Butler Co. man charged in connection with death of infant son

BUTLER COUNTY, Mo. (KFVS) - A man has been charged in connection with the death of his infant son.

Dustin E. Mason, was recently charged with abuse or neglect of a child resulting in death.

He was arrested and taken to the Butler County Justice Center on a no-bond warrant. He is scheduled for an initial court appearance on Thursday morning, June 22.

According to court documents, Butler County deputies were dispatched to a home in the 500 block of Mustang Lane in October 2022 for a report of an unresponsive 5-week-old infant.

Investigators say the father, Dustin Mason, was home alone with the baby and his two other children when he says the baby started choking on milk while taking a bottle.

Court documents state the mother was out getting pizza at the time.

The baby was taken by ambulance to an area hospital and then transferred to a hospital in St. Louis where he was placed on life support and later died.

Doctors at the St. Louis hospital reported injuries to the baby associated with “abusive head trauma.”

An autopsy was conducted in November 2022 and the report from a pathologist who specializes in child abuse deaths came back in April 2023. It stated that due to the circumstances surrounding the death, and after examining the body, they believe the baby died as a result of complications due to closed head injuries that occurred over a period of time.

According to court documents, investigators determined the baby died as a result of injuries that were not consistent with choking on formula.

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