Stepdad charged with murder in death of Mesa Co. toddler

Rosa Ramirez, Rocky Mountain News

Published July 19, 2007 at midnight

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A Mesa County man was charged with first-degree murder in the death of his stepson, who would have turned 2 today.

Logan Acord’s stepfather, Brandon Scott Moore, 21, of Clifton, was arrested about 10 last night, according to Heather Gierhart, a spokeswoman for the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office.

Police suspect the boy died from injuries consistent with shaken baby syndrome, according to a search warrant affidavit.

The child arrived at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction late Monday with severe bleeding on his brain. Doctors there contacted authorities.

A court document says the boy arrived at the emergency room with severe bleeding and swelling of the brain.

Medical staff told authorities special medical equipment is typically needed to see a retinal hemorrhage but in the case of Logan, it was so severe they could see it without the equipment, the court document said.

Logan had black and blue bruising on Logan’s right cheek.

Moore told authorities Logan had fallen from the bathtub and that he slapped and bit the boy to keep him alert.

Doctors who treated Logan are saying the boy’s injuries could not have resulted from a fall from a bathtub.

They also said authorities and the Department of Human Services searched the home of Logan’s parents.

They found what appeared to be blood on a pillowcase in the boy’s room and another spot that appeared to be blood on the toilet seat, according to the document.

The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident as possible child abuse, a spokeswoman for the agency said.

Logan died at 8 p.m. Tuesday of "possible injuries sustained by suspected child abuse," a statement said.

The Mesa County Coroner’s Office is conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

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