Fort Bragg soldier charged with first-degree murder in toddler's beating death
A Fort Bragg soldier was arrested Friday in the beating death of his girlfriend’s toddler, according to court records.
Josef Nehemiah King, 26, of the 5100 block of Hodge Street, is charged with first-degree murder in the Sunday killing of 21-month-old Mason Coonradt, the arrest warrant states.
"I am ecstatic," said Beth Carroll, who identified herself as Mason's great-aunt, upon learning of King's arrest.
King was home alone with Coonradt when the child suffered multiple blunt force injuries to his head and neck, according to the warrant.
The little boy’s body was discovered by a family member, according to the arrest warrant.
“Mason was found dead in his bed by another family member who came to visit the kids while King was on scene,” the warrant states. “Mason had several bruises to his forehead, face, arms, legs, back and torso along with cuts and scrapes to his face.”
Coonradt’s mother told investigators her son was not injured when she left for work earlier that day. The toddler suffered hemorrhaging to the C1 and C2 vertebrae, a fractured bone in his upper right arm and brain hemorrhaging, the warrant states.
An autopsy revealed the child likely died from “blunt force head and neck trauma,” according to the arrest warrant. None of the toddler’s injuries showed signs of healing, the warrant states.
King was booked into the Cumberland County jail Thursday afternoon, where he is being held without bail.
Public safety reporter Lexi Solomon can be reached at ABSolomon@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fort Bragg soldier accused of beating toddler to death
