The baby sitter of polygamy clan leader Paul Kingston's infant daughter has been criminally charged in connection with the child's death.
Michelle Afton Michaels, 26, was charged in 3rd District Court late Friday afternoon with child-abuse homicide, a second-degree felony.
The 17-month-old infant, Rhoda, died Jan. 19 after spending three days in critical condition at Primary Children's Medical Center following an alleged fall at Michaels' home.
According to the charges, Michaels was caring for Rhoda and her two siblings, as well as Michaels' own five children and three other children Jan. 16. Michaels left to change her own child's diaper sometime between 10 and 10:30 a.m., at which time she saw Rhoda standing on a kitchen chair, charges
state. Shortly after leaving the room, Michaels told police she heard something fall and Rhoda immediately begin crying. When she returned, Michaels saw Rhoda lying on her stomach on the floor with her legs on the back of the overturned chair. The child was bleeding from a cut on her tongue, charges state.
Michaels told police she cleaned the blood from the infant's mouth and fed her about three handfuls of dry cereal and some milk. However, Rhoda continued to bleed from the mouth and vomited. The infant then began to bleed heavily from the nose. At approximately 11 a.m., Michaels reportedly called the baby's mother, Lori Wright, Kingston and her sister for help.
Rhoda's parents arrived quickly and immediately called 911 for assistance. All three parties attempted to revive Rhoda, who had stopped breathing, by performing CPR, charges state.
Neither Kingston nor Wright's conduct are under investigation, South Salt Lake Police officer Darin Sweeten said Friday night.
"We're not looking at any negligence or anything on their part," he said.
The infant was airlifted to Primary Children's, where she underwent emergency surgery to relieve pressure on her brain. Although she survived the procedure, Rhoda remained on life support until she died.
Deputy Chief Medical Examiner Edward Leis ruled Rhoda's death as a homicide, citing a "Y"-shaped four-inch fracture that branched off into a horseshoe shape toward the back of her skull.
"Injuries such as falling off a chair or a countertop would not be consistent with that," Sweeten said. "It was a specific device or an object that put that blunt force trauma on her."
Leis determined the skull fracture was caused by some type of round- or cylinder-shaped object, Sweeten said.
Police searched Michaels' apartment the night of the incident after realizing the nature and extent of Rhoda's injuries. According to the warrant, police were looking for any blunt instrument or weapon that may have been used to injure the child, as well as any possible signs of evidence-tampering or someone trying to conceal the crime. Among other items, they seized blood-stained clothing from the kitchen and bathroom, a yellow chair, a blanket and a phone receiver.
Kingston, who did not immediately admit his relationship with the child, broke a long-standing tradition of silence Jan. 19 to blast the media and police's treatment of the incident. Rhoda's fatal injuries were nothing but a tragic incident, Kingston said, and his family was being persecuted because of their religious beliefs.
E-MAIL: awelling@desnews.com