KALAMAZOO COUNTY, Mich. — Kalamazoo mother Norene Burkhead pled guilty to 4th Degree Child Abuse in exchange for another charge, 2nd Degree Child Abuse, being dismissed in connection to the 2023 abuse of her son Liam, who was just two months old when the abuse was discovered.
Burkhead was charged for not reporting the abuse of Liam at the hands of his father.
The boy's father, Paul Preston, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree child abuse at the beginning of June. He was initially charged with five counts of first-degree child abuse. Preston will learn his sentencing July 1.
The investigation into the abuse began on May 23, 2023, when Burkhead took the child to Bronson Hospital.
13 ON YOUR SIDE spoke with Burkhead shortly after the child was hospitalized and before she was charged.
"It was his dad. I thought he'd be safe," Burkhead said at the time.
She told us Liam suffered a fractured skull with brain bleeding, a broken arm and leg, and bruised and fractured ribs.
"[Paul] was walking to the bedroom and he said he tripped and fell with the baby," she said. "At least that's what he told me."
A doctor advised that Preston seemed to provide explanations that each injury was caused accidentally. Preston talked about an incident when Liam hit his face against him and his nose bled, and Preston had to wipe it.
The doctor noted the injuries were in different stages of healing, indicating the serious injuries were sustained at different times.
According to court documents, Preston later admitted to investigators he punched or struck his child in the head four separate times.
He would sometimes grip his baby's head with both hands and squeeze, hold his sides and squeeze him, throw him on a bed, and into the air and catch him, court documents detailed.
Police said Preston admitted the violent acts started when Liam was just three weeks old.
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