WDAM.com Laurel-Hattiesburg, MS The Pinebelt's Choice For News, Sports and Weather | Verona man stands trial in infant death case
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Associated Press - August 5, 2009 8:54 AM ET
TUPELO, Miss. (AP) - The murder trial of a Verona man accused of killing a 15-month-old child began Tuesday in Lee County.
Authorities say 30-year-old Christopher Brandon is charged with depraved-heart murder for the 2007 death of his live-in girlfriend's 15-month-old son, Xavier Staples.
Depraved-heart murder is a murder that is not a premeditated act and is committed without any regard for human life. If convicted, Brandon faces life in prison.
Police say Brandon called 911 at 1 a.m. on June 11, 2007, and told dispatchers that the baby was not breathing. The child died at a hospital a few hours later.
An autopsy determined the cause of death was severe head trauma. Authorities said Brandon was the only person at home with the child.
Information from: Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, http://www.nem360.com
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