KY - Blayze Smith, 4 mos, dies of head injuries, 17yo boy charged, 6 June 2014

At approximately 5:16 a.m., Friday morning, KSP dispatchers received a call advising that an infant child was missing from a home on Turner Drive, in the Neon community.

A trooper began speaking with family members of the missing infant, while other troopers searched around the immediate area of the home for the child. At approximately 6:40, the child was located behind the home, over an embankment...

KSP detectives responded to the scene to conduct an investigation into the death of the infant. This initial investigation led them to a juvenile, who has been charged with one count of murder. The juvenile was lodged in the Breathitt County Juvenile Detention Center.

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OkieGranny said:

http://www.wkyt.com/news/headlines/Juvenile-charged-with-murder-of-Letcher-County-infant-262158091.html

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JeannaT said:

http://www.lex18.com/news/coroner-foul-play-suspected-in-infant-s-death

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The Letcher County Coroner said an infant declared dead at his home Friday died of blunt force trauma to the head.

The coroner says foul play is suspected in the death of 4-month-old Blayze Alexander Smith who was pronounced dead around 7 a.m. at his home on Turner Road.

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Before Taylor could stand trial for murder, the court had to establish whether he was sufficiently competent to understand the charges against him and to assist his lawyers in his own defense.

If a person is incapable of that , prosecutors say there is no mechanism to hold them under Kentucky law.

"So there's a large hole that potentially someone who was indicted for murdering a four-month-old infant could walk out the door with no supervision," said Letcher County Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Tyler Ward.

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"The Commonwealth definitely would have been more pleased to have a larger amount of time for the defendant to serve, but under the circumstances, particularly under Kentucky law, this was the best outcome of a really, really horrible set of circumstances," Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Tyler Ward said.

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Rayemonde said:

How can someone be incompetent to stand trial, yet be allowed to plead guilty to a serious crime? I don't understand that...

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Pike Circuit Judge Eddy Coleman, who was acting as special Letcher Circuit Judge, remanded Keaston Allen Taylor, 17, to the custody of the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice.

A court-appointed psychologist testified during a competency hearing on January 5 that Taylor might not be competent to stand trial, but is competent to accept a plea deal.

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"Clearly there are some issues as to the competency of the defendant and whether or not he can even be tried and whether or not he could have understood what he was doing if he did what he's alleged to have done," said Will Collins, Taylor's attorney.

A not guilty plea has been entered for Taylor, said Collins.

The indictment alleges Taylor "wantonly caused the death...by throwing the infant off of and down an embankment where the severely injured and helpless infant died due to blunt force trauma of the head caused from the impact resulting from the actions of the Defendant and/or from the submersion of the infant in mud and water after being thrown off of and down the embankment by the Defendant."

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