Three to five seconds is the amount of time a South Middleton Township man told investigators he shook his infant daughter after she woke up crying.
According to Cumberland County District Attorney David Freed, that may be all it took to kill his 4-week-old baby girl on Sept. 1.
"Three to five seconds is his verbatim statement," Freed said. "What the medical evidence will say about that, may or may not be something different.
"Based on my experience in cases of this nature, these babies are so small it doesn't take much."
Justin Lamont Thompson, 33, of South Middleton Township was arrested and charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault, endangering the welfare of a child and recklessly endangering another person Thursday.
The charges were announced at a Friday morning press conference held by Freed.
Thompson is being held in Cumberland County Prison without bail and is "tentatively" scheduled for a preliminary hearing Oct. 28, according to Freed.
Freed estimated the maximum sentence for all charges, if Thompson is convicted, would be around 40 years in prison.
What happened
Thompson called 911 at 7:21 a.m. Sept. 1 because his 4-week-old daughter, Ahzyre Thompson, was not breathing, Freed said. The infant was taken to Carlisle Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
A police investigation into Ahzyre's death began almost immediately.
"The coroner was called to the scene, pursuant to our procedures, and, based on what he saw, he then made a call to state police," Freed said.
Cumberland County Coroner Todd Eckenrode reported seeing retinal hemorrhages in the infant's eyes, consistent with being shaken.
Additionally, while in a hospital waiting area, Ahzyre's 6-year-old sister told a hospital security guard "someone should arrest my daddy, he was beating on my sister," Freed said.
An autopsy was performed the next day, but investigators only recently received the results.
"In keeping with our experience of autopsies on infants and young children ... results often take a few weeks to come in," Freed said. "That's based on the physiology and the age of the child."
The autopsy confirmed retinal hemorrhages, as well as hemorrhages in the brain and spinal chord, consistent with a shaking injury.
"Additionally, the autopsy did rule out other causes of death," Freed added.
Following the receipt of the autopsy results, investigators arranged for an interview with Thompson, which was held Thursday. During the course of the interview the man admitted to shaking the infant, Freed said.
Specifics
Thompson told investigators that Ahzyre woke up and was crying at 3 a.m. Sept. 1, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
The man said he picked the infant up and shook her for three to five seconds. Thompson then said he changed Ahzyre's diaper, fed her from a bottle and laid her back down, according to the affidavit.
Both Freed and Commander Steven Junkin from State police at Carlisle noted that the investigation will continue past the filing of these charges.
"The filing of charges does not end the case for us," Junkin said.
Freed said that he is confident in the investigators assigned to this case.
"My fondest hope would be, in a case like this, that the quantum of evidence is such that the child didn't have to testify," Freed added, referring to Ahzyre's sister.
Posted earlier on Cumberlink:
The father of a 4-week-old infant has been charged with the baby girl's death, according to District Attorney David Freed.
Justin Lamont Thompson, 33, of South Middleton Township, was charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault, endangering the welfare of a child and recklessly endangering another person.
The charges were announced today during a press conference on the death of Ahzyre Thompson, who was transported to Carlisle Regional Medical Center on Sept. 1, but was pronounced dead when she arrived at the hospital. Police had been investigating the death.
For more on this story, check back to the print and online edition of The Sentinel on Saturday.
Posted at 9:18 a.m. on Cumberlink:
The District Attorney's Office will hold a press conference at 11 a.m. today at the courthouse to discuss the death of a 4-week old girl from South Middleton Township on Sept. 1.
Police have been investigating the death of Ahzyre Thompson, whose death is being treated as suspicious. An autopsy from the Cumberland County Coroner was unable to determine the cause and manner of death.
The infant was taken to Carlisle Regional Medical Center via ambulance shortly before 7:30 a.m. Sept. 1, and EMS crews performed CPR on the girl, but once she arrived at the hospital, it was determined that she was deceased.
http://www.cumberlink.com/news/loca...5e6-11e0-a556-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1Z78rgnBe
CARLISLE, Pa. (WHTM) -
A four-week-old Cumberland County girl who died Thursday morning after arriving at a hospital in cardiac arrest had traumatic injuries to her head and neck, according to court documents in the case.
Authorities said in the documents that Ahzyre Thompson had blood in her eyes and bruises to her face, and that the injuries were consistent with "substantial external force being applied to the child's head."
Ahzyre was pronounced dead at Carlisle Regional Medical Center after being brought from her home at 9 Wiltshire East in South Middleton Township at around 7:30 a.m., authorities said.
The court documents indicate that Ahzyre's father, Justin Thompson, called 911 to report that the baby was not breathing.
Thompson told police that the girl awoke crying at around 3 a.m., but went back to sleep in his bed after a bottle, according to the documents. He related that he was the only adult in the home Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
An autopsy was performed Friday, but Coroner Todd Eckenrode said the cause and manner of death have not yet been determined pending further examination and investigation.
The documents also indicate that police searched the home and seized a bassinet, swing and stroller from the master bedroom, as well as sheets that appeared to be stained with blood.
Thompson has not been charged in the child's death, but police said in the court papers that as the only caretaker in the home, it is "highly probable" that he is responsible for the child's injuries.
"We have to gather information," District Attorney Dave Freed said. "I think clearly, based on what's written in the affidavit, we have suspicions that this was something that was more than an accident, and that's why we have to have these investigative steps."
Thompson is one of 20 people who were arrested in June in connection with a cocaine distribution ring that was operating in the Carlisle area.
http://www.abc27.com/story/15386255/court-papers-baby-girl-who-died-had-traumatic-head-neck-injuries (with video)
has been taken into custody.
