Hailey Bannister child abuse death: Daniel Bannister and Catherine Bannister of Ewing, NJ charged with the beating death of their three month old baby daughter.
A New Jersey cop accused of fatally beating his baby daughter has been revealed to have levied a series of ‘ongoing abuse’ that led to the child suffering nine skull fractures along with other injuries according to court documents.
The disclosure follows the girl’s 31 year old father, Daniel Bannister, a Ewing Police Department officer, being charged with the murder of his 3-month-old daughter Hailey, on Thursday NJ.com reported.
The months-long investigation into the infant’s death on Dec. 11, 2018, determined that Hailey’s injuries were consistent with ongoing child abuse, which was indicated by multiple skull fractures, some of which were in the process of healing, authorities said.
Investigators believe that Hailey also suffered four fractured ribs weeks before her death.
‘The nature of Hailey’s injuries indicated an ongoing pattern of abuse,’ said Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri.
Also booked with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child was Hailey Bannister‘s mother, Catherine Bannister, 29.
911 call: ‘She’s barely breathing. She was just diagnosed with reflux, but right now she’s almost barely conscious.’
Hailey was brought to the hospital when her mother, Catherine Bannister, called 911 on Dec. 5, 2018, to report her baby daughter was having difficulty breathing.
‘She’s breathing extremely funny,’ she said, according to NJ.com, which obtained a recording of the call. ‘She’s barely breathing. She was just diagnosed with reflux, but right now she’s almost barely conscious.’
Doctors determined the girl had suffered from a fractured skull, brain bleeding and fractured ribs. The infant fatally succumbed six days later from her injuries.
Law enforcement began investigating Hailey’s death ‘due to the suspicious nature of the girl’s injuries.’
During investigations, authorities confiscated both parents’ phones which revealed Hailey’s mother, Catherine confronting her husband on several occasions about how he handled their daughter. When the baby was one month old, Catherine questioned Daniel about the bruising on Hailey’s face in a series of texts, NJ.com reported.
She also sent her husband a photo showing bruises on Hailey’s ribs on another occasion. ‘Hopefully doctor won’t see,’ she allegedly texted.
Ewing Police had placed the father on paid suspension following the baby’s death — but as of Wednesday, his status has changed to leave without pay, according to the department. Bannister first joined Ewing Police in May of 2017.
Daniel and Catherine Bannister made their initial appearances in Mercer County Superior Court today via video conference. They both entered pleas of not guilty to their individual charges, according to the Mercer County District Attorney’s office.
Detention motions will be heard in both cases at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, July 23, pending any adjournments.
Not immediately understood is what led to the father allegedly abusing his infant daughter and the girl’s mother refusing to protect her.
