Father Charged With Murder in Death of 3 Month Old in 2012

MARION COUNTY, TN (WDEF-TV) – Marion county authorities now have a suspect in the 2012 death of a 3-month old infant.
Investigators reopened the case this summer and found enough evidence to indict the child’s father.

In June of 2012, it was here in this trailer home north of Kimble that the parents of the infant first noticed that he was not breathing.
They rushed little Colin Russell to Grandview Hospital.
By late that night, he had been transferred to a hospital in Nashville where he died of shaken baby syndrome a few days later.
Doctors say Colin had multiple fractures and contusions.
Officers interviewed the boy’s father, Chris Russell and mother Leah Collins at length, but no charges were ever filed.

SHERIFF "BO" BURNETT "The dad told my detective that he had tripped and dropped the baby…according to her the baby at some point was transferred to Vanderbilt. The doctor said it just wasn’t consistent with that kind of fall. "

Although Russell and Collins broke up, Marion County detective Mary Beth Raulston kept tabs on both, and with the help of District Attorney General Mike Taylor, reopened the investigation earlier this year.

SHERIFF "BO" BURNETT "General Taylor wanted to make sure that everybody that knew anything about this was interviewed…we did more interviews last month or so and he felt like the case was ready. "

The grand jury this week returned indictments of first degree murder and aggravated child abuse.
Christopher Russell was arrested in Whitfield county Georgia on a warrant from Marion county, Tennessee and the sheriff says he will be extradited.

The entire investigation lasted more than 2 years.

"BO"BURNETT "These things take time you know. Some people don’t understand you know there’s a lot of thing that have to be covered and a lot of miles have to be drove. It takes a lot of time to follow everything …follow up on everything…it just all came together here last month."

The baby’s mother Leah Collins has not been charged.