Dad out on bond on murder charge chokes 7-year-old daughter and her aunt, TN cops say
A dad out on bond on a murder charge is now accused of strangling his 7-year-old daughter and throwing her after arguing with her mother, Tennessee authorities said.
The 27-year-old man is facing new charges, including aggravated assault, two counts of domestic assault, child abuse and neglect, theft of stolen property, two counts of being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun and unlawful exposure, Shelby County records show.
McClatchy News isn’t naming the man to avoid identifying his family members.
The father was one of six people arrested in the 2016 home invasion and killing of Memphis music teacher Christopher Waters, WMC and WREG reported. He was indicted in 2018 and posted $200,000 bond in 2021, records show.
McClatchy News reached out to his attorneys in both cases for comment on the new charges and did not immediately receive a response Oct. 29.
In the early morning hours of Oct. 27, a 7-year-old girl said she called 911 because her father picked her up by her neck and threw her onto a bed, deputies with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office wrote in an arrest affidavit.
Family members told deputies that the man began arguing with his girlfriend, assaulted her and later choked their daughter, investigators said. The girl’s aunt said she called 911 and tried to intervene, then the man assaulted and strangled her as well, according to deputies.
Both the 7-year-old and her aunt had bruises on their necks, deputies reported.
Another family member told investigators he was afraid of the man because of the “seriousness” of his first-degree murder charges, deputies documented in the affidavit.
When first responders arrived, they found two guns in the dad’s waistband, and one of the guns had been reported stolen, deputies said.
His girlfriend also accused him of sending sexually explicit photos and videos of her.
Records show his initial $200,000 bond was revoked, but he was given $100,000 bond for the latest case.
Shelby County includes the Memphis metropolitan area.