In Iowa, Father charged with 2 felonies | Abusive Head Trauma

The father of Mikayla Valentine, a 5-year-old who reportedly died in January 2011 from what authorities called abusive head trauma, has been arrested on child abuse-related charges, according to court records. Robert Valentine Jr., 29, of Eagle Grove, has reportedly been charged with child endangerment resulting in death and child endangerment resulting in serious injury, according to court complaints filed by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. The complaints state that the alleged offenses happened on Jan. 1, 2011. Mikayla Valentine died on Jan. 8, 2011. The charges were reportedly filed Wednesday, and Valentine made his first appearance in court that day. A preliminary hearing has reportedly been scheduled for 9:15 a.m. Thursday in Wright County District Court. Kara Crapser, 21, of Eagle Grove, is reportedly serving a 50-year prison sentence for her role in the child's death. She reportedly pleaded guilty to second degree murder and was sentenced to prison on May 7. During her sentencing hearing, a written statement from Robert Valentine Jr. was read. "How low can a person be?" he wrote. "To murder a baby and not care. To take that life and make others believe your innocence and then waiting a year to confess." "My daughter was a beautiful and innocent baby," he wrote. Mikayla Valentine was reportedly the daughter of Robert Valentine Jr. and Michele Movall. The girl was in Crapser's care in her home at 208 N. Wright Ave. in Eagle Grove, when she suffered the injuries that led to her death. Emergency personnel were called to that home on Jan. 7, 2011, to treat the girl's injuries. She was later airlifted to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, where she died the following day. Investigators have said little about what happened to her. The most detailed account thus far has come from her older brother, Robert Valentine III, who wrote a victim impact statement that was read during Crapser's sentencing hearing. "You know you killed Mikayla," he wrote. "You know you threw her." To Read More on this Story: Click Here If you have any questions or concerns about what can be done to help babies who have been shaken, or families of babies who have died, please call Christopher Keane and The Keane Law Firm toll-free for free consultation at (888) 592-5437 (KIDS), click on contact us here, or use the web form provided at http://www.keanelaw.com