Brooke Nicole Kessler (Western Regional Jail) and the home where she allegedly killed her 16-day-old daughter (WCHS screenshot)
A 33-year-old mother in West Virginia has been indicted on a slew of charges in connection with the death of her 16-day-old daughter after she allegedly told police she was “irritated” and “probably” caused the fatal injuries by squeezing the newborn “too hard” during burping.
A grand jury in Putnam County on Thursday formally indicted Brooke N. Kessler on one count each of child abuse by a parent resulting in death, child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury, child neglect resulting in death, strangulation, malicious assault, and domestic battery, the Putnam County Prosecutor’s Office announced.
As Law&Crime previously reported, Kessler was initially arrested in June and charged with one count of child abuse causing serious bodily injury, which was later upgraded to abuse resulting in death.
According to a report from West Virginia MetroNews, troopers with the state police on the evening of June 20, responded to a call about a newborn baby with suspicious injuries at the Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC) Women & Children’s Hospital in the 800 block of Pennsylvania Avenue N.
Upon arriving at the scene, hospital staffers reportedly told authorities the child suffered “multiple, serious injuries” that “appeared to be suspicious/non accidental in nature.” The injuries included six broken ribs, a broken arm, and bruising on the infant’s throat, eye, and back of the head.
A copy of the criminal complaint obtained by Charleston, West Virginia, ABC and Fox affiliate WCHS provided more details about what authorities say happened.
The report states that during a subsequent interview with Detectives, Kessler reportedly described a harrowing series of allegedly abusive behavior. She allegedly explained that earlier in the day she had been burping the baby and placed one hand on the back of the child’s head and around her neck because she was “irritated with the baby and herself and probably squeezed too hard causing those injuries.”
Kessler repeatedly claimed she was not trying to harm her daughter at the time and indicated that her husband may have broken the baby’s arm.
“Ms. Kessler stated she did not intend to squeeze that hard,” the complaint reportedly 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.”
Kessler allegedly stated that she didn’t hear or feel any of the baby’s ribs breaking. Additionally, when asked about the newborn’s broken arm, Kessler reportedly said her husband may have been responsible for that injury.
Kessler’s husband denied inflicting any injuries on his daughter. He also reportedly told investigators that his wife had been suffering from postpartum depression, saying she would get easily frustrated and often failed to change the infant’s diapers or provide her with basic care.
“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,” the complaint said.
The husband also said that due to his wife’s postpartum depression, he had asked his mother to care for the little girl from June 9 to June 14.
Kessler is currently being held in the Western Regional Jail without bond.
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