Arrest In 2012 Death Of Toddler
VIRGINIA, Minn. (WCCO/AP) — Authorities say a Hibbing man has been arrested in connection with the 2012 death of a two-year-old girl.
According to officials, Russell Shannon Johnson, 26, has been charged with second-degree murder for the malicious punishment of his ex-girlfriend's daughter which resulted in her death.
Police responded to a call of an unresponsive child around 1:24 a.m. on March 21, 2012.
Upon their arrival, police found the 2-year-old gasping for air in an upstairs bedroom.
During the initial investigation, Johnson told police he was in the girl's bedroom and had asked her to bring him a diaper from a closet outside of the room.
Johnson claimed that when she entered the room she walked around a fan and appeared to lose her balance. He said that she hit her head, causing the breathing issues, when she lost her balance.
Johnson said he immediately picked her up after her fall and placed her face up on a mattress. He estimated three minutes passed before he called 911.
Police said that this was not the first time the girl had been taken to the hospital with bruises.
According to officials, the girl's mother called 911 on March 3, 2012 because he was unconscious.
The mother said she and Johnson were doing dishes when Johnson went upstairs to get the girl for breakfast. After a few minutes, Johnson came downstairs and told her the girl had fallen, hit her head and was unconscious.
Earlier in December, the mother said she returned from work and Johnson told her the girl fell off the table.
Police said that the mother eventually revealed that Johnson told her he had struck the girl the night of March 21, causing her to hit the wall. The girl was unresponsive after that.
According to the autopsy report, the girl died from closed head trauma. The report said there were various contusions and a subdural hematoma which occurred around the time of the collapse.
The medical examiner was given the investigative reports, interviews and transcripts, and consulted a child abuse expert while reviewing the case.
With all the information provided, the medical examiner determined the manner of death homicide.
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