Marathon County jury finds man guilty of killing 3-month-old son in 2021
WAUSAU − It took a Marathon County jury less than three hours Thursday to find a 41-year-old man guilty of killing his 3-month-old son.
Ronnie D. Lofton, whose current address is listed as Elkhart, was convicted of first-degree intentional homicide. Lofton previously pleaded guilty to drug paraphernalia possession, carrying a concealed knife and misdemeanor bail jumping.
The trial began Jan. 18 and was scheduled to last 10 days. Lofton took the stand Wednesday in his own defense.
Marathon County Circuit Judge Gregory Strasser ordered a presentence investigation. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.
According to the criminal complaint, Lofton was caring for his 3-month-old son on Jan. 9, 2021, while the baby's mother was a work. The baby's mother said he was sleeping in the bedroom she shared with Lofton when she got home.
Lofton was still asleep when the baby's mother went to visit her mother and then get groceries. The woman told police she cooked dinner when she got home and took a plate to Lofton, who was sleeping in the bedroom, according to the complaint.
The woman said she heard a strange sound coming from the baby and went to check on him. The baby had one eye open and one closed. The woman said the open eye looked strange, and she told Lofton she thought something was wrong, according to the complaint.
The mother and Lofton took the baby to an emergency room. He was later taken to Marshfield Medical Center. Doctors contacted police, saying the baby suffered what they believed to be intentional injuries, according to the complaint. The baby's brain was deprived of oxygen, and he suffered an injury to the left side of his head.
The baby died from his injuries, and an autopsy determined he had suffered blunt force trauma to his head that the doctor did not believe could have been caused by accident, according to the complaint.
Lofton told police he did not hurt the infant and did not know how the injuries happened. He later called police and said they should talk to one of the children who was home. Lofton said he left the baby with a 10- and a 12-year-old child while he dropped off a 17-year-old girl at work.
All three children told police they did not touch the baby the day he was injured. The 10- and 12-year-olds both reported the baby crying loudly woke them in the afternoon. Both children said they went back to sleep.
Police verified the mother went to work, to visit her own mother and to the grocery store on the day someone hurt the 3-month-old boy, according to the complaint. Officers also verified the 17-year-old girl didn't leave her job that day.
When police went back to the home, Lofton locked himself in a bathroom, according to the complaint. It took officers about a half hour to get him to come out. Police say they found Lofton, who is a convicted felon, was carrying a folding knife and he had drug paraphernalia.
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Contact Karen Madden at (715) 345-2245 or kmadden@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @KMadden715, Instagram @kmadden715 or Facebook at www.facebook.com/karen.madden.33
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This article originally appeared on Wausau Daily Herald: Marathon County jury finds man guilty of killing 3-month-old son
