A Louisiana mother was arrested and charged with the murder of an infant after she allegedly beat her eight-month-old son to death.
The suspect, identified as 24-year-old Autumn Victoria Harper, was charged with first-degree murder, as announced in a press release by the Washington Parish Sheriff's Office on Mar. 19, 2025, adding that the victim was known as Sterling Rogers.
Fatal Beating of Eight-Month-Old Boy
In a statement, Franklinton police chief Justin Brown said that the case was an "absolutely heartbreaking" incident that is believed to have included ongoing abuse. Brown added that preliminary information they had access to through an autopsy showed skull fractures on the victim.
The police chief noted that they also discovered the young boy suffered from fractures in the ribs, arms, and legs. However, Brown believed that the majority of these injuries were healing injuries.
Brown noted that the eight-month-old boy's death is probably one of the worst cases that he has experienced throughout his career. He added that he still had questions about the matter, such as why the beating was not seen beforehand and if it could have been prevented, according to People.
The police chief also wondered if Harper knew that she having difficulties in life, why did she not decide to give away Sterling to someone else who may have been able to take care of him. Last week, the infant was taken to Riverside Medical Center and was found to have severe injuries.
He was then airlifted to Children's Hospital in New Orleans to be treated, but he was later pronounced dead on Mar. 17, 2025. The suspect's mother, Natasha Hano, talked about the death of her only grandchild, calling it "devastating."
First-Degree Murder
Amid the ongoing investigation into the brutal death of the young boy, the mother has been booked into the Washington Parish Jail. The father of the victim was the one who identified him to authorities, KGNS reported.
There was a similar case where a Texas mother was arrested for supposedly "dosing off" and letting her toddler roam into the street. It was there that the child was struck by a car that belonged to the woman's boyfriend and subsequently died.
The mother in the case was identified as 31-year-old Morgan Ottiger, who now faces criminal charges concerning her daughter's untimely death. Investigators in the case claim that she had a "lack of care" and that it is what led to the unfortunate incident, as per Mirror US.
