Trigger warning: This article includes graphic descriptions of alleged severe abuse.
The father of Jaevion Riley, a 7-year-old boy who died earlier this year after being found severely beaten and burned in Manchester, New Hampshire, was indicted Friday in connection with the boy’s death, authorities said.
Murtadah Mohammad, 25, is accused of scalding Jaevion with hot liquid, burning him with a hot pan, whipping him with a cord and striking him in the face in Manchester, New Hampshire before his death Jan. 24. A Hillsborough County grand jury returned indictments charging the man with second-degree murder for allegedly causing his son’s death recklessly under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to the value of the boy’s life by subjecting him to abusive violence and not getting him timely medical aid for his injuries, according to a statement from the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office.
He has been indicted on various assault charges as well, including two counts of first-degree assault for allegedly scalding and burning Jaevion and two counts of second-degree assault for allegedly whipping and striking him, the attorney general’s office’s statement said.
Mohammad is also accused of deleting internet data from his cellphone, deleting the call history from his phone a false accident scene, and he has been indicted on three counts of falsifying physical evidence in connection with the allegations, according to the statement.
Authorities are seeking longer terms of imprisonment for Mohammad based on Jaevion’s age and “the infliction of exceptional cruelty or depravity upon him,” the attorney general’s office noted.
Mohammad is being held without bail, the statement said.
On Jan. 17, emergency medical personnel responded to a home in Manchester for a report of a minor in distress. There, police found Jaevion with significant burns to his face and body. The boy was not conscious or breathing, the Manchester Police Department noted.
Jaevion was ultimately taken to a hospital in Massachusetts for treatment, where he died seven days later, according to the attorney general’s office.
The boy was taken for advanced treatment to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where medical professionals indicated he had suffered other injuries as well, WCVB reported. Jaevion had second-degree burns to 30% of his body, a fractured skull and broken ribs, and he was in a coma, according to a GoFundMe set up for the child.
MassLive reporter Alvin Buyinza contributed to this report.
