Short Fall Lands Man On Death Row For Shaken Baby Syndrome

Short falls as the cause of the symptoms see in alleged shaken baby cases are an ongoing controversy between medical experts. Forensic pathologist John J. Plunkett of Minnesota  however states that forensic science does support that short falls can cause these injuries and even death.
http://medicalmisdiagnosisresearch.wordpress.com/?s=john+plunkett

How then does a man find himself on death row in the face of a much disputed theory, namely, shaken baby syndrome?

 

Jerry Mitchell reports:

Silence broken on death row decade later

Jeffrey Havard

After a decade of silence behind bars, Jeffrey Havard is speaking about the death of the 6-month-old that landed him on death row.

Ten years ago today, Chloe Britt died, and prosecutors say he sexually abused and killed her. Havard was convicted of capital murder. He admits accidentally dropping her but denies sexually abusing and killing her.

If the state Supreme Court rejects his post-conviction plea, he will move one step closer to execution.

“Not a morning, noon or night passes that I don’t think about Chloe and her family,” he told The Clarion-Ledger. “Words can’t describe how sorry I am for dropping Chloe. Without a second thought, I would do anything to bring her back.”

 

Read more at:

http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20120221/NEWS/202210326/Silence-broken-death-row-decade-later?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Home|s

 

For more information on short falls also see:

The following link to an article documents 3 cases of deaths from corroborated/witnessed short falls (10-20 feet). The author states that all three children had SDH and fractures. The author documents that 2 of 3 children had lucid intervals and all 3 children died after a delayed period following the fall. 2 of 3 children showed periorbital echymosis. One child suffered a SDH and severe brain swelling from a 6-foot fall onto a carpeted floor. 1 child fell 2-3 feet from a rocking chair. This article suggests that soft surfaces can still cause fatal injuries. Also, this article includes a lengthy literature review on shortfall debate.

http://medicalmisdiagnosisresearch.wordpress.com/category/shaken-baby-syndrome/fatal-falls-in-childhood/

 

Dr. Lloyd determined that biomechanical risk of brain injury due to non-contact shaking was no greater than that for his 7 month old son playing in his jumparoo. To view the complete report of this study, click the following link: Biomechanical Evaluation of Head Kinematics during Infant Shaking vs Pediatric Activities of Daily Living

http://medicalmisdiagnosisresearch.wordpress.com/category/biomechanics-and-shaken-baby-syndrome/