Prosecuted for Fatherhood

May 3, 2013 permalink

Ella Dawn Edwards was born with multiple medical problems and died at age seven months in March 2011. In today's hysterical culture of child abuse, every child death outside the child protection system merits a prosecution. Prosecutors relied on the scientifically discredited shaken baby syndrome. Father Aaron Edwards has been acquitted of causing his daughter's death.

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Father found not guilty in death of daughter

Aaron Edwards was charged with involuntary manslaughter after his 7-month-old daughter died.

Melissa Powell | 381-8621, Friday, May 3, 2013

A jury deliberated four hours Friday before finding Aaron Edwards not guilty of killing his 7-month-old daughter in March 2011.

Edwards, 26, who was facing an involuntary manslaughter charge, took a deep breath and hugged his lawyer, Chris Tuck, after the verdict was read.

The trial in Giles County Circuit Court began one week ago, and the jury of six women and six men heard hours of testimony from medical professionals and law enforcement officials.

According to testimony, EMS personnel were called to the family’s Rich Creek home on March 1, 2011, and found Ella Dawn Edwards breathing but limp and unresponsive. Ella was taken to Carilion Giles Memorial Hospital and then flown to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, where she underwent surgery to relieve pressure from swelling of her brain and remained on life support for several days before dying on March 8, 2011.

Ella had retinal hemorrhages, subdural bleeding, brain swelling, six fractured ribs, bruising on the left side of her face and bruising on her chest and back, according to testimony.

Gayle Suzuki, an assistant chief medical examiner for the state department of health, testified earlier in the week that after performing an autopsy on Ella, she determined the cause of death to be abusive head trauma, which is also referred to as “shaken baby syndrome.”

But Tuck called two medical experts to the stand who testified that on March 1, 2011, Ella’s airway was compromised for whatever reason and her brain began to swell. Both said that there was evidence Ella had been vomiting and that she may have choked on her vomit, interrupting her breathing. Tuck added in his closing argument that Ella’s heart could have stopped, which would also deprive her of oxygen and cause the brain swelling. Ella was born with a hole in her heart, had respiratory problems and was vitamin D deficient, according to testimony.

The prosecution “has to rule out every reasonable theory of evidence,” Tuck said in his closing argument. “Can you honestly say they’ve done that?”

Source: Roanoke Times