Woman sentenced in baby's death

DEXTER, Mo. -- Megan Kirby of Dexter was sentenced to 10 years in prison Wednesday for felony abuse of a child (traumatic brain injury).

On May 7, Kirby entered an Alford plea, meaning sentencing was left up to the judge. Wednesday's hearing was conducted by Judge Robert N. Mayer in a Stoddard County courtroom.

On Aug. 21, the Missouri Department of Social Services Children's Division lodged a child abuse complaint with Dexter police.

A 6-month-old girl reportedly was being treated at St. Louis Children's Hospital for bleeding on the brain. She was first taken to Southeast Health Center in Dexter.

The previous morning, the child's mother, Kirby, said she saw the baby stiff and shaking via a baby monitor. At that time, she allegedly called 911.

On Aug. 21, the hospital confirmed the baby was being treated for a "small subdural hemorrhage." Dr. Adrienne Atzemis, who was treating the baby, said the injury was consistent with shaken baby syndrome. The child also had healing fractures, also consistent with abuse.

In speaking to officials, Kirby denied any history of falls or drops and described two injuries: one from the baby hitting her head on wooden slats in a crib, resulting in a facial bruise, and one in which the baby's arm was caught in the crib, resulting in bruising.

Kirby said the baby woke at 5:30 a.m. Aug. 20, was given a bottle and taken back to bed. Kirby noticed a strange sound on the monitor. She saw the baby shaking extensively and vomiting "a large amount."

When Kirby reached the room, the child was limp but warm. She did two rescue breaths and started having a panic attack, she told officers.

She rushed to a neighbor's house and pounded on the door, but by then the baby was cold and not breathing.

Kirby denied shaking the baby in an effort to revive her and said she is aware of the dangers of shaking a baby.

The child's father said he assumed the baby had hit her head on the side of the crib and denied seeing bumps or bruises. He said he was working in Sikeston, Missouri, at the time of the incident.

In a later interview with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Kirby's statement was "mostly consistent" with her interview given to medical professionals, but she did admit to shaking the baby.

She said when she found the child not breathing, she shook her hard enough to make her head go back and forth. She also admitted to having lied to medical personnel.

The baby's father said he was unaware Kirby had shaken the child and could not provide an explanation for her injuries.

On Aug. 22, the couple agreed to be interviewed at the Dexter Police Department. Kirby described the baby as generally healthy, but said that at 2 months old the child had stopped breathing. There apparently were no subsequent health problems.

Kirby told officers that 30 minutes after her husband had left for work on the night of the most recent incident, she went to feed the baby and noticed "puffiness and redness" on the child's neck. When she got up to feed the baby at 5:50 a.m., the puffiness was gone.

Kirby returned to bed and watched the child on the monitor, when she heard a belching sound and watched the baby's left arm stay stiff along the body while the right arm went stiff above the head. The child then vomited on the wall.

When Kirby couldn't revive the baby with her breaths, she said she held her around the chest and shook her hard twice.

Kirby denied abusing the child, but offered no reasonable explanation for the injuries.

In an attached medical affidavit from Aztemis detailing the baby's injuries, she stated she has "reasonable cause to suspect [the child] is the victim of child maltreatment, abusive head trauma and physical abuse. [The child] would be at high risk for future serious injury or death if returned to the environment in which these injuries occurred."