Autopsy Photos Shown in Indiana Beaten Baby Case
By: Tessa Mentus
Updated: April 20, 2010
INDIANA, INDIANA COUNTY - It's the second day of the Indiana county murder trial against Joshua Turner, the Cambria County man accused of killing a nineteen month old baby.
Pictures from Leonard “LJ” McIntire’s autopsy were shown in court Tuesday.
Police said Turner, 20, from Black Lick Township, Cambria County, admitted to punching and biting the baby back in October of 2008 at a Burrell Township home. Police testified that Turner said the baby was fussy, and that caused him to freak out. Turner was watching the baby for his then girlfriend, Kimberly Shirley, the baby’s mother.
LJ was on life support for a few days at Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh before he died.
Those autopsy pictures show the horrifying truth of what happened to LJ. There were images of bite marks on the child's arms, stomach and back along with bruises covering his body.
The medical examiner said LJ had a broken arm because he was attacked so badly. The autopsy photos also showed marks around the baby's neck. The medical examiner said those marks were consistent with someone being strangled. LJ died because of blunt force trauma to his head.
Turner could face the death penalty if convicted. His attorneys are arguing the death penalty should be taken off the table because their client has a low IQ.
