HURRICANE, W.Va. — A Putnam County mother is charged with killing her 16-day-old baby girl.
State police charged Brooke Kessler, 33, of Hurricane, Monday with death of a child by parent.
Troopers originally charged Kessler last week with child abuse causing serious bodily injury, strangulation and malicious assault.
State police were called to CAMC Women & Children’s Hospital last Thursday night to investigate the baby’s injuries.
The investigating trooper was told by CAMC medical staff that the injuries suffered “appeared to be suspicious/non accidental in nature.”
According to the criminal complaint, the injuries include bruising around the throat and the back of the head and bruising around the left eye. The girl had also suffered a broken arm and six broken ribs.
Kessler’s husband told troopers his wife was suffering from postpartum depression. Kessler told troopers she may have squeezed her baby too hard when she was burping her.
Doctors said the baby also had brain injuries. The child was taken off life support Sunday and died.
Kessler, who is being held at the Western Regional Jail, will be arraigned on the new charges.