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OGDEN — An Ogden man was charged Tuesday with causing the death of his infant child.
Nicholas James Horsley, 27, is charged in 2nd District Court with child abuse homicide, a first-degree felony, and child endangerment, a third-degree felony.
On Dec. 27, Ogden police were called to a home at 2531 Lincoln Ave. on a report of a 4-month-old girl who was not breathing. "Medical scans revealed that (the girl) had sustained a catastrophic brain bleed which was caused by nonaccidental abusive head trauma," according to charging documents.
The obituary for Elizabeth Jayne Horsley states she passed away at Primary Children's Hospital on Dec. 30. A funeral will be held on Sunday.
Investigators learned that earlier, the mother was watching Elizabeth, and she was acting normal. But when Horsley took his daughter into another room and returned 10 to 20 minutes later, Elizabeth "was completely lifeless and not breathing," the charges state.
While police were in the home investigating, they watched as a 1-year-old child reached "for a pile of marijuana on the coffee table and had to be encouraged to leave the marijuana alone," according to the charges.
A 6-year-old child also lived in the residence.
A judge has ordered Horsley to remain in custody without the possibility of posting bail pending trial. His initial appearance in court is scheduled for Thursday.
