Tennessee Man Abused Infant Daughter Resulting In Death, Charged With Murder

Police in Greeneville, Tennessee charged a 24-year-old man in connection to the death of his infant daughter. Authorities said that the man was responsible for abusing and killing his child.

A Greene County Grand Jury indicted Lavelle Jamal Scott on May 1, charging him with child neglect, aggravated child abuse, and two counts of first-degree felony murder. The charges came two months after the man's five-week-old infant was found to be unresponsive.

On Feb. 2, officers with the Greeneville Police Department responded to a home in the 1600 block of Highway 70 Bypass, where the child was found unresponsive. The baby was transported to the hospital by EMS, where she was pronounced dead, according to authorities.

Scott was currently being held for violation of probation and was served the charges in the Greene County Jail. He is being held on a $750,000 bond.

Police said they worked with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Children's Services on the investigation leading to the charges.

No further details concerning this case will be released at this time.

Last month, a two-month-old infant was hospitalized with serious injuries after the father tossed the baby into the air and dropped the baby to the floor. The incident took place in Toledo, Ohio.

Police responded to Mercy Health St. Vincent Medical Center after receiving information that an infant was admitted with serious injuries. The infant’s mother told the officers that she had left the victim and four other children in the care of the infant’s father and gone out shopping.

An affidavit states that while looking after the five children, the man -- 21-year-old Marquise Moore -- tossed and catched the infant but lost his balance resulting in the victim falling to the floor. The infant had suffered two skull fractures and brain bleeds due to the impact of the fall.

The father was taken into custody and charged with felony child endangerment. Lucas County Children’s Services were investigating the incident and working to ensure the safety of the other children.