TAYLOR ROGERS - 9 yo (2009) - Convicted: Father-Tyrone Rogers - Edwardsville/ St Louis MO

EDWARDSVILLE - A Madison County judge issued a ruling Thursday that
found a father guilty of first-degree murder in the death of his
daughter, who died nearly 10 years after being shaken severely as an
infant.

Circuit Judge Richard Tognarelli presided over last week's stipulated
bench trial of Torrance "Tyrone" Rogers. The non-jury trial meant the
judge would decide the defendant's guilt or innocence.

Much of the evidence in the case was "stipulated" - that is, the two
sides agreed the evidence would be presented had there been a
conventional trial.

Prosecutors told Tognarelli that the victim, Taylor Nicole Rogers,
died in 2009 at the age of 9 from pneumonia that originated with a brain
injury caused by shaking when she was just 10 weeks old.

Defense attorney Lyndon Evanko argued the pneumonia that ultimately
caused Taylor's death didn't necessarily result from her client's
actions.

But Assistant Madison County State's Attorney Susan Jensen said the
child's pneumonia was linked to the shaking. She offered a highly
complex series of reports that linked the pneumonia to the shaking, even
though the child survived nine years.

A St. Louis County, Mo., medical examiner's report said the manner of
death was homicide and the cause was traumatic brain injury and child
abuse - specifically, delayed death due to blunt trauma.

Jensen said blunt trauma could include vigorous shaking. There were no external injuries.

Taylor was born healthy on Feb. 6, 1999, but then was shaken at age 10 weeks because she was crying.

Rogers pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated battery to a child and was sentenced in 2001 to 15 years in prison.


Read more: http://www.thetelegraph.com/articles/death-73311-child-pneumonia.html#ixzz21ALqGBC7