Putnam County mother charged after her 16-day-old infant dies from serious injuries

PUTNAM COUNTY, W.Va. (WCHS) — A Putnam County mother has been charged after troopers say her 16-day-old infant died of multiple, serious injuries.

Brooke Kessler, 32, of Hurricane is charged with death of a child by parent or guardian, according to a news release from the West Virginia State Police.

Troopers said the infant, a girl, had "multiple, serious injuries" that medical staff at CAMC Women and Children's Hospital said were suspicious and not an accident. The infant was brought to the hospital on Thursday from Charles Court in Hurricane, troopers said.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Putnam County Magistrate Court, troopers said when they arrived at the hospital, they observed bruising around her throat and on the back of her head, as well as bruising on her left eye, a swollen right arm that was broken. Doctors also said the infant had six broken ribs.

Trooper T.A. Fisher conducted a follow-up investigation and interviewed Kessler.

During the interview, troopers said Kessler told them she put her hand around the baby's neck and on the back of her head when she was burping her because she was "irritated with the baby and herself and probably squeezed too hard causing those injuries."

"Ms. Kessler stated she did not intend to squeeze that hard," Fisher wrote in the criminal complaint. "Ms. Kessler also stated that the ribs may have broken when she picked the baby up by the chest to burp her and she was irritated and squeezed the baby too hard, possibly breaking the ribs."

Kessler told troopers she did not feel any ribs break and did not break the baby's arm. She suggested her husband may have done that when picking the baby up.

In an interview with Kessler's husband, troopers said he told them that his wife had been struggling with postpartum depression and had been aggressive with the infant.

"Mr. Kessler stated that he has had to stop her a few times from shaking the baby and that he would take the baby from her and have her cool off," Fisher said. "This officer asked Mr. Kessler about the accusations of breaking his baby's arm by picking her up, to which he replied he would pick her up and let her bounce on his chest, but he was never aggressive with her."

The child's paternal grandmother was also interviewed as part of the investigation. She told troopers that her son had been texting her for help since the baby's birth because Kessler was suffering from postpartum depression and was not caring for the child or changing the child's diapers. The grandmother said she cared for the infant from June 9 to June 14.

Doctors determined the baby had severe inter-cranial pressure or swelling of the brain and possible skull fractures, court records said. Doctors also determined the infant's heart may have stopped due to asphyxiation and explained that the girl was technically still alive at the time but was not responding to any stimuli.

Troopers said they took Kessler to the Winfield detachment for another interview on Friday where she said the baby's injuries happened at their home on Charles Court around early afternoon on June 20. She was initially charged with child abuse causing serious bodily injury, strangulation and malicious assault.

On Sunday, the infant was taken off life support at the hospital. Kessler's charges were upgraded Monday morning.

She is currently in custody at the Western Regional Jail.

Troopers said the investigation remains active and ongoing.