Dad Charged in Infant's Death Heads to Trial

An Upper Moreland man accused of killing his 2-month-old daughter has pleaded not guilty and is headed to trial. 

Edward Doyle, 29, of the 2500 block of Horsham Road, was set to be arraigned Wednesday morning, but signed a waiver and pleaded not guilty to the felony charges of third-degree murder and child endangerment stemming from the Feb. 24 death of his infant daughter, Makayla.

Authorities said Doyle initially told police he should not have been caring for Makayla because he “drank too much” that night. 

While walking with the baby in his arms, Doyle said he had tripped on the leg of Makayla’s baby swing and fell on top of her, according to court documents.

However, a Feb. 25 autopsy that Dr. Isidore Mihalakis, a forensic pathologist, performed on the child determined her fatal injuries—including multiple broken ribs, skull fractures and injuries to her nose consistent with pinching the nasal airway—were not consistent with Doyle’s explanation, according to a press release issued by the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.

Mihalakis said the baby died as a result of multiple traumatic injuries. 

Her death was ruled a homicide and charges against Edward Doyle were upgraded to include third-degree murder from the original child endangerment charge.

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According to court documents, Doyle and his wife, Nicole Lavelle, 30, were at a friend’s apartment playing cards and drinking with friends the night and early morning hours prior to Makayla’s death.

The couple were arguing over taxes and finances when Doyle returned to their residence at Wellington Apartments at 3 a.m. Doyle told police he removed his daughter from the baby swing after she began to cry.

He then walked with her in his arms through the kitchen and tripped on the leg of the baby swing and fell on top of Makayla’s body, the affidavit said.

Doyle checked on her at about 7:15 a.m. and called police because she was unresponsive, according to court documents. He later said she was “white as a ghost” and “limp,” prompting him to call 911.

Doyle, who pleaded guilty in 2011 to theft by deception and in November 2011 was sentenced to probation for a separate incident in which he pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment/subjecting another person to physical contact and two counts of disorderly conduct for hazardous/physical offense, also faces an unsworn falsification to authorities charge for allegedly lying to police following his daughter’s death.

His trial is scheduled to begin on Jan. 21. He is being held without bail at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.