Sentenced: Maine Man Accused Of Killing 2-Month-Old Daughter Pleads Not Guilty

[Sugar Cookie]

A Buckfield man accused of murdering his infant daughter pleaded not guilty on Friday.

Police charged 27-year-old Trevor Averill with depraved indifference murder and manslaughter for the death of his 2-month-old daughter, Harper.

Police say the death happened last year in Turner, but charges were just filed.

The state’s attorney said a child abuse expert found injuries consistent with the baby being shaken. Harper had a skull fracture and hemorrhaging.

“This was a very violent event,” said Lisa Bogue, who is representing the state in this case.

There were also signs of prior abuse, according to the state.

In arguing for a lower bail, Averill’s attorney called the case “circumstantial at best.”

Maine man accused of killing 2-month-old daughter pleads not guilty, bail set at $50,000

AUBURN (WGME) – A Buckfield man accused of murdering his infant daughter pleaded not guilty on Friday. Police charged 27-year-old Trevor Averill with depraved indifference murder and manslaughter for the death of his 2-month-old daughter, Harper. [Maine man charged with death of his infant...

wgme.com

Authorities were called to a home on North Parish Road in Turner on July 22, 2020 for a report of a child choking. CBS13 obtained records from the Androscoggin County Sheriff's Department which showed authorities investigated an “unattended death” at the home that day. The department’s records manager said in an email that the full report could not be released under Maine’s Freedom of Access Act, because it was considered confidential information.

Prosecutors painted a different picture in court. The state alleges that Trevor Averill was the only one with the baby at the time and what happened to her before her death was “very violent.”

"Harper had been with other family members earlier in the day,” Assistant Attorney General Lisa Bogue said.

Prosecutors say the two-month-old was acting normal on July 21, 2020. But when she woke up around midnight, Trevor Averill brought her down and changed her. That's when, he says, she started choking and became unresponsive.

"911 was called and when they arrived, some initial responders noted a bruise on Harper,” Bogue said.

Before she died, a child abuse expert found Harper Averill had a skull fracture, bleeding in her brain and a spinal injury, which all contributed to her death.

“Consistent with either shaking, violent shaking, with or without contact,” Bogue said.

Trevor Averill denies injuring her then.

Prosecutors: Maine infant killed by her father's shaking showed signs of previous abuse

AUBURN (WGME)-- A Buckfield man pleaded not guilty in connection with the death of his two-month-old daughter Friday. Maine man accused of killing 2-month-old daughter pleads not guilty, bail set at $50,000Prosecutors say the baby was severely shaken and showed signs of previous abuse...

fox23maine.com

 

[Darrell]

Babies are a puzzle. You just have to figure out what they need to make them stop crying. Diaper. Food. Affection.... Gauranteed that shaking and beating the shit out of them isn't going to curb the crying until they're unconscious. I hate these stories. Fucking rot, piece of shit.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

A judge on Monday allowed a Buckfield man charged with murder in the 2020 death of his 2-month-old daughter to again visit with relatives, including young children, over the holidays.

Androscoggin County Superior Court Justice Harold Stewart II amended bail conditions for Trevor Averill, 28, who is barred from having contact with any children under 6 years old pending his trial on murder and manslaughter charges.

Last month, Stewart granted a motion by Averill to visit with relatives on Thanksgiving for two hours.

At that Nov. 23 court hearing, Stewart said he would review the Thanksgiving visit before considering Averill’s similar request for a visit with family on Christmas.

Assistant Attorney General Lisa Bogue said Monday repeated her objection from last month, saying she opposed any visitation by Averill involving young children considering the charges pending against him.

“Given the nature of the charges, the seriousness of the charges, we’re not in a position to be agreeable to the defendant having any contact with children,” Bogue said.

She said she would leave the decision to the judge’s discretion.

Bogue also said told the judge she wasn’t aware of whether Averill’s supervisors of his release had been made aware of any change in his bail conditions, including the address of where he had spent Thanksgiving.

Stewart agreed the supervising agency must be notified of Averill’s whereabouts on Christmas.

Averill’s attorney Jeffrey Wilson said Monday his client was seeking permission to visit with family from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Christmas, under the same conditions as the Thanksgiving visit.

Wilson said Averill has a large, supportive family who lives locally and gathers on holidays.

Stewart said Averill could visit with relatives on Christmas Day, from noon to 3 p.m., one hour longer than he allowed on Thanksgiving Day.

During that visit, Averill will be allowed contact with the three children, but his contact must be supervised at all times by the parent of each of the children with whom he has contact, Stewart ordered.

