A 22-year-old Illinois man has been acquitted of murder charges related to the death of his son.
Logan Hutchings faced a bench trial in Perry County for the murder of his son, Ocean Hutchings, who passed away on June 14, 2022. Online court records indicate that Hutchings pleaded not guilty to the three murder charges and a jury last week acquitted him of the charges.
The County Journal reports that although Ocean’s death stemmed from foul play, the presiding judge said “the burden of proof was not met” that Hutchings was the one who harmed the baby.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Illinois State Police said that Hutchings and the victim’s mother, Sophia Kelly, were charged with first-degree murder after their son was rushed to a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, two days before his death.
ISP said they were called in to investigate by the Pinckneyville Police Department and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, when the infant was admitted to the hospital, and medical personnel discovered he had a skull fracture and several broken ribs.
Law&Crime reports that prosecutors are now seeking to toss the charges against Kelly, who was scheduled for a trial starting May 1.
The story is developing. Check back for updates.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.
[Feature Photo: Ocean Hutchings/Facebook]
