Parents charged after infant dies

July 31, 2013 at 10:13 PM CDT - Updated July 11 at 9:30 AM

Sidney Campbell (Source: Craighead County Sheriff's Department)

Jennifer Campbell (Source: Craighead County Sheriff's Department)

Posted by Jessi Turnure

BROOKLAND, AR (KAIT) - The Craighead County Sheriff's Department is investigating its first homicide of the year.

The department has charged a one-month-old's father, Sidney Campbell, with first degree murder Wednesday.

The baby boy's mother, Jennifer Campbell, has been charged with hindering apprehension.

"It started on Sunday morning at 7:40 when 9-1-1 call center received a call to an address in Brookland over an infant death," Craighead County Sheriff Marty Boyd said.

When first responders arrived to the home on Logan Street, police said the baby was already dead. "The baby died of blunt force trauma to the head. The baby was approximately 30 days old," Boyd said.

Boyd says the parents did not immediately notify authorities of the infant's condition. "We believe there was some time, through our investigation, before authorities were notified."

The sheriff's department then arrested the Campbell's. "After the investigation and interviews we rapped up today, we have charged the father of the infant, Sidney Campbell of Brookland, with first degree murder, and the mother, Jennifer Campbell, with hindering apprehension," Boyd said.

The police report states upon the sheriff's department and the Brookland Police Department's investigation, they found bruising on the baby about the size of an adult thumb print.

Boyd said the father keeps changing his story.

"The facts that we have so far is not consistent with his story. The father has admitted he dropped the baby, unintentionally at this time. But through our investigation, it's still an open investigation at this time, but we are charging him with first degree murder," Boyd said.

Both parents will appear for a bond hearing Thursday.