Man picks up infant by the throat and kills her just because she spilled cereal on the floor: Police
Alabama police have arrested a man and accused him of murdering his girlfriend’s baby just because she spilled cereal on the floor, as reported by TimesDaily.
Shannon Dale Gargis, 30, has been indicted for capital murder and aggravated child abuse in the March 2016 death of the 22-month-old infant, Serenity Irene Renfroe.
Sheriff’s investigator Jason Holcomb testified during a preliminary hearing and said that Campbell admitted to committing to the horrible deed.
“He said (the baby) spilled cereal in the floor, and he got overly aggressive, picking her up by the throat and throwing her (across the room) onto the loveseat, hitting her head,” Holcomb testified, noting that an autopsy report showed that the baby died due to multiple blunt force trauma to the head.
The child’s mother, Halie Renfroe, 22, was indicted at the same time as Gargis for aggravated child abuse and first-degree hindering prosecution. She did not participate in the murder of the infant but police say she lied about the incident in order to interfere with the investigation, in a likely attempt to protect her boyfriend, according to AL.com. She pleaded guilty to first-degree hindering prosecution and could spend six years behind bars.
As for Gargis, prosecutors may seek the death penalty in the murder case, which is scheduled to begin in April of next year.
“We’re still considering the death penalty, but I want to talk with the child’s family before we decide,” Franklin County District Attorney Joey Rushing said. “The judge gave both sides until March 1 to submit all motions, so the decision has to be made by then. I suspect it will be sooner than that.”
The 30-year-old has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is being held in the Franklin County Jail without bail.