A 17-month-old baby girl's brutal death is being blamed on her father's girlfriend, who police believe also ruthlessly raped the child.
Little Maleeya Marie Murley died after suffering a severe brain injury last week in the town of Bells, in western Tennessee, according to The Jackson Sun.
Police believe the fatal impact occurred when Molly Jane Roe threw the baby, causing her to hit her head, court documents said. She was flown to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, but died on Saturday.
The 24-year-old was initially arrested for aggravated child abuse, but the charges were elevated to first-degree murder after the baby died.
In addition to murder, Roe also faces a charge of aggravated rape of a child.
An examination of Murley after she was hospitalized revealed bruising to her vaginal area, right hip and left side of her stomach, as well as a bite mark on her back, court documents revealed, according to The Jackson Sun.
Police don't believe the child's father, Phillip Murley Jr., was involved in his daughter's death. The abuse is believed to have taken place at Roe's father's home.
"It's sad that something like this could happen to a child," Terry Patterson, a Bells resident, told The Jackson Sun. "Folks around here really seem to care. It's a shock."
Roe is being held without bond.
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