Apr 10, 2007 11:31 pm US/Mountain
Report: Dead Child Was Hit Over 50 Times
by Jodi Brooks
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) ―
A mother accused of child abuse appeared in court Tuesday after a young child was found dead inside an Aurora home. She was scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
The district attorney's office said Susie Quartey was not medically cleared to be in court on Monday. Quartey told police she had a spinal cord injury, thyroid problems, and that her ankles were severely swollen. Police did note Quartey could barely walk, which may explain the ramps outside of her home.
According to the arrest report when police arrived that found Quartey's daughter Jolyn not breathing, they noticed deep gouge marks on her inner left thigh, bruises on each rib-cage, and fresh cuts to her left check.
Police said Quartey told them Jolyn falls a lot and in that morning Jolyn ran into the edge of a door and had a bump on the head. She said she gave her daughter Children's Tylenol.
Quartey also told police she was carrying her daughter in her country's traditional way, in a sling around her back, when she fell backwards, which she said explained the bruises and cuts on the child's backside.
Detectives received a search warrant for the home and inside they found a trash bag in the kitchen. The report said in the bag was a black plastic coat hanger that was broken, and part of a broken towel rack that was flattened on the ends. One piece was torn in such a way to have a sharp point almost knife-like.
After re-examining the baby's body with the evidence, Aurora detectives concluded the hanger and the metal towel rack pieces were used numerous times on the child. Quartey's shoe print on the child indicated she was also kicked. The coroner counted in excess of 50 blows to the child.
The autopsy on Jolyn is complete but inconclusive. The coroner was waiting on toxicology and lab tests before announcing a cause of death. That could take up to two months.
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