A Missouri couple is accused of endangering their 5-month-old child, resulting in his death, and then Googling what to do next — with searches that included inquiries on “shaken baby syndrome,” lawyers, and what countries “expedite,” according to cops.
“How do I know if my baby is okay after a fall?” wrote Roshonda Hagens, 34, in one of the alleged Google searches following her child’s death in December 2022, according to a probable cause statement filed by the Springfield Police Department.
“How do I know if my child’s head injury is serious?” Joshua Riley, 39, wrote, according to authorities. “What does it mean when your poop is green?” he allegedly inquired.
Investigators allegedly discovered the searches while reviewing the couple’s phones and digital evidence. “Joshua was observed conducting several searches about RSV before searching ‘Shaken baby syndrome,’ information about lawyers, if a passport was needed to fly to Cuba, what countries did not ‘expedite,’ and if your location was still provided if ‘samsara’ logs were not certified,” according to the statement of probable cause.
According to jail records, Hagens and Riley have both been charged with first-degree endangering a child’s welfare in connection with a child’s death. Hagens allegedly took their 5-month-old to a local hospital on December 5, 2022, because he was unresponsive and not breathing. Medical personnel resuscitated him and put him on life support, but the child died several days later.
An autopsy revealed that the cause of death was a “closed head injury,” and the manner was homicide. “In addition to new injuries, older injuries were present,” the probable cause statement reads. “This included rib fractures that were in different stages of healing.”
Police believe the child sustained injuries on at least two separate occasions that would have necessitated medical treatment. According to police, the injury that caused his death occurred “a short time before” he went into medical distress and was transported to Mercy Hospital in Springfield.
In their request for an arrest warrant, Green County prosecutors accused Hagens of conducting “numerous Google searches” on her phone, among other allegations. The searches included questions like, “How do I know if my baby is okay after falling off the bed?”. Riley allegedly told Hagens in texts that their child “fell out of the bed.”
The child’s autopsy revealed brain bleeds, hemorrhages in both eyes, a brain injury, rib fractures, and “significant bruising on all sides of his head,” according to police and prosecutors.
Hagens and Riley allegedly gave police false information about the child’s death, including the couple’s whereabouts prior to the alleged incident.
The couple allegedly traveled from Illinois to several different states across the country between December 2 and 5, 2022, while Riley worked as a truck driver. Police believe the child died while they were eating at a truck stop in Strafford, Missouri.
“Both defendants were on surveillance video at TA Truck Service … eating for approximately 43 minutes,” according to the arrest warrant filing.
“The victim was not present with them and was not checked on for 43 minutes. Later that day, Joshua Riley took Roshonda Hagens and [the child] to Mercy Hospital. When Roshonda arrived, she calmly stated that her baby required assistance.
