Baby Dies in Scott Co., Va.; Father is Held Without Bond
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Scott County, VA Baby Died
Michael Douglass Barton is being held at Duff-Field Regional Jail until his mental evaluation at a hospital.
Dana Wachter/WJHL
Michael Barton arrives at the Scott Co. courthouse Wednesday afternoon.
Scott Co., Va.— EMS crews were called to a home on Ohio St. in Dungannon, Va. on Monday. When they arrived they found a five-month-old baby boy was dead. The baby’s father, Michael Douglas Barton, is charged with second degree murder. Barton’s court appointed lawyer made three motions during his client’s arraignment this afternoon.
One: a discovery requesting for information compiled by the state’s commonwealth attorney. This was granted.
Two: a psychiatric evaluation. Also granted.
Three: allow Barton to attend his infant son’s funeral. This was denied.
The boy died Sunday night, and autopsy results showed evidence of smothering. After questioning, police say Barton confessed to holding his hand over his son’s mouth. He pleaded not-guilty at his arraignment. Barton’s attorney didn’t ask for bond, since he requested an in-patient psychiatric evaluation.
Barton will be evaluated for his mental capacity at the time of the crime, and for his capacity to stand trial. His lawyer claims Barton had been abused as a child.
Shawna Barton was very emotional before, during, and after the arraignment. When her husband walked into the courtroom, her mother hugged her and said, “don’t look at him.“
Barton will be held in Duffield Regional Jail until his mental evaluation at a hospital.
His next court appearance is set for May 27 at 1:00 p.m.
The Bartons have a fifteenth month old daughter who has been removed from the home by the Virginia Department of Social Services.
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Reader Reactions
What’s up with the so called “Dads” that stay at home and babysit while the wife goes out to work. If they can’t handle taking care of a little baby for a few hours then perhaps they should get off their lazy butts and get a job to help pay for daycare or let the mom stay home with them. Also the fellow in Johnson City that killed his 2 month old girl got charged with first degree murder….why did this one only get charged with second degree murder?
I do agree with you that no child should be left in a home where drugs are present, but at the same time, this man is an adult and knew the difference in right and wrong, in the drug use and murder. There are too many resources available to get help with drugs, alcohol, and even family matters to use his childhood as the only reason for doing this. I still don’t see why he couldn’t call someone, the baby’s mother, for instance, if he was so stressed out that he couldn’t deal with the baby crying. There may be very legitimate problems in his life that he needs help for but that still is no excuse to hurt, or in this case, kill a defenseless 5 month old baby.
I’m not excusing what he did or saying that he should get away with it because he definitely should not, but he really was abused severely as a child. As I said on a previous post, he was the only good one in that family growing up. The problem isn’t his abuse though, it’s that he chose to turn to drugs and continue the cycle. He made the choice to do what his parents did to him and for that he should pay.
I feel a tiny bit sorry for the mother but more than anything I blame her as well. It was her job to protect that baby also. She should’ve never had a baby in a home with drugs and why in the heck would she be married to a drug addict anyway? I personally wouldn’t have my children anywhere near a drug EVER so it’s hard to have sympathy for her.
I have followed this story since it first became public and can’t hold back my personal feelings any longer. As a mother of 3 myself, I know what its like to get frustrated and tired as does any other parent I know. I have one child with epilepsy that I used to be up with around the clock for fear of another seizure. I cannot understand why this man is not being charged with capitol murder of a child. He knew what he was doing when he walked across the room, put his hand over his son’s face and held it there until there was no “noise” coming from the baby. If he had time do all that, he could have picked up the phone and called someone to help him. This man should have his life taken in a slow and painful manner, just as the baby did. My heart goes out to the family and hopefully God will get them through the grieving process with some ease.
I have no idea how someone could do this thing to an animal let alone a precious baby,now I will speak my mind on another post someone commented about a check,and I agree Scott co. makes it too easy to live off the taxpayer.I say send these scumbugs to Iraq and let the upstanding citizens that love their families come home then these deadbeats wouldn’d have so much time on their hands,getting back to the check thing I know first hand that when the system send a 7 hundred dollar check to an alocholic who can take it to the bank and get it cashed something is wrong (duh)
Mental evulation??? too much smoking pot, too much free money, and yes someone who wasn’t asked to be brought into this world had to lose their life.
What’s the deal with all the child abuse? It seems like there has been so many cases of this recently.
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