A man in northern Minnesota with a long criminal history of violent behavior is accused of second-degree murder in the beating death of his son, not yet 3 months old.
Emery J. Jenkins, of Deer River, remains jailed Sunday in the Itasca County jail ahead of a court appearance Monday, his 38th birthday, to answer allegations that he killed his son, Joseph, on Oct. 16.
According to the Sheriff's Office and the criminal complaint:
Early on the afternoon of Oct. 16, a caller to 911 said the infant was in the family's home and not breathing. Emergency personal responded and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Joseph before he was taken to a Deer River hospital and then airlifted to St. Marys Hospital in Duluth.
The 2 1/2-month old baby died the next day from what the medical examiner described as "blunt force trauma," more commonly known as blows from a beating. Joseph suffered a skull fracture, broken ribs and what appeared to be cuts or bites to his chest, hands and feet.
Jenkins was arrested Thursday afternoon and told authorities he dropped Joseph on his head in a bathtub and that a neighbor's dog had bitten the boy while the infant was in a car seat.
Court records show numerous acts of domestic-related violence in Minnesota from 1995 to 2010. He's been convicted three times for domestic assault, once for violating a protection order, twice for other assaults, three times for disorderly conduct and once for drunken driving.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
