Montco Man Charged With Killing Infant Daughter Doesn't Take Stand

LOWER PROVIDENCE, PA — A local man being charged with sexually assaulting and killing his 10-month-old baby girl did not take the stand in his own defense during his criminal trial this week, according to media reports.

Austin Stevens, 31, will soon learn his fate after a jury of his peers determines whether he sodomized and killed his infant daughter back in October 2020.

A report in the Mercury newspaper of Pottstown said that the jury will begin deliberations in the case on Thursday, and that closing arguments by the defense had been pushed to Thursday due to a scheduling conflict.

Stevens was arrested in late 2020 and charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, third-degree murder and other felony counts in connection with the death of his 10-month-old child, Zara Scruggs.

A medical examiner also had discovered evidence of rectal trauma to the child, ruling that the baby had been the victim of sexual assault in addition to being killed through blunt force trauma to the head.

Previous Patch coverage of the case can be found here.

The Mercury reported that if Stevens is found guilty on first-degree or second-degree murder, he faces life imprisonment, while a conviction of third-degree murder could land Stevens in prison for between 20 to 40 years.

Stevens was an involved member of the community, having previously coached youth football for the Lower Providence Warriors.