Terre Haute man charged with 'shaken baby' death of infant

ICN file photo

Jones/ Vigo Co. Jail

​By Lucy Perry
Indiana Central News

A Terre Haute man is facing charges after officials say he shook a baby, causing  head trauma leading to his death.

Marshon O. Jones, 24, was booked into the Vigo County Jail Saturday around 11:15 p.m. He was initially charged with escaping from lawful detention. Additional charges of aggravated battery resulting in death, a level 1 felony and neglect of a dependent resulting in death. a level 1 felony were filed Tuesday. 

The baby was rushed to an Indianapolis hospital Saturday, Aug. 1 with little chance of surviving the trauma to his head and spine. The young victim eventually succumbed to those injuries.

The Terre Haute Police Department investigation began late that afternoon ---  when emergency crews responded to the N. 15th Street home on a report of the 4-month-old boy found unresposive on a bedroom floor.

 Jones told officers his infant son had fallen off the bed, just after he had steppped out of the room to prepare a bottle for the baby in the kitchen.  He reportedly stated he heard a loud "boom," when the victim allegedly fell to the floor from his propped position on the bed.

Two other young children were also in Jones' care at the time of the incident, while a fourth child was not present at the home, according to the probable cause affidavit, filed by Det. Donald Toney, of the THPD, Tuesday. Their mother was away at work, when she said she received a call from the suspect explaining the baby wasn't breathing. She described Jones as emotional and crying, as he informed her the baby was unresponsive after a  "fall."

Medical officials soon concluded the story about the child falling off the bed was a lie.

In fact, the Marion County Coroner Dr. John Cauvenaugh states he believes the injuries were caused by " some form of shaking and then being thrown down."

That report was similar to other professional assessments of the the brain and spine injuries the victim suffered in the end. 

"The injuries were consistent with violent shaking with or without impact," according to the court documents. It is also noted in the documents that the victim had just had a routine doctor's visit the day before and was acting normally --  observed to be in good health.

Police say Jones confessed to abusing the baby.

When Jones was taken into custody for violating the house arrest he was serving for a separate child abuse case, he eventually admitted to picking the baby up and  allegedly stated he "shook him until he went limp. He doesn't know what came over him, or why he did it," Toney said.

Jones was awaiting trial for earlier child abuse charges when he was arrested in this case.

 Jones was previously arrested March 23, 2018 for battery resulting in serious bodily injury to a person less than 14-years- old and two counts of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury. He was released from the Vigo County Jail a short time later and placed on an ankle monitor program until his trial date, according to the THPD.

Investigation revealed that Jones had cut his ankle bracelet and was possibly in Indianapolis, according to the Terre Haute Police Department.  An escape warrant was issued for Jones, and he was ultimately taken into custody by the US Marshal’s Task Force Saturday.

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