Ohio man accused of fatally abusing girlfriend's son, causing cardiac arrest and brain bleed
05/22/2024 12:01 pm PDT
CINCINNATI (TCD) -- A 23-year-old man faces charges after his girlfriend's 21-month-old son died from suspected abuse and "violent impacts" this month.
According to the Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, on the morning of May 2, paramedics responded to Aminata Keita's home in reference to an unresponsive 21-month-old child. Officials found Keita's son, identified by WXIX-TV as Kareem Keita, and transported him to Cincinnati Children's Hospital ICU. The boy died three days later.
Following the toddler's death, further examination reportedly showed the victim suffered cardiac arrest, bone fractures, a rib fracture with subdural hemorrhage, liver lacerations, retinal hemorrhages, and brain swelling caused by a brain bleed.
According to the prosecuting attorney's office, physicians at the hospital determined the boy sustained his injuries "from violent impacts against objects or from delivered blows." His death was ruled a homicide.
Investigators identified Edward Murray as the primary suspect. He and the victim's mother had reportedly been dating for around three months.
On the night Kareem Keita died, Murray was allegedly alone with him playing outside the house. The attorney's office said Murray tucked the child into bed without any dinner because Kareem Keita was tired. Murray was reportedly alone with the boy in the bedroom for "several minutes before returning to smoke marijuana" with his girlfriend. No one monitored him for the rest of the night.
The next morning, Murray was allegedly alone with Kareem Keita again when officials learned he was unresponsive. According to the attorney's office, "Murray was unable to provide any alternate explanation" for the victim's severe injuries.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers announced May 20 that Murray was indicted on two counts of murder –– special felony, one count of felonious assault, and one count of child endangering. He faces up to life in prison if convicted. Murray remains held in the Hamilton County Jail on $1 million bond.
Powers called the case "heartbreaking and sickening." She said, "I cannot imagine the amount of evil required to hurt an innocent child so severely. It is genuinely disturbing to think someone capable of doing this might walk among us."
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