John Morico's gf's 11 month old died says he tripped while holding baby & fell on her

[Sister Iroz]

MANATEE — A Bradenton man has been arrested in connection with the death of his girlfriend’s baby.

John Morico, 19, was charged with child neglect with great bodily harm after he told detectives that he tripped while holding the child and accidently fell on her, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies began investigating after they received a report at 8:45 p.m. Saturday of an unresponsive 11-month-old girl in a trailer in the 3700 block of Manatee Avenue West. The initial investigation indicated a possible medical seizure with no visible injuries, according to the report.

The child was taken to Manatee Memorial Hospital where it was learned she had a skull fracture. She was then transported to All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg in critical condition, according to the sheriff’s office.

The child died Tuesday.

Detectives say Morico admitted to what happened after they determined there were inconsistencies with the stories given by the child’s mother and Morico, her live-in boyfriend.

The mother has not been charged. The investigation continues with additional arrests and charges possible, according to authorities.

Morico is currently being held in Manatee County jail with a $10,000 bond.

http://www.bradenton.com/2010/09/16/...-in-death.html

[Valasca]

Feasible, but this is in Florida. He klled her. No doubt. While she was crying, I bet

[Kindly One]

Feasible, but this is in Florida. He klled her. No doubt. While she was crying, I bet

Well, now, that's a bit of an oversimplification. I prefer to use a slightly more complicated equation for calculating potential guilt. Namely:

Dead child + Bizarre accident* = Possible tragic and accidental death

Dead child + Bizarre accident + Boyfriend = More than likely murder

Dead child + Bizarre accident + Boyfriend + trailer = Murder

Dead child + Bizarre accident+ Boyfriend + trailer + Florida = Just shoot the fucker.

* Indicates convoluted and physiologically unlikely scenarios involving stairs, bathtubs, couches, sinks, stumbling/falling, toilets, coffee tables and diaper changing.

[Valasca]

That was freaking epic, KO.

[Silvahalo]

Rest in peace baby girl...

[ineedanap]

WOnder if he'll blame it on the stairs???

[Jerri Blank]

First-degree murder charges filed in 2010 infant death

MANATEE -- A Bradenton man has been charged with first-degree murder in the September 2010 death of an infant who was in his care.

John Morico, 20, was originally charged with felony child neglect for the death of 11-month-old Payton Nash. A month later, the charges were upgraded to aggravated manslaughter of a child.

Last week, officials charged Morico with first-degree murder. He remains in the Manatee County jail, where he is being held without bond.

After the death, Morico told investigators he tripped while holding the child, and that he struck the child’s head with his elbow while falling onto the floor, according to reports.

Morico then placed the child in bed and did not notify anyone, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant State Attorney Lon Arend said the state will not seek the death penalty.

Arend said the first-degree murder charges are warranted any time child abuse results in death.

Since the incident, detectives determined there were inconsistencies in statements made by Morico and by Payton’s mother, his live-in girlfriend.

Arend said no charges have been filed against the child’s mother. He declined to comment further, citing the rules established by the court.

According to an autopsy, Payton died of a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain.

An indictment returned by a Manatee County Grand jury last week states that Morico did “feloniously and from a premeditated design, effect the death of Payton Nash.”

According to documents filed with the court, prosecutors will show there were two prior incidents when Payton was injured by Morico.

In what the prosecution calls “The Stroller Incident,” which occurred three days prior to her death, Payton received a head injury while under Morico’s care.

Morico, according to court documents, told hospital staff and family members that a stroller had fallen on the child’s head.

“When interviewed about the fatal head injury at issue in this case, (Morico) initially tried to blame hospital staff for not treating the victim properly for this head injury that occurred three days earlier,” the documents state.

In what prosecutors labeled “The Bathroom Incident,” Payton received another head injury two days before she was killed.

According to court documents, Morico and the child’s mother were having sex in the bathroom; Morico was intoxicated. Payton awoke from a nap and approached the bathroom door.

“When the defendant heard the victim, he punched the door, causing the door to hit the victim, knocking her down, and breaking the louvers in the door,” the documents state.

According to the court documents, these two prior acts will show Morico’s intent.

“The state intends to use this act again to show a lack or accident or mistake on the part of the defendant in causing the fatal head injury to the victim, and the defendant’s intent.”

http://www.bradenton.com/2011/09/28/...ges-filed.html

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Better late than never...

A mother whose boyfriend is imprisoned because of his role in the death of her child now faces a criminal charge in the same case.

Sheriff's detectives say they have arrested Windy Nash, 21, formerly of Bradenton and more recently a resident of Cambridge City, Ind., on a charge of aggravated manslaughter of a child.

On Sept. 14, 2010, Nash's 11-month-old daughter — Payton Nash Moistner — died from a head injury. Investigators say they later learned that the fatal injury was one of several head injuries the infant had received over a two-week period.

Nash's live-in boyfriend, John Morico, was convicted on a manslaughter charge.

The 20-year-old man is serving a 10-year prison sentence.
[...]

Investigators now say that they have evidence of five incidents of Payton suffering head injuries over a roughly two-week period, including the injury that caused her death.

On Aug. 30, 2010, Nash moved from Indiana to live with Morico and his mother. After her arrival with her daughter, detectives say the following happened:

- A stroller fell on top of Payton in the living room, causing her eye to be swollen shut. Morico's mother insisted her son and Nash take the child to an emergency room.

- A wooden chair fell on top of the infant, again injuring her head. No medical treatment was sought for the girl. The chair appeared sturdy and Nash and Morico could offer “no reasonable explanation” for why it would fall on the girl, the report states.

- Morico indirectly struck the infant while having sex with Nash in the bathroom. Morico was lying on the floor when he sat up, striking a door that hit Payton's head — causing the infant to fall backward and possibly hit a bed frame. The girl again received no medical attention.

- Nash took a shower with her daughter after returning from the beach and Payton fell in the tub, hitting her head again. The girl again received no medical attention.

Detectives say Nash is criminally liable because she was aware of her child's previous injuries and did not protect her child.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article...adenton-mother

[Tundratot]

I guess the "accidents" could reasonably be attributed to a new walker who might have been pulling things over on herself, but the lack of care for her injuries is not excusable even so.