A 21-year-old Davenport man faces a murder charge after the death of his 7-week-old daughter, court records say.
Devion Woods was booked into Scott County Jail, where he is being held without bond, shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday, according to court records. He faces charges of first-degree murder and child endangerment – death, according to arrest affidavits.
Affidavits say Davenport Police responded to the 1700 block of Emerald Drive shortly before 4 p.m. Monday after a report of a unresponsive 7-week-old.
Police allege that Woods, “having malice aforethought,” killed the baby in “circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to human life,” affidavits show.
Affidavits say the infant “suffered multiple head injuries that resulted in her death.”
An autopsy showed the baby “suffered contusions to the face, subdural hemorrhage, acute hemorrhages (bleeding) of the nerve roots of the cervical spinal cord, and healing fractures of multiple bones.”
“Contusion” is a medical term for a bruise. A subdural hemorrhage means there is bleeding in the area between the brain and the skull.
The incident
Police allege in affidavits that Woods was the sole caretaker of the victim from 9:38 a.m. until police arrived at the scene on Monday.
He “had differing accounts of how he first came to notice the victim was unresponsive,” police allege in affidavits.
“A tenant canvassed in the same building advised they heard loud thumps coming from that apartment” and a man yelling, “Get up and stop crying.”
“The victim suffered multiple injuries that resulted in her death,” police allege in affidavits. “The victim also suffered superficial blunt force injuries to the back and left arm.”
Woods is being held without bond in Scott County Jail.
The charges
In Iowa, the killing of a person “with malice aforethought” defines murder. First-degree murder, a Class A felony, carries a term of life in prison upon conviction.
Child endangerment – death is a Class B felony, which generally carries a sentence of up to 25 years.
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