"Newborn John" NELSON - 3 Months - Hartford CT

A Hartford father charged in the death of his 3-month-old son was in
custody Friday after police said he admitted to accidentally falling on
top of the child and crushing his skull.The Department of
Children and Families, which has been involved with the family since the
infant's birth in December, has been ordered to review the case to
determine what, if anything, it could have done differently to protect
the child. Two other children, aged 3 and 2, live at the home.The
DCF's primary concern was that parents Anthony and Shana Nelson were
addicted to drugs, according to DCF Commissioner Joette Katz. The child,
who was born prematurely, spent the first several weeks of his life
going through withdrawal for narcotics, Katz said. The mother and the
baby both tested positive for cocaine.The DCF instituted intensive in-home services for the family,
including visiting nurses and drug screening, Katz said, but Anthony
Nelson's mental health and drug history remained a concern. Nelson told
police that he has bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and depression.On
the day of his son's death, Nelson admitted that he had not been taking
his medication, according to an arrest warrant. Nelson, 40, is charged
with first-degree manslaughter, assault, making a false statement and
risk of injury to a minor.According to the warrant, Nelson said
that he and his wife drank at least 10 24-ounce Steele Reserve beers
Monday night when they decided to go to bed about 10 p.m. Nelson told
police that he "drank too much and was very intoxicated."About
five hours later, Nelson woke up and went into the kitchen of the
family's Capitol Avenue apartment to get another beer when he heard
crying from his son's bedroom. Nelson told police that he walked into
the infant's room, picked him up and held him "football style" with the
child's face pointing down.As Nelson was walking out of the
child's bedroom, the warrant says, he slipped on the hardwood floor and
fell on top of the infant's head. The child started "gasping for air,"
according to the warrant, and his arms were "twitching" and "shaking."
Nelson told police that he put the baby face down in his crib and went
back to sleep.Shana Nelson found the baby when she woke up to get her children ready for school, about 6 a.m., and called police.The
child was taken to the Connecticut Children's Medical Center, where he
was pronounced dead. An autopsy showed bilateral fractures and
hemorrhaging within the skull. Doctors said the infant was "cold to the
touch" when he arrived at the hospital. The medical examiner's office
determined that the cause of death was blunt-force trauma."We at
the department are deeply saddened by the death of this infant, and the
staff who know this family are grieving the loss along with the family,"
Katz said.
http://articles.courant.com/2011-03-25/news/hc-nelson-manslaughter-infant-0326-20110325_1_arrest-warrant-baby-face-police

Hartford Father Gets 18 Years In Son's Death



Prosecutor Criticizes DCF Policies

January 12, 2012

HARTFORD —
— Noah Nelson's short life was not an easy one. He was born in Hartford on New Year's Eve 2010, and died three months later on March 22, 2011.

On Thursday, his father, Anthony Nelson, 41, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for causing Noah's death. Nelson also will be on special parole for seven years upon his release from prison.

http://articles.courant.com/2012-01-12/community/hc-hartford-dead-child-sentence-0113-20120112_1_dcf-policies-families-dcf-staff-members