A Mississippi man faces up to life behind bars for severely shaking and hospitalizing his infant daughter.
According to Rankin County District Attorney Bubba Bramlett, 24-year-old Timothy Warren Wilson was found guilty by a Rankin County Circuit Court jury of one count of felonious child abuse. The guilty verdict was handed down after a five-day trial.
On December 19, 2022, Flowood Fire and Emergency Medical Services were dispatched to Lakeland East Apartments in Flowood in response to reports of an unresponsive 10-week-old child. Upon arrival at the hospital, medical personnel found the infant to have bleeding in three parts of her brain, as well as bleeding in both eyes.
During the thorough investigation, Wilson, the father of the baby, was identified as the perpetrator. 10 days later, Wilson verbally confessed to being at home alone with the infant and shaking her out of frustration. According to Wilson’s separate written confession, he “shook her for roughly 15 seconds until she was silent.”
The defendant contended throughout the trial that the child had a seizure that resulted in her severe injuries. The state brought in witnesses and the state’s pediatric forensic medicine expert to testify that seizures would not have resulted in the severity of injuries seen in this 10-week-old infant. Instead, the baby suffered from abusive head trauma, often referred to as shaken baby syndrome.
“The coordination between the Flowood Police Department, Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, and the Children’s Safe Center at UMMC were second to none,” Bramlett said.
“Every individual involved in this case was vital in bringing justice to this infant. Nobody, especially an innocent infant, should ever have to endure such horrendous brutality, especially at the hands of their father. We are thankful the child made a full recovery from its injuries, and we hope the victim, family members, and other loved ones can continue their healing process.”
Wilson is scheduled to be sentenced on May 13. He faces a minimum of five years behind bars.
