Parents Charged With Murder After Crying 4-Month-Old Put In Timeout Under Comforter, Suffocates
WRIGHTSTOWN, N.J. (AP) — Prosecutors say the parents of a four-month-old boy who died after being placed under a comforter at a New Jersey motel earlier this year have been charged with murder.
Burlington County prosecutors and state police say 42-year-old William Herring and 22-year-old Brianna Brochhausen are charged with murder and conspiracy. They were charged with child endangerment in March following the death of 4-month-old Hunter.
Prosecutors said they put the child on a bed Feb. 14 at the Hilltop Motel in Springfield Township, where the family was living.
According to CBS Philly, an investigation revealed that Herring and Brochhausen were frustrated because their 4-month-old son would not stop crying and placed him in "time out." Authorities say Hunter was positioned on his stomach on the bed with the comforter pulled over him, covering his head and entire body.
Police say the parents then went outside to smoke cigarettes, and when they returned to their room 10 minutes later, they discovered Hunter was not breathing.
Hunter was initially taken to Virtua Hospital in Mount Holly and then immediately transferred to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He died on March 3 after being removed from life support.
"The responsibilities of becoming a new parent can sometimes be overwhelming," Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina said. "Those who find themselves at a point of crisis when caring for a newborn child should know that help is available, and they must seek that help rather than taking actions that might harm their child."
Herring and Brochhausen were each charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
Listed numbers for the defendants couldn't be found Tuesday and it was unclear whether they had attorneys.
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