A New Hampshire man has been charged with murdering his son, who reportedly died in January with injuries consistent with abuse.
Murtah Mohammed was already in custody for allegedly admitting to using hot water on Jaevion Riley, 7, who was found unconscious and not breathing at a Manchester home on January 17. WBTS reported that Riley died a week later, and his father claimed he was in the shower when his son was mortally injured.
Authorities alleged, however, that there was no evidence of anyone taking a shower at the time Riley was injured. Mohammed eventually admitted to using force and hot water in his punishments, according to WBTS.
Reports indicated that Riley suffered burns on 15 to 20 percent of his body in addition to 30 loop marks. Riley’s mother told WBTS that her son was in a coma before he died as he also suffered skull and rib fractures, brain bleeding, and injuries to his lungs.
The mother also told the news outlet that Mohammed got custody of their son months before his slaying. She said she reported her son’s various injuries to Children, Youth, and Families but nothing came from it. The agency declined to speak on Riley’s case, citing privacy concerns.
At the time of his arrest in January, Mohammed was charged with first- and second-degree assault, falsifying physical evidence, and endangering the welfare of a child. Those charges are expected to be dropped as prosecutors pursue a second-degree murder charge, the Attorney General’s office said in a statement.
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[Featured image: Murtadah Mohammad/Manchester Police Department; Jaevion Riley/GoFundMe]
