The father allegedly admitted to intentionally dropping his infant son on his head, police said.
A Minnesota father allegedly intentionally dropped his crying 5-month-old son headfirst onto a floor, killing him, investigators said.
Matthew Hossier, 35, said the child was fussy and "being difficult," according to prosecutors, who charged him with two counts of second-degree murder on Friday.
The child died on April 30. According to his online obituary, "Gus was a sweet, beautiful baby, a source of joy to his parents, and beloved by all who knew him. He loved riding on his daddy's shoulder and hearing his mommy sing, especially 'Rainbow Connection,' and will always remain their precious 'Snuggamonkey.'"
Hossier told investigators he was caring for his infant son from 7:30 p.m. to midnight on April 24, according to the criminal complaint filed in Washington County District Court. The baby was "crying and fussy and was being difficult," he told investigators, and the father became "so frustrated he intentionally dropped the infant headfirst into the ground," the document states, according to the Pioneer Press.
The next morning, Gus' mother noticed her son was "whining and whimpering," the complaint stated. She took the baby to his regular day care provider and told the staff Gus wasn't drinking his formula, investigators said. A day care worker called 911 in the afternoon after the baby became "limp and quiet," the document said.
The baby was taken to Children's Hospital. He died five days later.
The child's head injury was so severe the baby would have been paralyzed, deaf and blind had he survived, authorities said.
An autopsy concluded the baby had suffered an earlier head injury, most likely a week or two before Gus was hospitalized, investigators said.
His father said he had hit the baby's on the floor, a few weeks prior to dropping him, while changing his diaper, the complaint said.
Gus had colic and was a "difficult" and "consistently fussy" infant.
Hoisser is being held on $350,000 bail. His wife is 10 weeks pregnant. Authorities said they would seek a no-contact order between the father and mother. but John Leunig, the man's attorney, said there was no need. "His wife is totally supportive of him," Leunig said in court Friday.
Hoisser's next appearance is scheduled for Aug. 19.
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