St. Louis, MO, August 1, 2026 —

A Florida man, James Westervelt, has been indicted on a charge of first-degree murder. The indictment stems from the death of a 6-month-old infant.

Authorities attributed the infant’s death to blunt head trauma. Investigators allege that Westervelt caused the fatal injuries by bouncing the child.

During the investigation, Westervelt reportedly told investigators that he had used a leaf blower on the infant. He allegedly stated that he believed this action was humorous.

The specific date of the infant’s death and the date of Westervelt’s indictment were not provided.



Story summarized from the original created by WCJB Staff on www.firstalert4.com, see more information here.

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