New Parents Of Twins Arrested In Connection With One 6-Week-Old Baby Found Dead In Bassinet Suffering Skull Fractures

A father of six-week-old twins in Louisiana is accused of murdering one of them by shaking the baby to death.

Jail records reviewed by Front Page Detectives Thursday show Daryl Richardson, 24, is charged with first-degree murder.

He and Brandee Williams, 26, also are charged with second-degree cruelty to juveniles. At this point, Williams faces only the cruelty charge.

Court documents examined by WAFB-TV that the parents called first responders in Baton Rouge last Friday, claiming one of the twins was unresponsive after being placed in a bassinet for being fussy.

An autopsy determined the baby had hemorrhaging on its skull, eyes and scalp. Those are signs of shaken baby syndrome, although a coroner will rule on the official cause of death.

State doctors who examined the other twin concluded it had skull fractures as well. The genders of the twins have not been disclosed.

The Baton Rouge Advocate reports Richardson and Williams denied any knowledge of the injuries.

According to the Mayo Clinic, extreme fussiness is a leading symptom of shaken baby syndrome. Even a short period of shaking due to anger or frustration can result in brain damage to a newborn.