APRHIL MATTHEWS - 3 weeks - Richmond MO

A Richmond, Mo., man and woman are in jail, charged with the beating death of their 3-week-old daughter.
Dennis Matthews, 24, and Rebecca Matthews, 23, are charged with felony abuse of a child resulting in death. Their daughter, Aprhil Matthews, was found unresponsive and declared dead in their home on Aug. 18, prompting an investigation by the Richmond Police Department and the Missouri Department of Social Services.
An autopsy indicated the child’s death was due to blunt-force trauma to the chest with internal bleeding, according to a statement issued Tuesday by Richmond police.
Both parents pleaded not guilty. They are in the Ray County jail on $500,000 cash bond each.
According to a probable cause statement, Aprhil was put to bed by her mother at 10:30 p.m. Aug. 17 and was found dead in her crib at 9:51 the next morning.
Both parents denied causing any harm to their daughter.
Court documents state that Dennis Matthews said the couple’s 4-year-old child climbed into Aprhil’s crib and fell on her.
The couple also said their 2-year-old child picked up Aprhil from her bassinet and dropped her, breaking her ribs, according to court documents. The couple initially didn’t seek medical treatment, allegedly fearing they would lose custody of their other children.
If convicted of felony child abuse, the couple could face 10 years to life in prison.

Posted on Tue, Oct. 23, 2012 07:59 PM
By MATT CAMPBELL
The Kansas City Star
By MATT CAMPBELL The Kansas City Star
Updated: 2012-10-24T04:55:11Z

According to a probable cause statement, Aprhil was put to bed by her mother at 10:30 p.m. Aug. 17 and was found dead in her crib at 9:51 the next morning.
Both parents denied causing any harm to their daughter.
Court documents state that Dennis Matthews said the couple’s 4-year-old child climbed into Aprhil’s crib and fell on her.
The couple also said their 2-year-old child picked up Aprhil from her bassinet and dropped her, breaking her ribs, according to court documents. The couple initially didn’t seek medical treatment, allegedly fearing they would lose custody of their other children.
If convicted of felony child abuse, the couple could face 10 years to life in prison.

Lil'girl, I'm wondering about the two things I've highlighted in red in the 'quote': Isn't it unusual to not feed your newborn in the middle of the night, like 1-2am? and How low was the bassinet that a 2 year old could take a baby out? Also, how in the world does someone beat a tiny three week old baby to death?

I wonder if the other children had signs of physical trauma. Aprhil must have been squeezed very hard to break her ribs. Thinking of all that an infant goes through to be born into this cold, noisy world only to be killed.

Hard to tell if their story is true or not. Either way a little angel is gone forever. I shed tears reading this.

If they did beat the little one 10 years is too little.

William

ladibug wrote:

According to a probable cause statement, Aprhil was put to bed by her mother at 10:30 p.m. Aug. 17 and was found dead in her crib at 9:51 the next morning.
Both parents denied causing any harm to their daughter.
Court documents state that Dennis Matthews said the couple’s 4-year-old child climbed into Aprhil’s crib and fell on her.
The couple also said their 2-year-old child picked up Aprhil from her bassinet and dropped her, breaking her ribs, according to court documents. The couple initially didn’t seek medical treatment, allegedly fearing they would lose custody of their other children.
If convicted of felony child abuse, the couple could face 10 years to life in prison.

Lil'girl, I'm wondering about the two things I've highlighted in red in the 'quote': Isn't it unusual to not feed your newborn in the middle of the night, like 1-2am? and How low was the bassinet that a 2 year old could take a baby out? Also, how in the world does someone beat a tiny three week old baby to death?

I wonder if the other children had signs of physical trauma. Aprhil must have been squeezed very hard to break her ribs. Thinking of all that an infant goes through to be born into this cold, noisy world only to be killed.

I, too, wondered about the timeline given by the parents--no infant that young would sleep throughout the night without crying to be fed...perhaps that's what happened--she woke them up to be fed, and they squeezed her to shut her up? Who knows...and to blame the siblings...to believe their accounts of her injuries I would have to ask "who was supervising the youngsters with their fragile baby sister?"--obviously, no one...poor baby.

I have to say that while it is vary rare for a child that age to sleep through the night, it IS POSSIBLE! My oldest son, now 9 years old, was quiet difficult in the hospital but from the very 1st night we went home, he slept through the night almost every single night! He was such an easy baby in every way.. Boy was I fooled when I had my next 2 kids! They were both cometely different than him! They are 8 and 4 and I'm not sure either have yet to sleep through a whole night.. I'm really exaggerating just a little!

Point is, while I don't necessarily believe their story, I do know it is VERY possible for a 3 week old to sleep through the. night & I can't judge them especially not with just these few details.

Either way, this is a very sad story and I wish things had been different for that little girl but she is in a place that we can't even begin to imagine how wonderful and beautiful it is!

BrookeLee wrote:I have to say that while it is vary rare for a child that age to sleep through the night, it IS POSSIBLE! My oldest son, now 9 years old, was quiet difficult in the hospital but from the very 1st night we went home, he slept through the night almost every single night! He was such an easy baby in every way.. Boy was I fooled when I had my next 2 kids! They were both cometely different than him! They are 8 and 4 and I'm not sure either have yet to sleep through a whole night.. I'm really exaggerating just a little!

Point is, while I don't necessarily believe their story, I do know it is VERY possible for a 3 week old to sleep through the. night & I can't judge them especially not with just these few details.

Either way, this is a very sad story and I wish things had been different for that little girl but she is in a place that we can't even begin to imagine how wonderful and beautiful it is!

My oldest also slept through the night when I brought her home. I checked on her frequently because it scared me, My pediatrician laughed at me and told me he wished more of his mothers had this problem.

However, sleeping through the night is one thing. This baby wasn't checked on for 11 hours and 21 minutes. No healthy newborn would sleep almost 12 hours.

I'm confident these charges are warranted.

I don't believe that the 4 year old climbed into the crib and fell on the baby.

I also don't think a 2 year old could reach into a bassinet and pick up a newborn baby.

Even if either of these stories are true, where were the parents? Why were they not watching the 2 and 4 year olds?

This baby was murdered. IMO.