Coffee County District Attorney General Craig Northcott says the state medical examiner performed an autopsy on six-week old baby Noah Clark Monday (Jan. 6).
Northcott said a final autopsy report will not be available for several weeks.
Noah Clark’s father, 21-year-old Gavin Clark, was arrested over the weekend and charged with aggravated child abuse – charges that were upgraded to first degree murder after Noah passed away Sunday morning (Jan. 5). Northcott said the first degree murder charges do not include premeditation, but did not rule out making additional charges pending further investigation.
Authorities report that Noah Clark was taken to Tennova Harton Hospital Saturday (Jan. 4) afternoon for what the parents described as a “fall.” Doctors at Harton alerted Manchester Police Department officials that the injuries were more severe than that of a fall. Noah was transported to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, where he passed away.
“This father has been charged with causing the death of his six-week old son through blunt force trauma, which resulted in a fatal closed-head injury,” Northcott said Sunday. “Further, he negligently failed to seek immediate medical assistance for injuries to his infant son.”
