Capital Murder Suspect Identified After Tuscaloosa Toddler Death

TUSCALOOSA, AL — A Tuscaloosa man has been charged with capital murder after an 18-month-old died at DCH Regional Medical Center Friday.

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The Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit provided additional details Friday evening, saying that at around 3 a.m. Friday morning, the toddler was brought to the hospital via ambulance and was reportedly not breathing.

Captain Jack Kennedy, the commander of the multi-agency unit, said the child had regained some breathing and a pulse after being admitted to the hospital, under circumstances that were viewed as suspicious by investigators.

"Police and medical first responders to the child’s residence believed that the child’s condition was suspicious, and the Tuscaloosa Police Department dispatched Criminal Investigations Division investigators and they began an investigation into possible child abuse or neglect," he said. "Lifesaving efforts on the child failed, and subsequently the Violent Crimes Unit responded and assumed the case."

Kennedy went on to say that the child’s parent and her live-in boyfriend, 28-year-old Joseph Earl Jenkins, were brought in for questioning, while the toddler's body was immediately transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in Montgomery for an autopsy.

Jenkins, he pointed out, is not the father of the child.

"The preliminary autopsy reports showed extensive injuries to the child,"he said. "The investigation continued all day, involving search warrants on the residence, interviews, and medical records and consults."

Jenkins was booked into the Tuscaloosa County Jail for capital murder, where his bond was denied.

Kennedy then said more charges are pending.

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