Inset: Nicholas Vanderschaaf (Greene County Sheriff's Office). Background: Cox Medical Center South Emergency and Trauma Center in Springfield, Mo. (Google Maps).
A Missouri father who allegedly shook his baby son and caused his death has been slapped with murder charges.
Nicholas Vanderschaaf, 26, was charged with second-degree murder and endangering the welfare of a child after initially being charged with abuse or neglect of a child. The new charges came in connection with the death of Vanderschaaf's 1-month-old son, Isaac, who died on Aug. 6 after being hospitalized for injuries he suffered on July 26. According to reporting by local NBC affiliate KYTV, Vanderschaaf was being held without bond until a hearing on Aug. 6, when a judge granted him $50,000 surety bond with conditions.
Vanderschaaf posted bond and was released from jail.
Police responded to Cox Medical Center South Emergency and Trauma Center in Springfield, Missouri, and spoke to both Vanderschaaf and his wife, the baby's mother, while Isaac was being treated.
According to a probable cause affidavit reviewed by Law&Crime, Vanderschaaf told police he came home from a concert around 2:30 a.m. on July 26. Isaac began crying, and Vanderschaaf changed his diaper and started trying to comfort his son. The baby instead started "screaming," and when he would not stop, Vanderschaaf allegedly held his son by his neck and shook him.
Isaac then went "limp and unresponsive," and Vanderschaaf "started freaking out." Vanderschaaf told police that "he knew he was 'never, ever supposed to shake a baby'" but he "did it" and "started losing it." According to the affidavit, Vanderschaaf said he "struck" the baby in the face twice to try to wake him up then shook him again when he did not respond. The baby reportedly had "labored breathing," and Vanderschaaf finally woke up his wife.
As Vanderschaaf's wife tried to suction mucus out of the baby's throat, believing that was why he was having trouble breathing, she told her husband to attempt CPR while she got them ready to take Isaac to the hospital. Vanderschaaf's wife told police that her husband "argued with her about going to the hospital because he wanted to get some sleep before work."
According to the affidavit, the couple also argued about who was going to drive to the hospital. Vanderschaaf eventually agreed to drive, but his wife told police that while the roads were "empty" at 3 a.m., her husband seemed to be in no rush to get to the hospital, only going a couple of miles over the speed limit, while Isaac was "unresponsive and not breathing."
When they got to the hospital, Vanderschaaf reportedly went to work, but was told to come back. Isaac had been placed on life support. According to the affidavit, Isaac suffered an intracranial hemorrhage, a retinal hemorrhage, a tectorial membrane detachment in his spine, several fractures in both his legs, and bruising around his neck. Police noted in the affidavit that Vanderschaaf's wife reported several minor injuries prior to the baby's hospitalization. Vanderschaaf also allegedly admitted to a previous shaking episode and blamed his "anxiety," saying that he was "not the most calm."
During another reported episode, Vanderschaaf's wife said her husband brought Isaac to her after the baby became unresponsive after throwing up. Vanderschaaf then reportedly left them while he went to the bathroom "for personal sexual reasons." While the baby's breathing was "raspy" and his body temperature dropped to 93 degrees, Vanderschaaf's wife became emotional and started crying. Vanderschaaf reportedly "rolled his eyes and thought she was being dramatic."
Police said they believed some of the baby's injuries were caused by Vanderschaaf before July 26.
Isaac was taken off life support on Aug. 6 and died that day.
Vanderschaaf was charged with second-degree murder and endangering the welfare of a child on Aug. 19; he pleaded not guilty on Aug. 20, and he remains out of custody. He was ordered to remain on house arrest and to wear a GPS monitoring device.
Local CBS affiliate KOLR reported that the Greene County Prosecuting Attorney's Office asked to have Vanderschaaf's bond reconsidered following the new charges. A bond hearing was scheduled for Sept. 3.
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