“I think we’ve carved out some safeguards that can allow for this to happen safely,” Stewart said, noting Averill’s Thanksgiving visit appeared to have been uneventful.

Averill is free on $25,000 cash bail with conditions, including supervision by Maine Pre-Trial Services agency, with whom he must check in, in person, once a week.

Buckfield man, charged with murder of daughter, allowed Christmas visit with children

Trevor Averill has been accused of murder related to the death of his 2-month-old daughter last year.

www.pressherald.com

 

[Sevens My Charm]

I hate to say it whether he did it or not taking a plea is the only real outcome .. he’ll be found guilty regardless of the truth .. those are cases you just cannot fight ..

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Harper Grace Averill

 

[Sugar Cookie]

The trial for a Buckfield man who is accused of killing his 2-month-old-daughter started Tuesday in Androscoggin County Superior Court.

Trevor Averill is charged with depraved indifference murder and manslaughter in the death his 2-month-old daughter Harper Averill. Harper spent four days in the ICU before she died on July 26, 2020, after being taken off of life support.

The defendant, Trevor Averill, received overwhelming support Tuesday from more than 30 members of his family who were in the courtroom.

During opening statements, prosecutors built the foundation of their case arguing that Trevor was the last person who had sole care of Harper before she died.

Assistant attorney general Suzanne Russell also said medical records from the autopsy, X-rays, MRIs, and the CAT scan support the theory that the infant was shaken to death.

"Harper had a left cradle fracture of her head with acute subdural bleeding. She had acute bleeding in different areas and layers of her brain, her spine and her eyes. And the vessels in her brain were sheared," Russell said. "Medical experts will tell you during this trial that these injuries to the delicate parts of her brain were a result of impact and acceleration- deacceleration forces that caused her brain to violently move within her skull. And that brain injury, within moments, left her with no ability to breathe to eat to see to talk to walk or to live without medical intervention."

The prosecution and the defense both said Harper's mother was sleep upstairs when the incident happened.

According to Russell, Harper woke up for a routine feeding shortly after midnight on July 22. Russell said Trevor got up to care for the child, taking her downstairs for a diaper change and a bottle feeding.

Russell said during the feeding, Harper became unresponsive and limp. She said at some point during the feeding, the prosecution believes Trevor aggressively handled the child, ultimately killing her.

Russell briefly discussed conversations between Trevor and investigators who responded to the scene that night. She said investigators asked Trevor to demonstrate how he picked the infant up when he was feeding her.

She claimed Trevor previously told investigators he may have been rougher with her than he was aware.

Russell read statements in court that Trevor reportedly shared with investigators at the scene.

"'I just vaguely remember her crying and laying down. I'm, like, alright Harper come here, and I just picked her up aggressively. She was balling on the couch laying there.' The detective asked him: 'How long was she crying.' The defendant: 'I don't know. At least 20 minutes. Probably 15 to 20 minutes,'" Russell read aloud. "In response to the detective's question, which was, 'So, when you picked her up, were you angry with her?' He said: 'I might have been a little. I wasn't angry with her. I was just fed up with the crying'."

Defense attorney Jim Howaneic painted a different picture. He described the night of July 22, 2020, when Harper was found unresponsive and limp on the couch, as a "shattering life altering event" for Trevor and the infant's mother.

"Trevor was a young first-time father. It was a little scary at first," Howaneic said. "Neither of them were angry at each other or arguing. They had a pleasant day at camp."

Continue reading

Trial begins for Buckfield man charged in the death of his 2-month-old daughter

The infant had a left cradle fracture of her head with acute subdural bleeding, acute bleeding in different areas, and layers of her brain, spine, and eyes.

www.newscentermaine.com

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Trevor Averill was sentenced to 18 years in prison and 6 years of probation Friday for the death of his 2-month-old daughter.

Averill's daughter, Harper, died in the hospital in 2020 after spending four days in the ICU on life support. In February, a jury found Averill not guilty of depraved indifference murder, but convicted him of manslaughter.

During Averill's trial, medical experts testified that Harper's brain had clear signs of consistent shaking. Averill's defense team argued the infant choked while he was giving her a bottle.

Buckfield man sentenced for death of 2-month-old daughter

Trevor Averill was sentenced to 18 years in prison for manslaughter in connection to the 2-month-old's death.

www.newscentermaine.com

Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial:

Averill, Trevor Edward

Earliest Custody Release Date:

8/5/2040

Offense (Class):	MANSLAUGHTER (A)
Sentence:	23 Years, All But 18 Years Suspended, With 6 Years Probation