Mississippi Man Hit 2-Month-Old Son In Head For Crying, Faces 25 Years In Custody

A 23-year-old Mississippi man was sentenced to 25 years in custody for hitting his two-month-old son in the head twice because the baby would not stop crying. Buddy Randall Cox of Gulfport was charged with felony child abuse.

Harrison County Circuit Court Judge Lawrence Bourgeois sentenced Cox, noting “what you did is unfathomable,” and also noting the victim was “totally defenseless” to the blows you inflicted. An investigation was launched on Sept. 13, 2018, when paramedics were called to a house on Campbell Circle to assist a two-month-old baby who was not breathing.

The baby was rushed to Memorial Hospital, where doctors diagnosed the child with severe bleeding on the brain. Authorities suspected that the child was abused. The father was taken into custody at the time and during questioning he confessed to hitting the baby.

“Due to the severity of the head injury, the physicians at Children’s Hosptial were of the opinion the injuries were not self-inflicted and would have not have occurred with normal handling of the child,” Assistant District Attorney Alison Baker, who prosecuted the case, said.

The baby was diagnosed with subdural hemorrhages, which is common as a result of blunt force trauma. The baby suffered from seizures as a result of the brain bleed and also had retinal hemorrhages and elevated liver enzymes.

“This child has some lasting health effects from the abuse, but his recovery is nothing short of a miracle,” Baker said.

During the sentencing hearing, Cox apologized to the court and admitted he was high on methamphetamines and marijuana, which led him to make the decision of hitting the baby.

“The actions of this defendant were inexcusable. Although no punishment will fully restore this innocent child, we are hopeful that the prison sentence in this case will help to assist the victim and the rest of the family in the healing process,” District Attorney Joel Smith said.

In a recent incident, a man in St. Louis County, Missouri, was taken into custody and charged with a felony count of child abuse. The man was accused of shaking his infant son so violently the baby suffered severe brain damage.

The incident took place on April 24 and an investigation was launched after police arrived at the home after receiving reports of an infant not breathing. The officers found a three-month-old child unresponsive and foaming at the mouth. The baby was airlifted to a local hospital in a critical condition. Medical tests confirmed the baby had suffered severe brain damage and internal brain bleeding. The baby was also diagnosed with retinal hemorrhaging.