Man Faces Murder Charge In Death Of Infant At Milford Hotel: Report

MILFORD, CT — A Bridgeport man will face a murder charge after his infant daughter was found dead in a Milford motel bathtub in August, according to News 12 Connecticut.

Dale Kirkland, 31, was charged Tuesday with murder with special circumstances because of the victim's age, as well as murder and risk of injury to a child.

He was initially arrested in August after cleaning staff at the Mayflower Motel on Woodmont Road found his 3-month-old daughter unresponsive in his room's bathtub, according to police.

Officers performed CPR on the infant until paramedics arrived and took over life-saving measures. The infant was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital and later declared dead.

At the time, Kirkland was charged with risk of injury to a minor and cruelty to persons. He was held on $1 million bond.

The Office of the Medical Examiner then determined the infant's cause of death, completing a final report on the death this month. This led to the upgraded charges against Kirkland, according to News 12 Connecticut.

A police investigation found that Kirkland had been renting a room at the hotel. Police believe Kirkland arrived at the motel with the infant on a Tuesday evening and checked out the next morning, leaving the infant behind.