Albany Man’s Murder Trial Gets Underway in Stearns County

ST. CLOUD -- The murder trial of an Albany man accused of killing his infant child begins today.

A Stearns County grand jury had indicted 34-year-old Robert Kaiser on one count of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder. He's been jailed since his arrest in September 2014. If he's convicted of First Degree Murder, Kaiser would serve a life sentence in prison.

The child was brought to the Albany Hospital after he was having difficulty breathing and was suffering seizures.  He was airlifted to Children's Hospital where he died. The boy died of a traumatic brain injury, likely caused by shaking.

According to the criminal complaint, Kaiser said the boy fell while in his care, but medical experts found the testimony didn't match the child's injuries. Further investigation showed the boy had other injuries consistent with child abuse that were in the process of healing, including rib fractures.

Kaiser testified to police he was caring for the child and that the baby wasn't letting him sleep.