Minn. man sentenced for fatally beating 2-month-old daughter and blaming it on cat
04/06/2023 12:16 pm PDT
MANKATO, Minn. (TCD) -- A 41-year-old man was recently sentenced to 15 years in prison for beating his 2-month-old daughter to death in 2021.
According to court documents, in late September 2021, the Mankato Department of Public Safety was notified about a 2-month-old child who had been brought to the Mankato Hospital by her parents. She reportedly showed signs of child abuse and had suffered brain hemorrhaging, rib and femur fractures, and a torn frenulum. The 2-month-old was transferred to a hospital in Rochester for further treatment.
The father, Kristopher Dale Arlando Henderson, reportedly told authorities the family cat caused their daughter’s injuries. The attending physician, however, told police, "The 20-pound cat that [the] father states was around the infant is not the cause of these injuries."
During an interview, court documents state the child’s mother said she left for work early in the morning of Sept. 23, 2021, and at around 4:38 p.m., Henderson said he "caught their 19-pound cat laying on" their 2-month-old daughter.
When the mother returned home, she reportedly noticed the victim’s eyes were "bulged out," and the baby continued to cry. The mother then decided to bring the infant to the emergency room.
The mother reportedly admitted that Henderson was sometimes "frustrated" when the baby did not eat right away, and he had been "forceful a couple times putting the bottle in the mouth."
A detective told Henderson a cat could not have caused the baby’s injuries, and he reportedly said, "I know, I talked to them too. I’m not that damn person, man."
According to court documents, Henderson said he changed the baby’s diaper during the day and tried to feed her in the late afternoon, "but she was fussy." He initially denied taking out any "aggression out on her."
On Oct. 1, 2021, Henderson reportedly went to the Blue Earth County Justice Center voluntarily for an interview and later admitted he "cradled" the infant down in his arms and "struck her back more forcefully than usual for what he estimated was five minutes while trying to calm her down."
According to court documents, the infant succumbed to her injuries on Nov. 3, 2021.
Henderson entered an Alford plea on charges of unintentional second-degree murder, and on Tuesday, April 4, he was sentenced to 180 months in prison, the Rochester Post Bulletin reports. His initial charges of manslaughter and malicious punishment of a child were reportedly dismissed as part of his plea deal.
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