A Juneau man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a one-month-old infant with a “blunt force injury of the head” in a hotel room following a seven-month investigation, the Juneau Police Department announced Friday night.
James White, 44, is suspected in the death of the infant on April 15 at the Super 8 motel near the McNugget Intersection, according to a JPD information release. Police and firefighters responded to a report at about 5:35 p.m. that day the infant wasn’t breathing, with Capital City Fire/Rescuer responders taking the child to Bartlett Regional Hospital.
“Inside the hotel room, JPD contacted (White), who was the child’s caregiver at the time, and three other female children between the ages of 2 and 12,” the JPD release states. “JPD later learned that the infant was pronounced deceased at BRH and that the infant had significant physical injuries to the head. The body of the infant was flown to Anchorage for an autopsy, which showed the cause of death was due to blunt force injury of the head, and the manner of death was classified as a homicide.”
Attempts by the Empire to contact JPD officials late Friday night for further details about the investigation were not immediately successful.
White, who was later incarcerated at Lemon Creek Correctional Center on suspicion of a domestic violence assault that allegedly occurred Nov. 14, was contacted at the prison by JPD officers on Friday and arrested for second-degree murder, according to the release.
He made a felony first appearance on Friday at the Juneau Courthouse on a charge of second-degree murder with extreme indifference, according to the Alaska Court System online database. A preliminary hearing is scheduled Nov. 25.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.
