Tanya and Ryan Greenwood (Lancaster County Jail).
A couple from Nebraska is facing serious charges for the abuse and death of their 4-month-old daughter. Police reported that the father had been “playing rough” with the baby just before the mother arrived home, where she heard what she described as “the most distressing cry she’d ever heard.”
Ryan Greenwood, aged 36, and Tanya Greenwood, aged 28, have been accused of child abuse resulting in the death of their infant on August 14, as reported by local sources.
Local CBS affiliate KOLN and the Lincoln Journal Star have obtained court documents indicating that Ryan Greenwood confessed to “playing rough,” leading to his daughter’s uncontrollable crying. The child was later put to sleep with a bottle but did not wake up at her regular time, according to Tanya Greenwood.
Ryan Greenwood allegedly stated that his daughter appeared “perfectly fine” when he checked on her around 11 p.m. that night, the documents reveal. However, she was found unresponsive and cold the following day, according to police reports.
Ryan Greenwood allegedly performed CPR on the child before he contacted Tanya Greenwood and 911, police say.
KOLN reported that Tanya Greenwood expressed a desire to seek medical assistance for their child, but Ryan Greenwood reportedly urged her not to proceed. The autopsy showed the baby died from a severe brain injury, with other injuries typical of shaken baby syndrome.
An abuse specialist at a local children’s hospital determined the injuries were deliberate and suggested that immediate medical intervention might have increased the baby’s survival chances, according to KOLN.
Ryan Greenwood was arrested and booked on Aug. 26, while Tanya Greenwood was taken into custody two days later on Aug. 28, according to jail records. Tanya Greenwood allegedly told police investigators she saw Ryan Greenwood shake their daughter on at least one occasion and squeeze her leg tightly on another, per cops. The couple’s internet search history allegedly shows Tanya Greenwood looking up information on shaken baby syndrome after their child’s passing.
The parents were being held Monday on bonds of $1.5 million each. They are both scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 1.
