Lakewood Father Found Guilty In Death Of 3-Month Old Baby Girl

GOLDEN, CO – A Jefferson County Jury found a Lakewood man guilty of child abuse that caused the 2017 death of his three-month-old daughter, the JeffCo District Attorney's Office said Wednesday.

Following five days of trial, the jury deliberated less than two hours March 4 before finding Kelly Ray Kerr, 39, guilty of child abuse resulting in death.

Prosecutors said Kerr was the primary caregiver for his daughter Olivia at their home in the 10500 block of West 26th Avenue while her mother was at work. On July 21, 2017 her mother left for work at 7 a.m. In the early afternoon Kerr called her and said that Olivia was not breathing. He did not call 911, prosecutors said. It took him 17 minutes to locate Olivia’s mother by phone and then she called 911, the jury was told.

When Lakewood police and West Metro Fire Rescue arrived, Olivia was non-responsive. She was taken to Lutheran Medical Center where emergency workers were able to get a pulse. The baby was then airlifted to Childrens Hospital, but died later that night, the DA's office said in a press release.

Injuries to Olivia were described by doctors as "a major skull fracture, a second skull fracture, bilateral retinal hemorrhages, multiple rib fractures and bruising on her face and jaw," the DA's office said. The Jefferson County Coroner told the jury that the cause of death was blunt force trauma. One expert testified that her injuries were "consistent with having been shaken," the DA's office said. The baby had been healthy with no unusual behavior or injuries in the days leading up to her death, witnesses testified.

Kerr's sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 11, 2019. He faces a mandatory prison sentence of 16-48 years, the DA's office said.

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