MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – (May 20, 2024) A Murfreesboro mother has been indicted by a Rutherford County Grand Jury on charges of murder and abuse related to the death of her four-week-old son in April 2023.
Jalani Patton, 25, was indicted on felony first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse charges. She was arrested on Wednesday, May 16, following the issuance of sealed indictments.
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The investigation, led by Detective Emily Speed from the Murfreesboro Police Department Criminal Investigations Division Special Victim Unit, commenced on April 22, 2023. Officers were dispatched to Ashwood Cove Apartments on N. Tennessee Blvd. in response to reports of an unresponsive infant. Patton claimed that her baby fell off the bed and hit his head. The infant later died at the hospital.
An autopsy conducted by the medical examiner determined that the cause of death was blunt force head trauma, and it was ruled a homicide.
Patton is currently held in the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center on a $250,000 bond. Her court date is scheduled for June 25 in Rutherford County Circuit Court.
For further information, visit the Murfreesboro Police Department website.
Source: Read Original Release