A Mississippi man has been arrested and charged with capital murder in connection to the death of a 3-month-old infant.
According to Leake County Sheriff Randy Atkinson, 32-year-old Robert Tanner Pigg was taken into custody following reports of a severely injured child. Authorities were first alerted on June 18 when they received a call indicating the infant had been “injured accidentally.”
Initial reports claimed the child had fallen from a bed and was unresponsive. The baby was taken to a local hospital for emergency care before being transferred to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson for further treatment. Medical personnel, concerned by the nature of the injuries, contacted law enforcement with suspicions of possible abuse.
Following a review of the circumstances surrounding the incident, Pigg was arrested. While officials have not yet confirmed his exact relationship to the child, it is believed that he was living in the same household as the infant and the child’s mother at the time of the incident.
Sheriff Atkinson described the case as “heartbreaking” and noted that the investigation remains ongoing. An autopsy is expected to reveal more information as investigators seek to understand the complete timeline of events.