Northern Minnesota Man Indicted In Infant Son’s Death

GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. (AP) - A northern Minnesota man now faces first-degree murder charges in the child abuse death of his infant son.

An Itasca County grand jury on Friday indicted 38-year-old Emery Jenkins of Deer River on two counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder.

Jenkins earlier was charged with second-degree murder and pleaded not guilty on January 5th. He is accused of committing multiple acts of child abuse on the baby, who died in October.

The medical examiner said the baby had a skull fracture and multiple rib fractures as well as abrasions that may have been caused by biting or cutting.

According to the complaint, the boy's mother told investigators that Jenkins would bite the child because he was crying.

Jenkins is due in court Tuesday.