Father Acquitted of Murder After Infant Died with Skull Injuries, Multiple Rib Fractures
Logan Hutchings, 22-years-old, was found not guilty in court on Monday after facing three first-degree murder charges
pyatt funeral home
A father in Illinois has been acquitted on charges of murder following the death of his son last year.
On Monday, Logan Hutchings was found not guilty in court after facing three counts of first-degree murder. According to local Riverfront Times, the judge at the three-day bench trial found that despite the infant’s death being ruled a homicide by the St. Louis Medical Examiner in Missouri, prosecutors did not meet the burden of proof to convict Hutchings, 22.
"This is a massive relief for Mr. Hutchings and his family," Hutchings' attorney Matthew Benson told the outlet. "Logan maintained his innocence from the first time he came into my office. I’m glad we were able to assist him in obtaining the result he deserved."
Related: Illinois Parents, Both 21, Charged with Murder of Their 3-Month-Old Son
In June 2023, Hutchings and Sophia Kelly’s three-month-old son Ocean Wayne Hutchings was pronounced dead from blunt force trauma to the head, according to police.
Illinois State Police Troop 10
He had suffered fractures to the skull and ribs when the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and the Pinckneyville Police Department alerted the Illinois State Police of the injuries two days prior to the boy's death.
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A police statement at the time said Ocean was in the care of Hutchings and Kelly at the time. Both parents were booked into the Washington County Jail and charged with three counts of murder.
Related: Babysitter Sentenced for Killing 2-Year-Old by Covering His Playpen with a Mattress
On May 1, Kelly’s jury trial is scheduled to begin, but Law&Crime reports the prosecutors are in the process of dismissing those charges. Prosecutor Jennifer Mudge wrote in an email to the outlet that she believes Hutchings is guilty, but referencing Kelly, she wrote, “I cannot nor will I ever pursue a case against someone who I know did not commit the offense.”
The funeral home obituary for Ocean described him as a child who "enjoyed Hey Bear Sensory Videos and the outdoors and loved his big brother, Ozark and his Mom and Dad."
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