Dad Inflicts 14 Bone Fractures on 2-Month-Old Daughter, Blames Lack of Sleep and Crying
(Image: Jackson County Detention Center)
A Missouri father, Richard A. Leonard, 20, is facing child abuse charges after doctors discovered 14 fractures on his two-month-old daughter’s body. Leonard was arrested on Wednesday by the Lee’s Summit Police Department, as reported by Law & Crime.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the abuse came to light after Leonard and his wife took their daughter to a doctor’s appointment, where bruising on the infant’s body was spotted. The doctor advised the parents to take the baby to the hospital for further examination, but they refused. Concerned, the doctor reported the suspected abuse to the Department of Family Services hotline.
Police conducted a welfare check at the family’s home, after which Leonard and his wife took the baby to the hospital. Medical staff found extensive injuries, including 14 bone fractures in the infant’s arms, legs, ribs, and fingers, as well as bruises on her shoulder, face, and back.
Leonard initially told investigators that he had accidentally dropped the baby after tripping. He later amended his story, claiming he fell on top of her after tripping. However, doctors said the injuries—spread across different parts of the body and in various stages of healing—were consistent with “classic abuse” and could not have resulted from accidents.
Leonard ultimately admitted to detectives that he had abused the child out of frustration. “The lack of sleep, constant crying during diaper changes, and his own anger issues had become a problem resulting in abuse,” police wrote in the affidavit. He described being too forceful while dressing, swaddling, and changing the baby, admitting to using “more force than necessary” and feeling remorse afterward.
Leonard also disclosed that he was abused as a child and had been placed in foster care. He admitted to pulling out his hair as a coping mechanism during times of stress, a behavior he had resumed recently. “The part that made him the most upset is the fact that [his daughter] would always scream when he tried to hold her,” police noted.
The infant has been placed in the custody of the Department of Family Services. Leonard was arrested and released on a $50,000 bond, with conditions prohibiting contact with his wife or child. He is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
