Skip to content
Crime & Justice
Link copied to clipboard

Chester County man shook, threw, dropped and ultimately killed his infant daughter, police say

Zion Isaiah Shockley, 18, of Coatesville, killed his 5-month-old daughter by shaking, throwing, and dropping her repeatedly, Chester County authorities said Thursday.

File photo of police tape
File photo of police tapeRead moreFile Photo

A Coatesville man killed his 5-month-old daughter by shaking, throwing, and dropping her repeatedly, Chester County authorities said Thursday.

Zion Isaiah Shockley, 18, the baby's primary caretaker, was charged last week with premeditated murder and related offenses, the District Attorney's Office announced.

"An infant cannot defend herself. A baby cannot run away or call for help," District Attorney Thomas Hogan said in a statement. "A baby is the most innocent and vulnerable victim possible."

Coatesville Police said investigators first became aware of the abuse on Feb. 10, when they responded to the 500 block of East Harmony Street for a report of an infant in cardiac arrest. The child, Rosalie Faith Crothers-Shockley, was taken to Brandywine Hospital, and later to Nemours Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, in critical condition.

Rosalie died two days later, according to authorities.

At duPont, doctors discovered that Rosalie was bleeding internally from her brain and her eyes, likely the result of recent and ongoing abuse at the hands of her father, prosecutors said. At the time, Shockley was her sole caretaker, even though he shared custody of the child.

Right before Rosalie's death, authorities said she had been violently shaken and dropped. It was not the first time she had been abused, police said.

Shockley was being held without bail Thursday at the Chester County prison. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

Shockley's attorney, David Clark, could not immediately be reached for comment.