MICHA HARRIS - 11 Months (2010) - St Charles (NW of St Louis) MO

An 11-month-old girl died Saturday from injuries that police said her father caused.
Police are awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine the
cause of death of Micha Harris, but the girl's father, James
Harris, had already made a statement implicating himself as the
cause of the injuries, said St. Charles County Sheriff's Lt. Craig McGuire.
Police said they responded Friday morning to a call to the 3000
block of Lyme Street. The child was not breathing, and the father
had begun administering CPR.
The child was first taken to Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital
and then St. Louis Children's Hospital. She died about noon Saturday.
Police had questioned Harris on Friday, and his explanation was
not consistent with Micha's injuries, McGuire said.
A warrant was issued Friday charging Harris with child abuse in
the incident, and he is being held in St. Charles County Jail,
McGuire said. The case remains under investigation, and police will
meet with prosecutors to determine whether new charges will be filed, he said.

St Charles County prosecutors have ammended the charge a father from
O'Fallon is facing, in the death of his infant daughter. The action was
taken Monday by Prosecuting attorney Jack Banas.
24 year old James Harris Junior is now charged with abuse of a child
resulting in death, which has a far more severe range of punishments if
Harris is convicted.
Police arrested Harris last week after 11-month old Micha Harris died
at St Louis Childrens Hospital from injuries investigators say were
inflicted by her father.
Officials were called to the Harris home last Friday morning due to
the baby girl not breathing. The child died at the hospital over the
weekend. Autopsy results on the child have not been disclosed at this
time.
Investigators say James Harris made statements implicating himself in
the investigation, which police believe involved a severe shaking
episode when the baby girl would not stop crying.

Neighbors in St. Charles County are
appalled after watching one of their own being taken away by deputies
accused of child abuse.

The suspect's 10-month-old baby girl, Micha Harris, was rushed to
Children's Hospital in St. Louis Friday morning, but was pronounced dead
Saturday afternoon.



Now behind bars is her father, James Harris, 24. At first he was
charged with child abuse and, later, assault, but deputies said, come
Monday, it'll likely be murder.
They said they were called out to his
home in the 3000 block of Lyme Street Friday at 10:30 a.m. for a baby
not breathing. Investigators said Harris told them his version of what
happened. Neighbors explained it was that he had rolled on top of the
child while they were sleeping in the same bed, but officials said the
baby's head and bodily injuries were not consistent with his story, and
they told him that. Deputies said that's when Harris started to come
clean.

"It's a tragedy," said the baby's maternal great-aunt, Sherry
Puskar. "I'm sure it was a complete accident. I'm sure he got
frustrated. It's his first child. He'd never really had her on his own."

"We stayed until the last minute and then she passed on and I'm gonna
miss 'em both because it's not only my grandbaby but it's also my child
and it's really hard to deal with," said Micha's paternal grandmother,
Becky Nash.

Neighbors said they saw Harris' reaction from their front yards.
"He was pacing back and forth and
was holding his head and then he would sit down on the driveway and I
had seen a lady come up and console him, and at that point we didn't
really know what had happened so it was like a shock," said Julie
Schepp, a mother of five. "I wouldn't believe it would've happened.
Hate to hear stuff like that happening."
Harris is in the St. Charles County jail on a $500,000 cash-only bond.

"We're not here to judge either side, we're not here to point
fingers, we're here to let the courts decide and the police and the
investigators do all their jobs," Puskar added.

He has served time previously for trespassing and theft.
A fund has been set up at area Fifth Third banks to help cover funeral costs; the account is under Micha's name.

1011-CR03824-01 - ST V JAMES L HARRIS JR

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011
	Judge/Commissioner	Time	Day	Setting	Event
	NANCY L SCHNEIDER	9:00 AM	1 OF 1		Jury Trial
	Event Text:				Location: DIVISION 2 COURTROOM St Charles Circuit Div

https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/cases/events.do

Description: Abuse Of Child - Resulting In Death { Felony A RSMo: 568.060 }
Date: 07/16/2010 Code: 2605400 Disposition: Guilty Plea - 08/29/2011
OCN: A3044647 Arresting Agency: SO ST CHARLES CNTY
Sentence
Sentence: Incarceration DOC
Sentence Date: 08/29/2011 Start Date: 08/29/2011 Length: 13 Years


https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/cases/charges.do