A Muldrow couple is facing felony child abuse charges after their 3-month-old infant was taken for medical treatment and found to have sustained 15 different fractures, that were in various stages of healing.
Jonah R. Brown, 26, and Kaylee Brown, 22, were each charged on August 14 in Sequoyah County District Court and warrants were issued for their arrests the same day. Both subjects appeared for an Aug. 28 arraignment and received a $75,000 bond each. They are now both scheduled for a December 4 felony disposition docket.
Sequoyah County Sheriff ’s Investigator BR Rutherford reported on Aug. 10 that he was contacted by deputy C.J. McGee after Oklahoma Department of Human Services Child Protective Services (OKDHS CPS) contacted McGee regarding a 3-monthold infant being admitted to Arkansas Children’s Hospital with a broken femur.
According to the probable cause affidavit filed in the case, a caseworker with OKDHS CPS told Rutherford that the infant had been placed in state custody based on the injuries the infant had sustained, and the statements the Browns had given them.
During an interview with the infant’s medical team, Rutherford said a doctor said the infant had a total of 15 fractures throughout its body, that were in various stages of healing.
The doctor said the infant had fresh fractures to their femur, tibia and fibula, and other fractures to include both arms, both legs, ribs, and scapulas (shoulder blades). The doctor advised the femur fracture is a spiral fracture, which reportedly occurs when the bone is broken in a twisting motion, according to the affidavit.
The doctor went on to say that spiral fractures in juveniles who are not mobile, is consistent with child abuse, as the bone is broken due to a violent jerk or twisting motion, which non-mobile juveniles cannot move in a way to cause such a fracture.
Rutherford and Investigator Michelle Rigsby went to the Brown’s residence where the couple agreed to speak with them about the incident leading up to the infant being admitted to the hospital.
Kaylee Brown said on Aug. 8 she took the infant to the emergency room at Mercy in Fort Smith due to some swelling and a slight fever, where the infant was reportedly diagnosed with viral arthritis and then released. She said the following day, the swelling had not subsided so the couple decided to take the infant to children’s hospital in Springdale, Ark. She claimed she first noticed the swelling on August. 5, according to the affidavit.
Rutherford reported receiving information on Aug. 13 regarding the infant’s injuries, which stated, “No history of trauma has been provided to explain any of the infant’s injuries. There is currently no indication of any medical condition causing or contributing to findings of traumatic injuries. None of these injuries would plausibly be caused by any routine or appropriate infant handling or caregiving. These findings are consistent with forceful, violent trauma to numerous anatomical locations which has been recurrent and repetitive. An observer of the interactions that caused the injuries would have been immediately aware that they were violent and dangerous. The violence the infant was subjected to caused multiple serious injuries and placed the infant at risk for life-threatening or fatal trauma.”
The report also indicated that “Genetic testing for Osteogenesis Imperfecta has been sent, however the current clinical presentation is not consistent with the entity and there is no clinical suspicion of a medical disorder causing bone fragility.”
Investigators tried to make contact with the Browns the following day to conduct a formal interview, but were unable to do so. Rutherford said he then requested a warrant be issued for the couple’s arrest.
If found guilty of the crime, District Attorney Jack Thorp said it is punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections not exceeding life imprisonment, or in the county jail not exceeding one year, or by a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $5,000, or both fine and imprisonment.
