CENTERVILLE — A Piedmont man was sentenced to 10 years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to a lesser charge in connection to the September 2018 death of his infant son.
Accompanied by his attorney, Ayla Chadbourne, Matthew James Wilkins appeared before Circuit Judge Kelly Parker for a plea/trial setting in his case.
The state, represented by Reynolds County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Randazzo, filed an amended information with the court, charging Wilkins with the Class C felony of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
The amended information alleged on Sept. 7 Wilkins “knowingly acted in a manner that created a substantial risk to the life, body and health” of his son “by failing to provide necessary medical care for (the child) and physical injury resulted.”
Wilkins, according to Casenet, pleaded guilty to that charge and was sentenced to 10 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections by Parker.
The 28-year-old originally was charged with the Class A felony of abuse or neglect of a child.
Authorities earlier reported the nearly 2-month-old died in mid-September at a St. Louis hospital due to injuries sustained from a non-accidental, closed-head injury.
Wilkins’ charge stemmed from an investigation by Matthew Lindemeyer, an investigator with the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team in Jefferson City.
At the request of the Reynolds County Sheriff’s Department, Lindemeyer was called for what began as a child physical abuse investigation Sept. 8.
According to Lindemeyer’s probable-cause affidavit, the infant had been taken to Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center the day before after “being cared for by his father” at their Highway AA residence in Reynolds County.
“Wilkins reported (his son) began choking on formula while feeding him, and he ultimately stopped breathing,” Lindemeyer said. “It was determined by hospital staff (the infant) had sustained non-accidental injuries consistent with child abuse, and he was transported to Children’s Hospital in St. Louis, Mo., due to the severity of his injuries.”
Medical records from Children’s Hospital, Lindemeyer said, indicated the infant suffered from “multiple bone fractures, bilateral subdural hematomas, bilateral intraventricular hemorrhage (bleeding into the fluid-filled areas inside the brain), left retinal hemorrhages and bilateral lung contusions.”
Some of the bone fractures were in various stages of healing, Lindemeyer said.
When Lindemeyer interviewed the infant’s mother, Kaili Wilkins, he said, she reported having left their residence at about 9:30 a.m. Sept. 7 and leaving her son in the care of his father.
Kaili Wilkins reported her son “appeared normal and was not in distress when she left,” Lindemeyer said. “… Kaili said (her son) had not sustained any injuries or been involved in any accidents, to include falling or being dropped.”
Kaili Wilkins reportedly returned home at about 12:30 p.m. that day to find emergency medical services personnel treating her son because he had stopped breathing.
Lindemeyer said Kaili Wilkins later reported her husband “easily loses his temper and ‘snaps.’ (She) said Wilkins got angry whenever (the infant) cried, and he routinely told (him) to ‘shut the ---- up.’
“(She) indicated Wilkins would throw bottles and blankets across the room when he had difficulty feeding (the infant) or when (he) would not stop crying.”
Lindemeyer said he also interviewed Matthew Wilkins, who admitted to caring for his son during the morning hours of Sept. 7 after his wife left.
“Wilkins described (his son) as acting normal until he began choking around noon while consuming a bottle,” Lindemeyer said. “(He) stated he turned (his son) onto his stomach and struck his back with an open hand in an attempt to clear his airway.”
Matthew Wilkins further reported when his son stopped breathing, he began CPR and had a neighbor call 911.
Lindemeyer said Matthew Wilkins denied causing his son’s injuries.
A doctor as St. Louis Children’s Hospital, according to Lindemeyer, reported the infant would have “presented with noticeable symptoms immediately or near immediately after sustaining his head injury.
“(She) advised (the infant) would not have been able to consume a bottle and would not be functioning normally due to the severity of his injuries.”
Lindemeyer said the doctor indicated the infant’s injuries likely were caused by “an impact and/or shaking mechanism, which would have been inflicted by a caregiver due to (his) age and lack of mobility.”
Messages left for Randazzo were not returned.