Orangeburg County man charged with killing his 3-month-old son

Ted Clifford
·2 min read

An Orangeburg County man has been charged in the death of his 3-month-old son, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

Anthony Lamont Simpson, 25, has been charged with homicide by child abuse after investigators determined that his infant child died following trauma to the brain, skull and jaw, SLED said. “Those injuries occurred under circumstances manifesting in an extreme indifference to human life,” according to a warrant released Thursday.

Simpson, a resident of Chicquita Street in Cordova, a small town located southwest of Orangeburg, was arrested and charged March 1, according to court records.

Deputies responded to reports of an unresponsive child on Aug. 28, 2023, according to the warrant. The infant was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy concluded that the 3-month-old had suffered “inflicted head trauma” resulting in bleeding between his brain and skull, and evidence was found of bruising along his jaw and a healing fractured rib, according to the warrant.

The Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office requested the SLED Special Victims Unit Department of Child Fatalities conduct the investigation, according to a statement from the department.

Simpson was interviewed by law enforcement, who made the decision to charge him in his son’s death after speaking with witnesses and reviewing medical records and documents from the Department of Social Services.

The case will be prosecuted by the 1st Circuit Solicitor’s Office.

“Homicide by child abuse carries a minimum penalty of 20 years without parole and up to life without parole,” said First Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe, who declined to discuss details of the case.

Simpson was booked at the Orangeburg County Detention Center. Court records do not indicate that bond has been set. A circuit court judge must set bond in cases where the defendant is charged with crimes carrying the possibility of a life sentence, Pascoe said. Simpson’s first appearance date is set for May 8.