Jakob Krause (Washington County).
An Arkansas man is facing capital murder charges for allegedly shaking his 4-month-old daughter with “deliberate, violent force” because she would not stop crying, resulting in severe head trauma that led to her death, according to police and prosecutors.
Jakob Krause, 25, had a battery charge upgraded this week to capital murder and was ordered held in Washington County on a $15 million bond, according to Washington County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Brandon Carter, who spoke to Law&Crime Thursday and confirmed the case development.
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Krause’s probable cause statement details allegations of severe and “intentional” abuse, including an incident where he allegedly poured what appeared to be cigarette ash on the victim — and kept photos on his phone of her covered in it, the statement says.
Authorities were called to investigate after the child’s mother brought her to a hospital on June 24. The girl, according to the probable cause statement, had suffered “significant head trauma” and had to be airlifted to a bigger hospital due to the severity of her injuries.
“Text messages from [the mother] to a family member further revealed her concerns, including that Jakob had dumped cigarette ash on the infant and thrown away multiple cans of baby formula, supporting a pattern of neglect and abuse,” the statement says.
Text messages sent between Krause and the girl’s mother while they were being taken to Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock show replies from Krause that were “not appropriate for the situation,” according to the statement.
“Jakob asked [the child’s mother] for money and on multiple occasions asked her for a ‘kart’ which he later stated was a shortened term for a marijuana vape,” the document alleges. “His concerns for his own needs during the life threatening event further showcased his disregard and indifference for the value of human life.”
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A doctor overseeing the infant’s care after she arrived at the hospital allegedly told police that she had “little to no brain activity” when she arrived. The child was placed on child support before eventually dying on July 3 as a result of her injuries.
“The victim, an infant, suffered severe, deliberate head trauma and bruising, consistent with intentional abuse that ultimately caused her death,” the probable cause statement concludes. “Medical findings ruled out any accidental cause. Jakob was the sole caregiver at the time of injury and knowingly failed to seek timely medical care, despite the child exhibiting obvious, life-threatening symptoms.”
Krause allegedly confessed to shaking his daughter vertically because she would not stop crying. He said he did it on three separate occasions, according to police. He was still being held in custody Thursday on a cash-only bond.
