Doctors: 17-month-old who died had brain trauma, broken leg, internal injuries

Hospital staff who examined a 17-month-old girl police say died from child abuse found bruises and bite marks on her body, swelling and bleeding of her brain, a fractured leg and a cut on one of her internal organs that came from direct blow to her abdomen, according to a police document released Monday in one of the city’s latest homicide cases.

Grace Harris died at Via Christi Hospital St. Francis on Nov. 14, five days after she was taken there by paramedics when she became unresponsive while in the care of her mother’s boyfriend, 21-year-old Michael C. Ross. He claims she fell.

A doctor who evaluated Grace’s injuries concluded the toddler was “a victim of severe and life-threatening physical child abuse” from which she was unlikely to survive, according to the document. The document is known as an affidavit of probable cause and is used by prosecutors to help determine whether to file criminal charges in a case.

Among injuries physicians noted on the girl were head trauma, a fracture to her left tibia caused by twisting, a “severe” cut to her liver, and bruises on her forehead, face, left shoulder and abdomen.

Her retinas — the membranes at the back of her eyes — also were bleeding, according to an eye doctor mentioned in the document.

Wichita police last month said Grace’s 38-year-old mother left her with Ross at their home at 5111 S. Meridian to go to work. The girl died after she failed to improve and her life support was removed.

Ross is facing first-degree felony murder and child abuse charges in connection with her death. His next court appearance is set for Dec. 23.

The document released Monday says symptoms of Grace’s head and liver traumas would have manifested “within minutes to an hour after injury” but that the leg fracture could have occurred up to a week before she was hospitalized.

Ross, in an interview with police, said he was the only person watching Grace and her 4-year-old sister the day she became unresponsive and was rushed to the hospital, according to the document. He told police Grace had been crying after her mother left for work and he had tried to comfort her. A short time later, he said in his police interview, Grace went into a bedroom, there was a crash and he found her standing and crying — but fine — when he went to inspect.

Ross told police when he picked up Grace, “he saw her eyes rolling back into her head then she vomited and passed out. Michael said he laid … (Grace) on a pillow then she started to have a seizure” so he called her mother, who went home and subsequently called 911.

Grace’s mother told police she had no history of seizures and that Ross “was the only person who was with the two children when she left,” the document says. The mother added that Grace had only a small bruise on her right cheek when she went to work.

The coroner who performed Grace’s autopsy determined the toddler died of blunt-force trauma to her head and neck.

The document was unsealed Monday afternoon by Sedgwick County District Court Judge Ben Burgess following a court hearing in which Ross’ defense attorney argued that it should not be made public. Several local media outlets, including The Eagle, had requested its release.

Grace’s death is among four child abuse homicides in Wichita this year.

This story was originally published November 30, 2015 at 7:57 PM with the headline "Doctors: 17-month-old who died had brain trauma, broken leg, internal injuries."