Thursday, 4:30 PM
Autopsy confirms shaking death of Dracut baby
By Globe Staff
An autopsy confirmed that a Dracut infant died of shaken-baby syndrome in December, Middlesex prosecutors announced today, and the state medical examiner has officially ruled the death a homicide.
Middlesex District Attorney Gerard T. Leone Jr. called the autopsy an "important step" in the investigation into the death of 2-month-old Liam Garvey, although no one has been charged with the crime.
"This continues to be an active homicide investigation, and we are speaking with all people, including the parents, who had access to the children during the time frame that the abuse is likely to have occurred," Leone said in a statement.
The medical examiner determined that the infant's death was caused by, “hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy due to whiplash shaking injuries of head and spinal cord.” The baby died Dec. 22 after being on life support for four days.
The boy's twin sister, Paige, had also been abused.
Denise Monteiro, a spokeswoman for the Department of Social Services, said today that Paige has recovered from broken bones and is thriving in a medically specialized foster home. Monteiro said DSS is trying to determine whether relatives can provide a suitable home for Paige.
