Two Sunflower County residents are behind bars, each charged with first-degree murder in the death of their 8 week-old infant girl.
An arrest warrant was issued on Oct. 24, for 37-year-old Antonio Carter and 18-year-old Shai’Brelle Nelson after the death of the infant was ruled a homicide and autopsy results revealed the cause of death as blunt-force trauma to the head, Indianola Police Chief Edrick Hall said.
The girl died at a Jackson hospital on Oct. 23, just five days after being airlifted out of Indianola, subsequent to an Oct. 18 incident at an apartment that reportedly left the child with brain swelling and a broken collarbone.
According to Hall, the child was brought to the South Sunflower County Hospital on the day of the incident, where the parents told attendants that the baby rolled off of the couch.
The child was then immediately airlifted to The University of Mississippi Medical Center.
Upon examination, the hospital determined that the injuries were not consistent with the fall described and notified the Department of Child Protection Services, who contacted the Indianola police.
Hall said their investigation of the incident began at that point.
“In my 18 years, this is my worse case, this is the worse case I’ve ever seen,” Hall said, “Every investigator here has shed tears over this case.”
He said the preliminary investigation indicates that one parent may have committed what he called “this heinous act,” but both parents were likely present when the alleged assault happened.
The autopsy was done the day after the child passed away, and Hall said other injuries were noted by the medical examiner, but the head trauma was the primary cause of death.
Municipal Court Judge Kuykendall Murry set the parents’ bond at $1 million each during their initial appearance on Monday and Hall noted that other charges are pending because the investigation is still ongoing. Investigator Regina Simpson is heading the inquiry and has been conducting the interviews but as of Monday no motive was given.
Carter and Nelson are scheduled to appear before Murry on Nov. 14 at 4 p.m. for their preliminary hearing. According to Hall, this was Nelson’s only child although Carter reportedly had six other children.
