The Wayne County District Attorney’s Office announced the arrest today of Emilee Decker, age 27, for Aggravated Assault (Felony 1st Degree) and Endangering the Welfare of a Child related to a 3 month old infant (Felony 2nd Degree). According to the Affidavit of Probable Cause filed by Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Sharon Palmer, the assault took place on September 9, 2019, in South Canaan, Wayne County, Pennsylvania. The child suffered injuries consistent with Shaken Baby Syndrome.
The child appeared at an area hospital on September 9, 2019, with numerous life-threatening injuries including brain trauma, fractured skull, retinal hemorrhages, and multiple broken bones from her head to her toes at varying stages of healing. A number of the fractures were deemed ‘acute’ by medical personnel, meaning they were inflicted very recently.
While the Defendant did not mention any bruising or other marks on the child to the Police upon questioning, a deleted photo was recovered from the her cell phone which showed a large and obvious discoloration of the baby’s head which doctors opine is consistent with an “impact site” typical of a high velocity strike. A maternal nurse also observed the bruise-like mark on the baby’s head that day. Additionally, a video was found on the Defendant’s phone showing the baby in an altered mental status, which medical personnel has opined is consistent with the immediate results of a shaken baby exhibiting concussive symptoms. The Defendant was alone with the baby immediately prior to the symptoms appearing. The evidence shows that the Defendant was the only person who could have caused the injuries on September 9, 2019.
The Defendant was arraigned before Magistrate Judge Linus Myers and remanded to the Wayne County Prison with bail set at $50,000.00. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for December 3, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. at the Wayne County Courthouse.
**The filing of criminal charges is not evidence of guilt but simply a description of the charge made by the Commonwealth against a defendant. A charged Defendant is presumed innocent until a jury returns a unanimous finding that the Commonwealth has proven the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt or until the defendant enters a guilty plea to the charges.**
