MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – A judge has declared a mistrial and dismissed all charges against parents in the starvation death of their baby.
The Daily News Journal reports (http://on.dnj.com/2peSKoP) that the judge determined an investigating detective should have obtained the baby's feeding machine as evidence, and said prosecutor Hugh Ammerman permitted the jury to hear prejudicial information.
Twenty-five-year-old Sinead Omer, who is pregnant and has three surviving children, and the baby's father, 27-year-old Terry Craighead, had faced life in prison if convicted of child neglect, abuse and murder.
Their 5-month-old daughter Skyler Rae had heart surgery after being born and was diagnosed with atypical DiGeorge syndrome. She died in 2013.
Defense lawyer Brad Hornby says the machine might have had a technical problem.
Ammerman says he's not sure the ruling can be appealed.
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Information from: The Daily News Journal, http://www.dnj.com
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