Bucks man charged with murder of 18-month-old girl
Adrian Adams was watching the toddler when she suffered a "massive head trauma." Authorities say he whipped the child around and had tortured her for weeks or months.
Bucks man charged with murder of 18-month-old girl
The Bucks County District Attorney said Monday he will seek the death penalty for a Bristol Township man charged with the torture and murder of an 18-month-year-old Bensalem girl.
“This is a terrible, terrible tragedy,” David Heckler said before the arraignment for Adrian Morgan Allen. “We contend this was an intentional killing, first-degree murder.”
The child, called B.A. in court documents, died on March 7, 10 days after she was brought into St. Mary Medical Center unconscious with a severe head injury that required emergency surgery. She also suffered from a broken arm, broken ribs, an adult bite mark on her arm and bruises all over her body, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
Allen was “solely in charge” of the girl and her two sisters, ages 5 and 8, on the weekend of Feb. 24, when she suffered the fatal head injury, Heckler said. Allen, who was watching the girls for his girlfriend, gave police at least two explanations — that chairs had fallen on her head, and that he might have kicked her in the head — but Heckler called them “cover stories.”
“He intentionally swung the child, which caused massive head trauma,” Heckler said.
After the injury, “the child lay for the better part of the day without [treatment], comatose and grinding her teeth,” Heckler said. She was taken to the hospital by her mother, Nakia Adams, that evening.
The child had been treated at St. Mary’s for a broken leg on Jan. 7, according to the affidavit, and the county’s Children and Youth Social Services was notified, Heckler said. Their review concentrated on the broken leg, he said.
“We believe there was clearance” for the broken leg, that the Children and Youth Services workers “were satisfied with the explanation of the older siblings,” Heckler said.
During that hospital visit, “old burn marks and/or old injuries to her upper left leg” were found, according to the affidavit. Investigators are looking into whether the county workers were aware of those injuries, Heckler said.
Allen, who is not the father of any of the girls, was the “primary caregiver” in November and December, when B.A. was hurt; in January, when she broke her leg, and on the weekend of Feb. 24, according to the affidavit.
Heckler said he was “unaware of any other abuse” of B.A.‘s sisters, who were removed from their home at Creekside Apartments and are living with their grandmother. Asked whether their mother could face charges, Heckler said the investigation is continuing.
Police had not received any recent calls to the apartment in the 2500 block of Knights Road, said Frederick Harran, township director of public safety.
Allen, wearing a green coat over an orange prison overalls, was arraigned on first-degree murder and child-endangerment charges before District Justice Joseph P. Falcone, who denied bail. Allen’s only comments were his address, phone number and occupation — a student at Pennco Tech in Bristol Borough.
Police said Allen had a record of burglary and narcotics offenses in New Jersey.
After the brief arraignment, he was returned to county prison, where he had been held for two weeks on aggravated assault charges in the case.
If convicted of the upgraded first-degree murder charge, the penalties would be “life or death,” Heckler said.
"We contend that at least two specifications warrant the death penalty," Heckler said. "The child was less than 12 years old, and the result of the post-mortem examination suggests that elements of torture were involved.
The autospy ruled head trauma as the cause of death, noted the recent and older injuries, and found signs that B.A. had been “struck or whipped.”
One of Allen’s two court-appointed lawyers, Charles Jonas, said he received the case last week and could not comment.
SO, on January 7th someone knew someone was trying to kill this child but now they only have one person in jail????— nonsens- I hope this SOB gets his in jail. Even the most hardened criminals hate baby killers.— Just_Recently_Banned
Comment removed.- This guy is screaming to be made an example of.— Bill E. Penn
- What's the point of " investigating " whether or not charges will be brought against the baby's mother? No investigation should be required. It's clear to anyone with half a brain she's just as responsible for the baby's death as is her boyfriend. # 1 - A responsible mother wouldn't even have a boyfriend with a record of burglary and narcotics offenses in the first place. # 2 - A responsible mother wouldn't leave her kids in the care of such a person. # 3 - When the mother had returned from previous absences, during which the kids were left in her boyfriend's care, there were always signs of injury to the baby. A responsible mother wouldn't have continued to use him as a babysitter after the first time, just in case he was abusive. Maybe, if the law started to hold the mothers equally responsible in cases where they should have known better, they wouldn't be so quick to dump their kids with every Tom, Dick and Harry. By the way, where was the mother always running off to and where is/are the father/fathers of these kids?— PROUD LIBERAL
Proud liberal is correct. The mother is at the least negligent. Some charges against her seem warranted.- Sterilization for both; oh if there were such a provision... So many children are born into a life of neglect and basically torture, or slow death. Something has to be done to stem the tide.— ptahan
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- 1) The tragic loss of this innocent life sickens me. 2) The reprehensible behavior of this baby-making female (I have a hard time calling her a mother) underscores a serious problem in urban cities: young women, having children from multiple baby daddies, none of whom are in the picture, who leave their kids with some random idiot they're dating. What, besides selfishness and a complete lack of common sense, would possess a woman to leave three very young girls with a grown man who is not their father or otherwise related to them? If she hasn't already had a tubal ligation, she should get one asap, because all that waste of a human life is doing is breeding more victims.— WCUGrad_2012
- another one for the number 8, section 8 that is, the northeast is just circlin the drain. Woodhaven gardens, Doral gardens it don't matter if you rebuild them and change the names, they are still the same dumps they were in the 70s. Section 8 will always be section 8— couldabeenakenzo
- Of course the mother should be responsible.How dare her leave her precious children in the hands of this nut case. The poor child paid with her life because her mother needed a man, who was not even related. He wasn't capable of caring for a gold fish. This whole thing makes me sick. Thanks again Section 8 for dumping more garbage in the northeast.— marcie
- I would first hold accountable the BUCKS COUNTY CYS. They do nothing, and in my eyes they simply exist to collect a paycheck. I will be running for commissioner next term to get the likes of some of them out of office... this agency needs a complete overhaul. My daughter, who suffers from PTSD was "in the system" because I called childline to make sure she was able to get the mental help she needed after being released from the hospital, her father refused against all medical advice. He also evicted us from our home, and it was reported that he sexually assaulted her when she was 10.... they refused to see the mental impact that reunifying them had on her. And despite the Protection from Abuse Order that she had against him and all the documented physical abuse. There own Psychologist reported that they should terminate all contact for the safety of all involved, but despite this, they think he is a good father. Probably like they thought this guy was a great babysitter. For the record, I do not live in section 8, this problem crosses all races,cultures and economic classes.— NotDeadYet
