UPDATE- Indiana man charged with battery in sons death The Clark County (Ind.) man charged with beating his four-year-old son pleaded not guilty Thursday afternoon on an amended felony battery charge relating to the boys death. Hayden Dukes died Jan. 8 at Kosair Childrens Hospital after days of fighting for his life, according to Indiana State Police. Christopher Bruck, 27, of the Underwood area of northern Clark County, initially was charged with aggravated battery, knowingly inflicting injury that created a substantial risk of death. A second count of felony neglect of a dependent causing death to a child was added Thursday. Bruck faces up to 50 years in prison for each charge, meaning he could serve 100 years under the current charges if sentenced to serve them consecutively, Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull said. Those are the charges that are supported by the evidence at this time, that he did batter that child and neglect that child, which resulted in the death, Mull said. The murder charge actually requires a knowing or intentional killing. Indiana State Police Detective Rachel Abbott, who investigated the case with fellow Detective David Mitchell, wrote in the probable-cause affidavit that led to Brucks arrest that he told her several stories at the hospital of how his son was injured about 4:30 p.m. Jan. 3. Ultimately, Abbott said, Bruck admitted that he was trying to watch TV when his son kept getting up into his face and pulling on his hand. Abbott said Bruck admitted that he lost control and used the palm of his left hand to hit his son in the forehead, causing the boy to fall backward on the carpeted concrete floor of Brucks house in the the Underwood area north of Henryville. State police believe Bruck didnt call for emergency medical services until more than an hour after the injury, noting the man said Hayden began to act injured, tilt his head to the side, cry and then fall asleep on a bed. The evidence that I have is that this defendant was watching a ball game. The child came up and was tugging on his arm and the defendant pushed the child with his arm and the child fell and hit his head on a hard floor, which resulted in his death, Mull said. Indiana law doesnt support a murder charge under those facts, he said. courier-journal/story/news/crime/2015/01/22/indiana-man-charged-murder-sons-death/22165009/
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 22:34:51 +0000
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