Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
NM OMI rules infant’s death a homicide Vol. 123, No. 292 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
December 5, 2014
FRIDAY
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Grandmother says authorities failed to protect child
BY JEFF TUCKER RECORD STAFF WRITER
The death of a 1-monthold Roswell infant in September 2013 was the result of a homicide, according to a death investigation by the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator released this week. The death investigation of Jonathan Miller determined
the boy, barely a month old, suffered blunt head and neck trauma, broken ribs, bite marks and other injuries before he was pronounced dead at 10:55 a.m. Sept. 10, 2013. Jonathan’s heart and kidneys were donated to two other children, providing some solace to his untimely and unnecessary death. Dr. Evan Matshes, associate medical investigator and
Singing Stargazers
director of pediatric forensic pathology at OMI, and Dr. Odey Ukpo, forensic pathology fellow at OMI, conducted the investigation of Jonathan’s death at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. Their report, dated Nov. 26, 2014, was released to the Daily Record this week. “According to reports, Jonathan Miller was a healthy baby boy who was
placed in his cradle and left alone to sleep,” the doctors said in their summary and opinion. “He was later discovered with spit around his mouth and unresponsive.” The report states the nonbiological father of Jonathan took the infant to his grandmother, who said to alert emergency medical services. The child’s mother, Jennifer L. James-Miller, of Roswell, was hospitalized in
Roswell during the week prior to her baby’s death, said Andrea James, the baby’s maternal grandmother. James-Miller, 21 at the time of her baby’s death, had returned home by Sept. 7, 2013, when the baby was found unresponsive, said Donald James, the baby’s maternal grandfather. James-Miller could not be reached for comment.
The infant had also been in the care of the grandmother of the baby’s nonbiological father in the days immediately before his death, Andrea James said. Jonathan was admitted to Easter n New Mexico Medical Center in Roswell on Sept. 7, 2013, where he was in cardiopulmonary
City still waiting on final festival financial reports
See MILLER, Page A3
Officials await information from MainStreet Roswell BY RANDAL SEYLER RECORD CITY EDITOR
The city is still waiting on final reports from the Fiddle & Griddle Festival and the UFO Festival, Finance Committee members were told Thursday morning. Both festivals are organized by MainStreet Roswell, and the city’s contact with that group, Peggy Sesky, has been dealing with personal and medical issues. “The last conversation I had with her was on Nov. 12,” said Janice Self, finance department assistant. Self reported to the Occupancy Tax Board in October that the two festivals were late in turning in their final reports.
Max Scally Photos
Above: The Goddard High School Stargazers perform a Christmas program Thursday at Del Norte Elementary School. The choir performed throughout the day at elementary schools and nursing homes in Roswell. The students are under the direction of Mary Gonzales. The student musical group will perform at various local events when requested. For more information, call 575-420-1496. Right: Students and staff at Del Norte are entertained Thursday by the Goddard Stargazers.
Committee OKs funding for CASA BY RANDAL SEYLER RECORD CITY EDITOR
Chaves County CASA has been providing services to the Roswell Police Department and other law enforcement agencies since July without funding, but the city Finance Committee took steps on Thursday to remedy that situation. CASA has been handling the forensic interviews of children since Esperanza House closed after losing funding from the city back in the summer. Esperanza House provided forensic interviewing for abused children and nursing exams for women who
had been sexually assaulted. CASA has taken over the forensic interviewing of children, said Carrie-Leigh Cloutier, CASA executive director. “We receive no funding locally, and we have gone through quite a bit of expense installing cameras so we can provide this service,” Cloutier said. “Our board believes it is so important that we be able to do this.” “CASA” stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates, and the program deals with domestic violence and abuse cases.
State police: Holiday patrols were successful STAFF REPORT
State police announced there was only one fatal crash in the state during Thanksgiving weekend involving either state or motor transportation police. State police said state troopers and motor transportation police of ficers were very proactive Thanksgiving weekend, making the state’s roads safe for New Mexico residents, visitors and travelers. Throughout the holiday
See CASA, Page A3
weekend, police said there were 15 crashes with injuries, but only one fatal crash. Police said there were 63 crashes that did not result in injuries. State police said they implemented 26 different saturation patrols during the holiday weekend, resulting in 44 DWI arrests, 2,705 speeding citations, 239 seatbelt citations and 10 cellphone citations. Motor transportation See POLICE, Page A3
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TODAY’S FORECAST
ILEA, community welcome delegates
The Fiddle & Griddle Festival was awarded $56,250 from the city, Self said in October. She has received the financial statement and the backup documentation for the Lodgers’ Tax expenses, she said.
Festivals typically apply for Lodgers’ Tax funding to pay for advertising, which is distributed as a reimbursement once the festival organizers provide documentation of expenses, Self said. The city usually will fund only 50 percent of the advertising costs, and the funding is reserved for events that bring people from out of town and into local hotels, Self explained. See REPORTS, Page A3
Dylanne Petros Photos
The welcome reception for International Law Enforcement Academy-Roswell took place at the ILEA building Wednesday night. Mayor Dennis Kintigh addressed the crowd, comprised of community members and delegates from Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Honduras. Frank Taylor, project manager for ILEA, said that there are two sessions at the current moment. The first session is made up of delegates from Colombia, Costa Rica and Uruguay. The second session is made up of delegates from Costa Rica, Guatemala and Honduras. Both groups have finished their first week of their respective sessions.
Above: Maria Lucchi, one of the delegates from Uruguay, speaks to the crowd in Spanish. Lucchi thanked ILEA and members of the community for welcoming the delegates
with open arms and great hospitality. Right: Martha Reyes Ferro, one of the delegates from Colombia, speaks to the crowd at the ILEA welcome reception in her first
• BOBBI ALCORN • RAY VICK • JOHN C. JONES
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE A8
language, Spanish. Mem-
bers of the audience wore
headphones while the ILEA translators translated
everything Ferro said.
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B8 COMICS .................B7 ENTERTAINMENT ...A10 FINANCIAL ..............B5
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2
HOROSCOPES .........B6 LOTTERIES .............A2
OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ............A10