West Virginia father charged in shaking death of infant boy

MCMECHEN, W.Va. – A West Virginia man accused of violently shaking his 3-month-old son has been charged in the boy’s death, police said.

Daniel Jacob Messner, 25, was arrested Tuesday and charged with death of a child by a parent by child abuse, McMechen Police Chief Don Dewitt told news outlets.

Messner is accused of shaking the infant, which caused brain bleeds that led to death, authorities said.

Emergency crews were called to the child’s home on Nov. 18 and performed CPR before taking him to the hospital, where he died three days later.

A doctor told Marshall County Prosecutor’s Office investigator Bryan Gaus that the child suffered from shaken baby syndrome and his death was the “result of extreme violence,” according to police records.

Messner was taken to the North Regional Jail. It wasn’t immediately clear whether he has an attorney.