NC man charged with murder of an unborn child after alleged assault on pregnant woman
A North Carolina man has been charged with murder of an unborn child in connection with an assault on his ex-girlfriend, authorities said.
Josiah Randolph Hearne was born on Nov. 14 and lived nearly 12 hours before dying of his injuries stemming from the assault on his mother, according to a Rowan County Sheriff’s Office news release on Tuesday.
Josiah’s father, 42-year-old Raymond Jerel Callicutt, was arrested Monday and jailed without bond pending a first court appearance on Wednesday, sheriff’s officials said.
Callicutt allegedly went to his ex-girlfriend’s home off N.C. 152 near Atwell “and a verbal argument quickly turned physical,” according to the release.
Days after the assault, the woman went to a hospital, and Josiah was born prematurely at 24 weeks, investigators said.
Josiah’s death was ruled a homicide due to blunt force trauma, according to the sheriff’s office. Josiah had injuries to his liver, brain, heart and lungs, an autopsy by the N.C. Medical Examiner’s showed.
Deputies previously charged Callicutt with breaking and entering in the Nov. 14 incident.
This story was originally published November 28, 2023 at 12:09 PM.