Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers announces charges for alleged murder of a 21-month-old child
Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers recently announced the indictment of Edward Murray, 24, for his alleged role in the May 1, 2024 killing of a child, who was 21 months old at the time of his death.
Murray was indicted for two counts of murder (special felony), one count of felonious assault (F2) and one (1) count of child endangering (F3). If convicted, he faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.
In the morning hours of May 2, 2024 paramedics were dispatched to the residence of the victim’s mother for a report of a non-responsive child. When first responders arrived, they found the victim unresponsive and not breathing. The victim was transported to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital ICU. Three days later, on May 5, 2024, the victim was pronounced dead.
Further examination of the victim following his death revealed the following injuries:
• Cardiac arrest with severe diffuse hypoxic-ischemic injury;
• Complex right parietal and occipital bone fractures;
• Rib fracture, subdural hemorrhage;
• Grade 5 liver lacerations with hemoperitoneum;
• Diffuse retinal hemorrhages; and
• Brain swelling due to inner-cranial hemorrhaging.
Child abuse expert physicians at Cincinnati Children’s determined these injuries could only have occurred from violent impacts against objects or from delivered blows. After autopsy, the death was ruled a homicide.
Investigation by Cincinnati Police revealed that the mother of the victim had been dating defendant Edward Murray for approximately three months. On the evening of the victim’s death, Murray had allegedly been alone with the victim outside the residence playing.
After that, Murray allegedly brought the victim inside and directly to bed, skipping dinner and claiming the child was tired. Murray was allegedly alone with the victim in the the victim’s bedroom for several minutes before returning to smoke marijuana with the victim’s mother. Neither individual checked on the victim for the remainder of the night.
The next morning, Murray was allegedly again alone with the victim when it was the victim discovered was not breathing and unresponsive. Murray allegedly was unable to provide any alternate explanation for how the victim could have been injured so severely.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers commented on the allegations, “This case is both heartbreaking and sickening. I cannot imagine the amount of evil required to hurt an innocent child so severely. It is genuinely disturbing to think someone capable of doing this might walk among us.
“I want to thank both the Cincinnati Police Department and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for their outstanding work investigating this matter; these cases are not easy. We are going to make sure that this killer goes behind bars for as long as possible.”
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