UPDATE: Missing girl's father pleads not guilty to injuring other daughter

MILWAUKEE -- Kenya Campbell has pleaded not guilty to breaking the jaw of his eight month old daughter, among other serious injuries.


He is the biological father of Alexis Patterson who went missing in 2002.


On Wednesday, the mother of Alexis Patterson told CBS 58 News that her daughter had no real connection to Campbell and that she hopes the new attention he's receiving will not hinder effort to solve her daughter's case.


Campbell was behind bars at the time of Patterson's disappearance. Police have said in the past that they did not think there was a connection to the missing persons case and his criminal record.


Campbell is charged with three counts of physical abuse of a child. He waived his preliminary hearing after entering a plea and was bound over for trial.


According to the criminal complaint, the infant's grandmother Cynthia Campbell brought the infant to Children's Hospital after she began exhibiting seizure like symptoms. Campbell told police she heard a loud boom and found her granddaughter lying on toys in living and crying. She said the infant was sleeping on a couch in the living room before falling.


Doctors at Children's Hospital ran scans and examined the infant. They found several serious injuries on the child neither Cynthia nor Kenya Campbell were able to fully explain. Dr. Alice Swenson at Children's Hospital reported:



  • The infant is the victim of abusive head trauma, \"a massive, violent assault that could have easily resulted in death.\"

  • Large fracture of the lower jaw. This type of fracture occurs with massive trauma to the face and jaw. Dr. Swenson says, \"Injury events with sufficient force to cause a mandible fracture would be extremely painful and carry significant risk of causing brain injury, bleeding on the surface of the brain, or even death.\"

  • Severe abdominal injuries resulting in liver laceration and adrenal hemorrhage. Dr. Swenson says \"The force required for such injuries is massive and involves focal intrusion, such as a violent blow from a fist or foot.\"

  • Acute fracture of the infant's seventh rib, which is commonly caused by violent squeezing or a direct blow to the thorax.


Campbell is charged with three counts of physical abuse of a child, and one count of child neglect. If convicted, Campbell could be sentenced to a maximum of 132 years and six months in prison.


 


 

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