BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington Police officers arrested then19-year-old Dakota King, of Bloomington, for the murder of his girlfriend’s two-month-old infant. Dakota King, who is now 22, was sentenced on May 16, 2022, to 3,276 days in prison.
King is charged with murder, neglect of a dependent resulting in death, battery w/death to a person under 14 years old, and neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury.
On August 2, 2019, the State of Indiana filed a motion of intent to seek life without parole. A plea of not guilty was entered on King’s behalf. He is being held without bond in the Monroe County Jail.
A five-day jury trial is scheduled for March 6, 2020, at 8:30 a.m. in Monroe County Circuit Court 2.
King was granted a plea agreement on April 27, 2021. He pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of neglect of a dependent resulting in bodily injury, which was punishable by up to 16 years in jail. He was also given the opportunity to serve the remainder of his sentence on house arrest if he could find a place to live, but he was unable to.
King was granted credit for 1029 days he served in the Monroe County Jail.
King was sentenced to 3,276 days in prison, approximately nine years, on May 16, 2022 for his role in the death of a two-month-old child, according to court records.
On Tuesday, July 30th, at approximately 5:31 p.m., officers responded to IU Health Bloomington Hospital Emergency Department regarding an infant. Officials say the boy died by the time officers arrived.
Emergency Department staff explained to officers that there were several inconsistencies in statements made by members of the infant’s family.
An examination of the child revealed visible injuries to the child’s face.
According to Bloomington Police Captain Ryan Pedigo, King allegedly placed the infant face-down in a bassinet and used his hand to shove the infant’s face into bedding in an attempt to get the baby to stop crying.
Police obtained a search warrant for an apartment in the 1500 block of West Kirkwood Avenue. While searching the apartment, police discovered a reddish-brown stain in the infant’s bassinet that appeared to be blood which was consistent with the injuries observed on the child’s face at the hospital.
During a police interview, King allegedly admitted to investigators that he had gotten angry earlier in the day when the child spit up milk on his clothing. King stated that he placed the infant in the bassinet. He admitted that the child was crying so he pushed the child’s head down into the pillow of the bassinet until the child stopped crying.
King then left the infant in the bassinet until the child’s mother returned home from work later in the day and discovered that the infant did not appear to be breathing.
At the conclusion of the interview, King was arrested and incarcerated in the Monroe County Jail.
According to court documents, King has an “extreme temper problem.” The infant’s grandmother told police King would pick up the baby “in an aggressive manner” and yell into his face to get him to stop crying.
The infant’s mother told police the same, saying King got upset, grabbed the child and pushed hard on his chest. Additionally, she said she witnessed King push the baby’s face into his bed covers to get him to stop crying.
