Accused Child Killer Murtadah Mohammad Appears In Court For Hearing

MANCHESTER, NH — Murtadah Mohammad, 25, was arraigned on felony charges, including second-degree murder in Superior Court Northern District Tuesday.

Mohammad was brought into the courtroom in handcuffs and leg shackles and sat between his two defense attorneys wearing a protective mask. He did not speak during the court hearing. Murtadah, who in court records was described as 5 feet, 3 inches tall, and about 155 pounds, was accused of causing the death of his son by burning and beating the child.

Defense attorney Meredith Lugo told the judge that she filed paperwork late Monday to waive the arraignment, the court clerk indicated it was being processed so no charges were read in court.

Senior Assistant Attorney General Peter Hinckley told the court that based on a conversation with the defense attorneys and preparation of discovery items, they requested the court schedule a jury trial. Based on the availability of the court, the trial will be scheduled for the middle of July.

It is anticipated there will be one day for jury selection and three to five days for the trial.

Murtadah Mohammad, 25, is charged with second-degree murder of his son Jaevion Riley, 7, after his death on Jan. 24.

The incident that led police to the injuries occurred on Jan. 17. The child was found to be badly burned on his face and body and unconscious and not breathing. Mohammad changed his story of what happened several times, and after a search warrant was executed, he was charged with falsifying evidence. The child was transported to a Boston hospital and remained in a coma until his death.

Mohammad was initially charged with assault, and endangering the welfare of a child for the same investigation. Those county charges will be nolle prossed, according to Hinckley after the upgraded charge of second-degree murder was brought against Mohammad.

Rainah Riley, Jaevion's mother, was in the courtroom for the proceedings and did not speak. After the court hearing, she spent about 10 minutes behind closed doors speaking to Hinckley and the victim's advocate, Ashley Taylor, from the Attorney General's Office.

Riley told the media in January, “This man was trying to kill my child.”

Mom said in the public statements that her son’s injuries looked like they were “from boiling water or oil,” or the child may have been “set on fire.” She said one of the boy’s teeth had been knocked out, and he had a head injury.

“It is absolutely gruesome, it is horrific, and it is sickening to look at,” the mom said. “It makes me physically ill looking at my own son because of what this man did to him.”

©Jeffrey Hastings www.frameofmindphoto.com/news