After reportedly telling authorities that she was “irritated” and “probably” caused the fatal injuries by squeezing the infant “too hard” during burping, a 33-year-old mother in West Virginia was indicted on a number of crimes related to the death of her 16-day-old daughter.
Brooke N. Kessler was formally indicted by a Putnam County grand jury on Thursday on one count each of strangulation, malicious assault, domestic battery, child neglect resulting in death, child abuse by a parent resulting in death, and child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury, according to the Putnam County Prosecutor’s Office.
Prior to being escalated to abuse resulting in death, Kessler was charged with one count of child abuse causing serious bodily injury when he was first detained in June.
State police troopers responded to a call of a newborn infant with suspicious injuries at the Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC) Women & Children’s Hospital in the 800 block of Pennsylvania Avenue N on the evening of June 20, according to a story from West Virginia MetroNews.
Hospital employees reportedly informed authorities that the youngster had “multiple, serious injuries” that “appeared to be suspicious/non accidental in nature” when they arrived at the site. Six broken ribs, a broken arm, and bruises on the infant’s throat, eye, and back of the skull were among the injuries.
According to the report, Kessler allegedly revealed a terrifying sequence of allegedly abusive actions in a follow-up interview with Detectives. She allegedly stated that she was “irritated with the baby and herself and probably squeezed too hard causing those injuries” when she burped the infant earlier in the day and put one hand on the back of the child’s head and around her neck.
Kessler suggested that her husband might have broken the infant’s arm, but she insisted on time and again that she was not attempting to hurt her daughter at the moment.
“Ms. Kessler stated she did not intend to squeeze that hard,” the complaint stated. “Ms. Kessler also stated that the ribs may have broken when she picked the baby up by the chest to burp her and she was irritated and squeezed the baby too hard, possibly breaking the ribs.”
According to reports, Kessler claimed she didn’t feel or hear any of the baby’s ribs crack. In addition, Kessler allegedly suggested that her husband might have caused the newborn’s fractured arm when questioned about it.
Kessler’s husband denied hurting their daughter in any way. Additionally, he allegedly admitted to investigators that his wife had been experiencing postpartum depression, stating that she would become easily irritated and frequently neglect to change the baby’s diapers or give her basic care.
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“Mr. Kessler stated that he has had to stop her a few times from shaking the baby and that he would take the baby from her and have her cool off,” according to the complaint.
The husband added that he had asked his mother to look after the young daughter from June 9 to June 14 because of his wife’s postpartum depression.
At the moment, Kessler is being held without bond at the Western Regional Jail.
