her pain and strength. 'Tomorrow is the day. The day that we sit in that courtroom reliving all the trauma like it happened yesterday,' she wrote. 'All the horrific memories and feelings flood back as we sit and listen. Tomorrow we will be able to stand up against evil and be Korra's voice.' Burdick recently celebrated her second birthday in April, according to her mom's Facebook. Joe Dorman, the CEO of the Oklahoma Institute of Child Advocacy, said these startling cases should serve as a reminder to parents to be cautious when picking a babysitter online. 'I would be wary of searching for any individual to be a babysitter on the internet,' he told KOCO News. 'If you go through a professional service, that's one thing, but don't just post to people who might be a connection on Facebook, "I need a babysitter," because how well do you truly know them?' Instead, Dorman said if parents can't turn to trusted relatives or friends to watch their children, they should use legitimate babysitting services that conduct background searches on caregivers. 'These businesses will hire individuals, ensure they're background checked, and put them through some training sometimes, so that's usually a better option,' he said. In Oklahoma specifically, he suggested parents check if potential babysitters have faced any charges by combing through the Oklahoma State Courts Network. 'That will allow you to look up any kind of court filing or some kind of ticket that an individual has received,' he explained. Still, Dorman noted that sometimes a parent's only option is to hire a stranger to be responsible for their kids. 'Sometimes you are placed into a situation where you have no choice but to pay a babysitter. You just want to make sure you're doing it as safe as possible.'
The Sun
19 hours ago
- The Sun
Tragic baby boy crushed to death after dad suffers fatal heart attack and collapses on top of him
A THREE-MONTH-OLD boy was fatally crushed when his dad suffered a heart attack while cuddling him in bed. Little Muhammad Nur Daniel Nurul Effendy and dad Nurul Effendy Ibrahim, 35, were found dead at their family home in Malaysia. 2 2 Dad Nurul was found unconscious by his wife, Azura, with their baby lying under his arm on Thursday. At first, Azura thought there had been a gas leak in the family's home in Melaka, in southern Malaysia, local media reports. She told media: "I knew something was wrong even though there was no blood. "My husband was unconscious and our baby, who was still breathing at that time, was pinned under his arm. However, our baby looked very weak and pale.' The tot, who had turned blue from the lack of oxygen, was rushed to hospital but died while receiving treatment. Relatives said that the night before, Nurul had complained of chest pains. The couple had reportedly waited 15 years for Muhammad, their third child. Cases of infants dying from asphyxiation while sleeping or cuddling with a parent are sadly not unique. Unintentional suffocation is the leading cause of injury death among infants under the age of one in the US, according to the National Institutes of Health. It is not recommended to co-sleep with babies, especially if they were born premature or with a low birth weight, as per guidance from the NHS. Falling asleep with a baby on a sofa or chair is said to greatly increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). It comes as missing Brit backpacker Jordan Johnson-Doyle was found dead in Malaysia in early June. Jordan, 25, from Southport, was last seen at a bar in capital Kuala Lumpur but then vanished - sparking a frantic search from family and police. Jordan had been travelling around south-east Asia while working remotely for an American software company. Malaysian police confirmed on June 5 that a body was found at the base of a lift shaft, and had been identified as Jordan. Kuala Lumpur police chief Rusdi Mohd Isa said the force had "received information that a man was found lying on his back in the lift [shaft] on the ground floor of a construction site". He added that the post-mortem examination revealed "the cause of death was a chest injury sustained from a fall from height". The death is not being treated as suspicious. A FCDO spokesperson said at the time that the Foreign Office was "supporting the family of a British man who died in Malaysia".
CBS News
3 days ago
- CBS News
Stockton man who physically abused infant son to death gets 50 years to life
STOCKTON — A Stockton man was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison for physically abusing his two-month-old baby to death, prosecutors said Monday. Mathew Garcia was convicted in early February of one count of child abuse resulting in death, one count of child abuse with a great bodily injury enhancement and misdemeanor child abuse, the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office said. Garcia, 28, was arrested in mid-November 2020 after the infant, Emiliano Garcia, was admitted to UC Davis Medical Center with major injuries. According to the DA's office, Amber Navarro, Emiliano's mother, first noticed a red spot and a white patch on the baby's mouth on November 10, 2020, and sought medical attention. Emiliano was diagnosed with thrush and sent home, but later that night, he developed a fever, irregular breathing and seizures while under the care of his father. Evidence revealed that Emiliano's father had repeatedly physically abused him. That abuse included Mathew Garcia shaking and kicking Emiliano and violently shoving a bottle in his mouth. The DA's office said it was also discovered that Matthew Garcia had thrown Emiliano into a bathtub just days before his death and never sought medical attention for a "mushy spot" on the baby's head, nor informed the mother of what happened. Emiliano Garcia died in the hospital on November 14, 2020. His cause of death was determined to be severe craniocerebral trauma, resulting from being violently assaulted, the DA said. In the days after Emiliano's death, CBS Sacramento learned that Matthew Garcia had a criminal history and would have still been in prison if not for an early release that was granted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Garcia was arrested the previous year and had been serving time for a felony burglary and attempted robbery conviction related to a home invasion with five young children in an apartment. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said Garcia was supposed to be released from prison in December 2020, but that he had amassed enough pre-sentence and in-custody credits to qualify him for an early release under the governor's 180-day pandemic release order during that time.
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
Mom accused of killing 8-month-old son by putting him in scalding bathwater because she was mad over dirty diaper
A Texas mom has been accused of killing her 8-month-old baby after putting him in scalding hot bathwater because she was angry he had a dirty diaper. Jatoria Renae Cleamons, 21, is facing charges of injury to a child and manslaughter in the death of her infant son, KSLA reported. Deputies with the Bowie County Sheriff's Office were called to her Texarkana, Texas, home on Feb. 4 to assist with a medical call. When authorities arrived, they found EMS performing CPR on an 8-month-old baby. Cleamons allegedly admitted to investigators that she had placed her baby in scalding hot bathwater, causing him severe burns to the skin while bathing him. She also apparently told police that she had done so because she was frustrated that her son had pooped in his diaper. The infant died approximately two weeks after the incident, while Cleamons was staying with a relative in Hooks, Texas, according to officials with the local police department. After the infant died, Justice of the Peace Jay Wommack ordered he be sent to the Southwest Institute of Forensics for an autopsy. His autopsy result listed the cause of death as thermal injuries (scalding). The manner of death was listed as homicide, according to KSLA. Multiple agencies were involved in a coordinated investigation into the baby's death, including officers from Hooks Police Department, investigators with the Bowtie County District Attorney's Office and investigators with the Texarkana Texas Police Department.
Washington Post
7 days ago
- Washington Post
Police arrest American on Greek island suspected in Rome deaths of a woman and infant
MILAN — Greek authorities detained an American man Friday on the Greek island of Skiathos suspected of killing an infant found over the weekend in a Rome park and of having a role in the death of the infant's mother, whose body was found nearby. The American, who was not identified, was detained on a European arrest warrant issued in Italy, and he will be formally arrested when the warrant is forwarded, Greek police told The Associated Press. The suspect will appear before a judge in an extradition hearing next week and has the right to challenge his transfer.
