Authorities report that a father allegedly killed his one-year-old son by choking him for not obeying.
A father in Virginia has been accused of strangling his 1-year-old son, who was later discovered unresponsive in his bed by the child’s mother after returning home from work, as reported by authorities.
Nathaniel Lee Edmonds, 24, has been charged with second-degree murder.
Authorities in Front Royal, located approximately 70 miles west of Washington, D.C., were alerted around 2:40 p.m. on September 18 to a 1-year-old boy experiencing cardiac arrest at a residence on the 300 block of North Royal Avenue, according to a press release.
Emergency responders from the Warren County Fire & Rescue transported the boy to Warren Memorial Hospital, where he was sadly declared deceased by the medical team.
An arrest affidavit acquired by the Northern Virginia Daily indicates that the boy’s mother departed for work, leaving Edmonds responsible. Upon her return, she discovered the boy lying unresponsive on his bed, while Edmonds had seemingly vanished. Authorities located Edmonds in north Front Royal using a phone tracker, and he was subsequently found walking along U.S. 522 North at Fairground Road. He was apprehended and brought in for questioning.
After being informed of his rights, Edmonds allegedly confessed to strangling his son “using both of his hands for minutes because the child was not listening and he couldn’t take it anymore.” According to the affidavit, he informed the police that he witnessed the boy foaming at the mouth.
The identity of the boy remains undisclosed by the police.
“Due to the ongoing and sensitive nature of the case, no further details will be released at this time,” the press release said.
Last year, Edmonds faced arrest due to charges related to domestic violence, according to reports from the Daily. He is currently held at the Rappahannock-Shenandoah-Warren Regional Jail with no bond available. The upcoming court session is set for December 19.
If you have any additional details, please reach out to the Front Royal Police Department at 540-636-2208.