Case of toddler drowned in car seat goes to jury
FREEHOLD, N.J. (AP) — Jurors on Wednesday began deliberating the case of a man accused of killing his 2-year-old daughter by tossing her into a creek while she was still strapped into her car seat.
The defense rested Tuesday without calling any witnesses.
Prosecutors in Monmouth County say Arthur Morgan III killed Tierra Morgan-Glover in a jealous rage after the child's mother, Imani Benton, broke off their engagement.
Morgan, 29, of Eatontown, is charged with murder, child endangerment and interference with custody.
The child's body was pulled from a creek in a park in Wall Township, about 20 miles from her Lakehurst home, with one tiny black and purple sneaker sticking out of the water. The child was still strapped into her pink car seat, which was weighed down with a heavy metal car tire jack; prosecutors said that was done to ensure it would sink.
Morgan's state of mind the day of his daughter's death is a key part of the case. In his opening statement, defense attorney Ryan Moriarty indicated Morgan would not deny responsibility for Tierra's death but told the jurors their task is to decide "what form of homicide applies to this defendant."
After the child's death, Morgan fled to California and was arrested several days later in San Diego, with a newspaper account of the killing in his pocket.
The Monmouth County medical examiner said the toddler died from "homicidal violence, including submersion in water." He said the girl may have been conscious for three minutes after starting to breathe in water and could have remained alive for nearly five minutes after that.
If convicted of "knowing or purposeful" murder, Morgan could get life in prison without parole. But if convicted of a lesser form of homicide, like reckless manslaughter, he could be free in as little as five years.
Defense lawyer Jeffrey Coghlan told the jury in his closing argument Tuesday that Morgan believed Tierra's mother's family wasn't raising her properly and that Morgan wasn't thinking clearly at the time Tierra died.
___
Wayne Parry can be reached at http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC
