Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
2 dads face charges in deaths of infants
A Coatesville man and a Downingtown man were arrested Thursday on murder charges in the deaths of infants in their care in two separate, unrelated incidents. In one case a toddler was physically abused; in the other the tot ingested an anti-psychotic medication, authorities said.
Arrested were Jamal Bailey, 41, of West Lancaster Avenue, Downingtown, and William Gardner, 27, of Foundry Street in Coatesville. Both Bailey and Gardner were primary caretakers for their children.
“It is a tragedy when any child dies,” said Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan. “But when children die at the hands of the people who are supposed to care for them and protect them, it is an outrage.”
Bailey has been charged with homicide for administering Seroquel, an anti-psychotic medication, to his 10-month-old daughter, causing her death, Hogan announced Thursday. After a lengthy investigation, Hogan said the child had been administered Seroquel for at least 30 days prior to her death and the defendant wiped his phone directly after her death.
Gardner has been charged with homicide for the abusive head trauma death of his 4-month-old son. An examination of the child’s body also revealed more than 15 rib fractures, eye damage, and brain injuries, Hogan said. Other causes for the fatal injuries have been ruled out.
The investigation into Bailey began on April 26, 2017, when Downingtown police officers responded to a 911 call at Bailey’s home. Police officers found the infant victim unresponsive, with a greenish mucus coming from her mouth and nose. She was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead.
An autopsy on the little
girl revealed that she had died from quetiapine intoxication. Quetiapine, brand name Seroquel, is an antipsychotic medication. It is not approved for use in children or infants. The victim was not prescribed this antipsychotic drug.
The investigation revealed that the defendant had a prescription for Seroquel, which he was prescribed for a bi-polar diagnosis. Bailey told police that the baby was not a good sleeper, and the baby’s sleeping habits were making him tired. He said that Seroquel made him sleepy. However, Bailey denied giving Seroquel to the baby to get her to sleep, Hogan said. The explanations offered for how the baby was exposed to Seroquel included the possibility that she reached the pill bottle of Seroquel from her crib and opened it; the defendant inadvertently mixed the drug into her formula once; or the pills were spilled throughout the residence.
Hogan said a Chester County detective had the foresight to recover hair from the infant victim. Hair samples can show how long a person has been exposed to a drug. In this case, the victim’s hair sample revealed that she had been ingesting Seroquel for 30-45 days prior to her death.
Police seized Bailey’s phone after the death of his daughter. Bailey had “wiped” the contents of his phone after the baby’s death.
Bailey has been charged with third-degree murder and related charges.
“The Downingtown Borough Police Department and Chester County Detectives worked tirelessly to bring home this case,” said Howard Holland, Downingtown police chief. “Child abuse cases require team-work, patience, and extraordinary efforts. We will continue to work to see that justice is done for this child victim.”
The investigation into Gardner began in December of 2016, when Gardner was in charge of taking care of his 4-month-old son, Ayden Gardner. Gardner’s mother worked during the day and the Gardner was unemployed, leaving him to take care of the baby.
On Dec.7, 2016, West Brandywine Township police officers responded to a 911 call at 20 Navajo Lane, West Brandywine Township. Gardner was at the residence with the infant victim. The baby was lying on a sofa, blue and cold to the touch. He was transported to the hospital and pronounced dead.
The Chester County District Attorney’s Office investigated, and county detectives and the Chester County Coroner’s Office initiated a series of complex medical examinations of the infant victim involving multiple specialists.
Hogan said the medical findings were deeply disturbing. The baby had over 15 rib fractures, ranging from within days to over three months old (and the baby was only 4 months old). The baby had bruises on the spine and scalp. The brain of the infant showed acute and remote subdural hematomas, indicative of massive head trauma that was both recent and ongoing. The baby’s eyes revealed retinal hemorrhages and optic nerve hemorrhages. Hogan said the injuries showed a baby that was abused severely and consistently for at least three months.
Detectives interviewed everyone associated with the child. They all confirmed that Gardner was the primary caretaker for the child and that nobody else had injured the baby in any way. On the date of the baby’s death, the witnesses described Gardner as calling them to report that something was wrong with the baby, but not calling 911. Gardner denied any accidental falls or injuries to the child and confirmed that he was always home with the baby.
Gardner has been charged with third-degree murder and related offenses.
“Child abuse cases involving the death of an infant are complex and heartbreaking,” said Assistant District Attorney Erin O’Brien. “Due to their age, the children could not have verbally reported the abuse to other family members. Now the children are dead. They will never be able to tell their stories. Instead, we will be relying on medical experts to explain what happened to these infants. We know that these are difficult cases. But somebody has to stand up for the children.”
Anybody with information on the Gardner case should contact Chester County Detective Oscar Rosado at (610) 344-6866, and anyone with information on the Bailey case should contact Downingtown Detective Andy Trautmann at 610269-0263 or Chester County Detective Jim Ciliberto at 610-344-6866.