This page is for Veralee Marie Craft's justice who was murdered at the age of 13 months due to child abuse. Veralee was murdered in July 2012. A 13-month-old child is dead and a 27-year-old Roanoke County man is behind bars charged in connection with the little girl’s death. Police were called to the 4100 of Rutrough Road on Sunday for a child that wasn’t breathing. The child died Tuesday at the h
ospital. An investigation showed the girl had blunt-force injuries to her head. Preston King has been charged with aggravated malicious wounding and felony child abuse. The girl’s mother told police that she left her daughter in her boyfriend’s care. Here is the new release from Roanoke County:
Roanoke County Man Charged with Abusing 13-Month Old Child
Additional Charges Now Pending Following the Death of the Girl
• Incident: Felony Child Abuse
• Date of Incident: July 22, 2012 Time of Incident: Shortly after 7:00 p.m.
• Location of Incident: 4100 block of Rutrough Road
On Sunday, July 22, 2012, Roanoke County Police and Fire & Rescue personnel were called to a residence in the 4100 block of Rutrough Road for a report of a one-year old child not breathing. Fire & Rescue personnel began emergency treatment of the child at the scene and she was taken to the hospital. The examination at the hospital revealed signs of blunt force trauma to the child’s head and she was hospitalized. The investigation revealed that the child’s mother, 21-year-old Chelsy Marie Lawrence of Roanoke City, left the baby in the care of her boyfriend at the Rutrough Road residence. The boyfriend was identified as 27-year-old Preston Kent King. King lived at the residence with two females. Information gained during the investigation resulted in King being charged with aggravated malicious wounding and felony child abuse. He’s being held in the Roanoke County/Salem Jail without bond. The 13-month-old girl, Veralee Craft of Roanoke City, died at the hospital on Tuesday, July 24 at 9:37 a.m. This is the first time that Roanoke County police have received any calls regarding the welfare of the child. Detectives are continuing their investigation and working with the Roanoke County Commonwealth Attorney’s office. Additional charges in this case are possible pending completion of the investigation
Roanoke Co., VA - There are still many questions Thursday revolving around the tragic death of 13-month-old Veralee Craft. Craft died Tuesday morning more than a day after she was rushed to the hospital with severe head trauma. The boyfriend of the baby's mother Preston King, 27, is charged with child abuse. According to family members, doctors told them there was evidence the baby was significantly abused three times in the past month. In the latest incident, doctors believe she was beat on the top of the head and punched in the face, resulting in skull fractures. They say she was also severely shaken. Doctors told family members both legs were broken just below the knees in a separate incident. In a third incident, the child's arm and shoulder were broken. Those doctors told the family it appears the earlier injuries occurred between two and three weeks before this latest incident. Investigators won't confirm this information, saying in these high profile cases, giving too much information can cause problems with the prosecution. "It's going to be hard for a court to seat a jury that is not already been privy to a lot of the information. And if it gets bad enough, we may end up having to move the trial to another part of the state," said Lt. Chuck Mason with the Roanoke County Police Department. More light is also being shed on Veralee's home life. Her mother, Chelsey Marie Lawrence, was working at a store in Valley View Mall and was using King as a babysitter. Officials say King was Lawrence's boyfriend. It was at a Roanoke County home King shared with his mother, and another woman, that Veralee was so severely injured. Family members were also told that after Veralee was beaten in this home, she was put to bed where she stopped breathing. An autopsy is still being performed, but the family was told that Veralee probably would have survived had she received medical care soon after that beating. So why hasn't anyone been charged with murder? Roanoke County Police have a valid concern. "It's an article of faith with us that we have one chance to get it right, and so we try to make sure we do it right the first time," said Mason. Investigators continue to work on this case and say more charges could be coming. While those charges could come directly from the Commonwealth's Attorney, more than likely any more charges filed, whether against King or anyone else found responsible, will go through the grand jury process. Roanoke Co., VA - A Roanoke County man has been indicted on capital murder charges for the death of a toddler. A grand jury indicted Preston King, 27, Friday for capital murder, aggravated malicious wounding and child abuse and neglect. King is accused in the death of 13-month-old Veralee Craft. She was found unresponsive in his home back in July. King was watching Craft in the home that he shared with her mother. In November, authorities testified that King admitted to punching her in the head and quickly recanted that statement. A coroner testified that Veralee Marie Craft suffered two skull fractures and a fracture arm the day of the murder.
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