Mo. couple faces charges in death of 1-year-old

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A suburban Kansas City couple has been charged with the abuse and death of the woman's 1-year-old son.

Twenty-five-year-old Kyle W. Cooper and 21-year-old Kimberly Helmes, both of Blue Springs, are each charged with second-degree murder and endangering the welfare of a child.

The 1-year-old was found dead at the couple's home Friday. Prosecutors say his injuries included a deep cut that covered about half the boy's tongue. Evidence indicated the couple had tried to sew the tongue back together.

Jackson County prosecutor Jim Kanatzar says it was Cooper who abused the child, called J.B. He says Helmes was charged because she allegedly did nothing to protect the boy and another 2-year-old son who lived with them.