A 9-month-old baby is dead allegedly at the hands of his own father. In April 2024, Hunter Allen Smiley of Newcastle, Oklahoma, was arrested after his baby died in the hospital.
Before this tragic incident, Smiley had pleaded guilty to domestic abuse and battery charges in January 2023. He confessed to hitting his son’s mother with pieces of a door while she was pregnant. In addition, Smiley was being investigated by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation on suspicion of child abuse. This is a tragic and heartbreaking case.
On April 10, 2024, the Newcastle Police Department received a call about an unresponsive 9-month-old baby. It dispatched officers to the scene. The injured baby was in Smiley’s custody.
The baby boy was rushed to the hospital for treatment. There, it was discovered that he was bleeding internally in his brain. He was also hemorrhaging behind his eyes.
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The baby boy died on April 12, 2024. An official cause of the death has not been released. The investigation is still ongoing. The baby's name has not been released by authorities.
Before this tragic turn of events, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation had interviewed Smiley about potential child abuse.
Three days later, Smiley was arrested. He is charged with first-degree murder. He was booked into McClain County Jail on April 15, 2024.
On April 25 Smiley was arraigned and bond was set at $5 million. He is forbidden from contacting the victim’s family. If released, he will be required to wear an ankle monitor.
Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn is promising to fight for justice. “It is tragic when a life is taken so early,” he stated. “We will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law to be the voice of this victim who is unable to speak for himself. Thank you to the Newcastle Police Department and the OSBI for your hard work on this case so we may seek justice for B.S.”
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child), or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
