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Last updated on Thursday, June 9, 2016
(BLOOMINGTON) - According to a forensic pathologist, 2-month-old Kanya Rose Smith-Barton died from blunt force trauma after suffering a head injury.
The girl's father, 33-year-old Robierre Jomo Kenya McNeil, was arrested and is facing felony charges of aggravated battery and neglect of a dependent resulting in the child's death.
Forensic pathologist Roland Kohr says the baby suffered two fractures to the back of her skull and subdural hemorrhaging of the brain.
McNeil told police he blamed himself for his daughter's death, but told police that he did not kill her.
According to a probable cause affidavit, police say McNeil failed to physically check on Kenya, did not get her medical care when he thought she was having trouble breathing and left her in a swing without feeding her for more than 7 hours.
An ambulance crew was dispatched to a home in the 100 block of South Curry Pike Sunday afternoon after a report that an infant was unresponsive.
The baby was taken to IU Health Bloomington Hospital where she died 45 minutes after arriving.
Police say McNeil was watching his daughter while her mother was working. In two interviews with detectives, McNeil described his child as "snoring" in her swing.
McNeil told police he woke between 7 and 9 a.m. Sunday, fed the baby, changed her diaper, swaddled her in a blanket and placed the baby in her swing. He then took a nap until around noon. He then played with his other children.
McNeil told police he heard Kenya snoring and thought it might be related to asthma. He told police he should have moved her to the couch but didn't. He told police he listened in on her, but did not physically go check on the baby.
The baby's mother had left for work about 7:30 a.m. that morning. She told police "Kenya appeared to be perfectly healthy when she left because she would 'coo' as babies do and appeared to be happy," the affidavit says..
She also alerted police that McNeil has gotten angry in the past when the baby cried and told her he didn't want to babysit anymore.
McNeil, who is being held on a $50,000 surety, $500 cash bond is scheduled to appear in court Monday for a bail review hearing.
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