A 28-year-old man in Maryland is accused of killing his 4-month-old daughter by beating her to death while her mother was at work over the weekend.
Jordan Nathaniel Savoy was arrested on Sunday and charged with first- and second-degree murder in the child’s gruesome death, authorities said. Savoy was also charged with first-degree child abuse resulting in death, severe physical injury, first- and second-degree assault, and reckless endangerment.
According to a news release from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office, deputies and emergency medical workers responded to a complaint about a newborn who was not breathing at a residence in the 300 block of Barksdale Avenue in Waldorf, Maryland, at 6:45 p.m. on Sunday, November 23. The residence is approximately 55 miles south of Baltimore.
When first responders arrived at the scene, they discovered the victim and performed life-saving treatments before taking her to Charles Regional Medical Center by ambulance. Despite their best efforts, medics were unable to save the infant, who was pronounced dead when she arrived at the institution.
Detectives stated that a preliminary investigation led to the arrest of the victim’s father, Savoy, who was accused with murder.
Court documents obtained by Washington, D.C.-based CBS station WUSA revealed new details regarding the victim’s death.
According to the investigation, Savoy and the victim’s mother have two additional children, aged two and three. On the morning of November 23, the mother went to work, leaving Savoy to care for the three children.
Around 5:30 p.m. that day, Savoy reportedly called the mother and said he suspected something was wrong with the baby, noting that she was awake and breathing but appeared to be “limp.” Savoy reportedly stated he had no idea what was wrong with the victim. Before hanging up the phone, the mother instructed him to keep a tight eye on the child.
Several minutes later, Savoy called the mother again, stating the victim’s condition appeared to be worsening. During a following video chat, the infant appeared pale and lifeless, so the mother instructed Savoy to call 911 as she left work for home.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the mother got home and discovered Savoy holding the kid up in the air. She grabbed the infant, lowered her on the ground, and began performing CPR until medics arrived and took over.
Doctors at the hospital said that the newborn had fractures in her skull and clavicular bone, as well as major eye injuries.
While the infant was in the ambulance, Savoy and the mother followed in a friend’s automobile. During the journey, Savoy reportedly informed the baby’s mother that physicians were sure to detect bruising on the baby’s shoulders before urging her not to let authorities take him to prison.
In an interview with authorities, the mother reportedly stated that Savoy had previously complained about the baby’s excessive wailing, which upset him quickly.
She also mentioned that she had been hesitant to leave Savoy with the children, particularly the infant, because she had returned home the previous week to discover bruising on the girl’s hip. Savoy allegedly claimed she had fallen off the bed. The mother stated she was concerned the next day since the victim vomited numerous times but then appeared to behave normally.
Savoy reportedly refused to communicate with officials after his detention. He is currently being held without a bond. It was not immediately clear when he was supposed to appear in court.
