Fort Worth father sentenced to life in prison for brutal slaying of newborn
FORT WORTH (CBSNewsTexas) – A jury sentenced Fort Worth father Joseph Matthew Welborn to life in prison for the death of his 10-week-old son, Christian. He pled guilty to injury to a child causing serious bodily injury, a first-degree felony.
Welborn, 31, was home alone with Christian, on December 21, 2018 when it happened. When Christian's mother and grandfather returned home from a shopping trip, they found the baby unresponsive, pale, and unconscious. Thus, they called the police.
Christian died from blunt force trauma to the head. An autopsy showed he had two complex skull fractures.
Welborn told police several stories, including one blaming his four-year-old son for dropping the baby and causing the injuries.
Tarrant County Assistant District Attorneys William Vassar and Katie Owens prosecuted the case, assisted by Investigator Matt Hardy and Victim Coordinator Laura Flores.
They asked the jury to send a message with their sentence.
"The last thing that Christian saw was his dad grabbing him and violently slamming his head into a hard surface," Owens said. "This is about giving Christian a voice. It was stolen by his own flesh and blood, his father. This sweet, innocent little baby deserved better."