Infant allegedly killed by Tacoma father has been identified by medical examiner
A 4-month old who died in a Tacoma hospital last month after he suffered traumatic injuries allegedly inflicted by his father has been identified by the medical examiner.
Cody Kennedy died Feb. 22 at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office said in a news release issued last week. The cause and manner of the boy’s death are pending further investigation, but murder charges filed against the baby’s father alleged that preliminary results of an autopsy found his death was a homicide caused by blunt force trauma to the head.
The boy was brought to the hospital from his parents’ apartment in an unresponsive state a day before he died, according to court records. The infant’s father was alone with the boy and his two other children that afternoon while his wife was at work, records state. The child reportedly had been sick with a high fever for several days.
The boy’s father later told Tacoma Police Department detectives Cody had been sleeping, and his other son woke the infant by throwing a plastic bottle at him. The father allegedly said he became frustrated and shook the infant, causing him to start gurgling. Tacoma Fire Department personnel were called to the West End apartment on North 26th Street at about 8:16 p.m. Emergency responders performed CPR on Cody and took him to the hospital.
A scan of the child’s brain was done, and a pediatric neurosurgeon found a fresh brain bleed, retinal hemorrhaging and two hematomas that were 10-14 days old, according to the declaration for determination of probable cause.
All of the injuries were consistent with abusive head trauma, records state. The doctor advised that surgical intervention wasn’t possible. About three hours after the child was brought to the hospital, a police response was requested by a social worker.
This story was originally published March 8, 2023 at 8:27 AM.
