McKenzy Debelbot, the deceased 3-day-old child at the center of Albert and Ashley Debelbot’s murder trial, had head injuries consistent with being crushed, a medical examiner testified Tuesday.
But Albert Debelbot said neither he nor his wife would have done such a thing to their child.
Albert and Ashley Debelbot face murder and cruelty to children charges in the June 2008 death of their child, McKenzy. The Debelbots have pleaded not guilty.
Dr. Lora Darrisaw told jurors on the second day of the couple’s trial that an infant’s skull is more flexible and malleable, meaning it would be more difficult to fracture. Under cross-examination by Ashley Debelbot’s attorney, W. Sander Callahan, Darrisaw said that while hemorrhaging can occur during birth, that wasn’t the case with McKenzy’s injuries.
“It’s more consistent with a crushing-type injury,” Darrisaw said.
A detective previously testified that the child had a large lump on her forehead and bleeding on the brain the morning she died.
Assistant District Attorney Sadhana Dailey asked Darrisaw whether the birth complications Callahan described could have caused the skull fractures McKenzy had. The doctor said those complications couldn’t have caused the damage.
Taking the witness stand in his defense, Albert Debelbot said that in his family having a child is a tradition that shows responsibility.
“Having a child was amazing,” Albert Debelbot said. “I loved every bit of that nine months. It was a gift from God.”
Albert Debelbot said when he went to sleep the night of McKenzy’s death, the baby was fine. When he woke a few hours later and his wife handed him their child, he noticed a bump on her head.
They took the baby to the hospital, and learned hours later that she had died. On the stand Tuesday, Albert Debelbot told his attorney, Bill Mason, that he did not cause McKenzy’s skull fractures and had no idea how it happened.
Under questioning by Dailey, Albert Debelbot said he and his wife discussed the death but only talked about the information they got from police detectives.
“You and your wife never discussed any other possibility about how your baby died?” Dailey asked. “At any time, did you discuss with your wife how your baby died? Your baby is dead, and you never ask your spouse how your baby died?”
Albert Debelbot said they never discussed it.
Later in the cross-examination, Dailey brought up a conversation she said occurred between an inmate and Albert Debelbot. The prosecutor asked whether Albert Debelbot ever said he didn’t know how long he could hold out and that he left to buy drugs the night his child died, returning to find her limp.
Albert Debelbot said the conversation never occurred.
“So, which one of you killed your baby?” Dailey asked.
“I don’t believe she was murdered,” he answered.
The trial is scheduled to continue at 9:15 a.m. today.
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