West Virginia Mom Faces Multiple Charges in Death of 16-Day-Old Infant

A West Virginia mother has been indicted on multiple charges related to the death of her 16-day old daughter this summer.

Brooke Kessler, 33, told investigators she “probably” caused the the infant’s fatal injuries by squeezing her “too hard” while she was “irritated.”

The little girl had “multiple, serious injuries,” West Virginia State Troopers said, according to WCHS. Troopers said the girl had bruising around her throat and on the back of her head, bruising on an eye, and a swollen arm that was broken. Doctors also found six broken ribs.

In an interview with police, Kessler told investigators she was “irritated with the baby and herself and probably squeezed too hard causing those injuries.”

“Ms. Kessler stated she did not intend to squeeze that hard,” the criminal complain said. “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.”

She suggested that her husband may have broken the baby’s arm picking her up. But the husband said that his wife had been suffering from post partum depression and that he had enlisted help from his mother with the baby.

“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. “This officer asked Mr. Kessler about the accusations of breaking his baby’s arm by picking her up, to which he replied he would pick her up and let her bounce on his chest, but he was never aggressive with her.”

Kessler was initially charged with child abuse causing serious bodily injury, which was upgraded to abuse resulting in death.

But a Putnam County grand jury went even further, indicting Kessler on charges of death by person in position of trust to a child by abuse, child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury, child neglect rsulting in death, strangulation, malicious assault, and domestic battery, the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney said.

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