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Arkansas Man Smothered Infant, Then Tried To Shock Her Back To Life With Extension Cord, Police Say
Tyler Buchanan, from Van Buren, Arkansas, allegedly cut the head off an extension cord to shock his baby back to life.
The baby wouldn't stop screaming, so Tyler Buchanan smothered her until she did, police said.
The 19-year-old, from Van Buren, Arkansas, was charged Monday in connection with his infant daughter's death, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
On June 12, at around 2 a.m., the 2-month-old baby wouldn't go to sleep and was making too much noise, so Buchanan held her against his shoulder to stop her from breathing, according to a probable cause affidavit cited by the Democrat-Gazette. Buchanan allegedly told police he did it because he wanted to rest, and that he knew what he was doing was wrong.
Later, at around 5 a.m., when he saw his daughter wasn't breathing, he cut the head off an extension cord and tried to shock the baby back to life, he told police. It didn't work.
At 9 a.m., the baby's mother woke up and found Buchanan cradling the infant, according to the affidavit. He told her the baby wasn't breathing, and she called police. When rescue workers and police arrived, Buchanan allegedly concocted a story to explain himself.
He said said his daughter, named Presley, woke up around 5:30 a.m. and he fed her and she went right to sleep, according to KCTV in Kansas City. When he woke up she wasn’t breathing, he told police.
However, after further questioning, he admitted his actions, according to the affidavit. The baby was transported to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead.
Buchanan was charged with capital murder and could face the death penalty for his alleged crime. He's in the Crawford County Jail on a $1 million bond. He's been appointed a public defender, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Buchanan has also had previous run-ins with the law, the Gazette reported. In December, he was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and six counts of theft of property by credit or debit card. He was also charged with breaking or entering and theft of property.
[Photo: Crawford County Sheriff's Office]
