Recently released court document paint the picture of a pattern of abuse by a New Jersey cop accused of murdering his 3-month-old daughter, including bruises around her mouth and bruised ribs more than two months before she died.
Daniel Bannister, a Ewing Township Police Officer, abused his child by pressing his hand against her face and squeezing her too tight, his wife claims in text messages included in an affidavit that has been provided by the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office.
The affidavit that revealed new details and a timeline in the case, in which Bannister is accused of murdering his daughter, Hailey, and is wife is accused of not reporting the abuse to authorities:
On Oct. 4, 2018, his wife Catherine first noticed suspicious bruising around Hailey's mouth, which led her to question Daniel. In the conversation, Catherine identified Daniel's practice of "pressing his finger against Hailey's mouth as a method to stop her cries" as a possible cause of the bruises;
On Oct. 9, 2018, Catherine exchanged text messages with her babysitter in which she described Daniel as "abusive." In a lengthy exchange, she went on to say that she told Daniel he would not touch Hailey again unless he was educated in early childhood development. After the babysitter offered to let Catherine and both children come live with her, Catherine declined and asked the babysitter not to report Daniel's treatment of Hailey to authorities;
On Nov. 1, 2018, Catherine located bruising on Hailey's left rib area, which led her to accuse Daniel of causing the bruising by gripping Hailey too tightly;
On the morning and early afternoon of Nov. 23, 2018, Daniel was alone with Hailey and the Bannisters' 2-year-old son. Hailey began showing signs of skull fractures, including excessive vomiting that continued into Nov. 24. A doctor who reviewed Hailey's medical records said Hailey likely suffered her ultimately fatal head injuries on Nov. 23;
On Nov. 24, Daniel tried to prevent his wife from bringing Hailey to the doctor, but Catherine took her to the pediatrician anyway. From there, they went to Capital Health Center at Hopewell.
On Nov. 28, 2018, Catherine confronted Daniel about his treatment of, and attitude toward, Hailey;
On Dec. 11, 2018, after spending several days in the hospital, Hailey Bannister was pronounced deceased.
Additionally, phone records show that Catherine was aware of the head injuries and suspected that her child had suffered a concussion, but never raised these concerns with the doctor or asked for diagnostic testing. She had opportunities to do so during visits to the doctor and the hospital on Nov. 24, 26 and 28, and Dec. 3, according to investigators.
In the days after Hailey Bannister's death, Catherine told investigators that Hailey was a "cranky baby" and that "Daniel had a hard time bonding with her."
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