Murder charges have been filed against a North Carolina father accused of fatally shaking his newborn son while visiting him at the hospital.
According to court records, 22-year-old Noah Benjamin Bliss was arrested on October 13th and is facing charges of first-degree murder and intentional child abuse causing serious bodily injury. Bliss stands accused of assaulting and causing the death of his 3-week-old son, Gunner Bliss, on October 6th at the WakeMed Health and Hospitals campus in Raleigh.
The arrest warrant states Bliss “unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously did of malice aforethought kill and murder G.B.”
Court documents provided very few details about the incident, but they do mention the newborn’s mother, Savannah Bliss, saying she wants “justice for my son.”
Savannah gave birth to twins, Gunner and Madelyn, prematurely at 34 weeks on September 15. On October 6, she mentioned that she was visiting Madelyn in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, while Noah was looking after Gunner and their 1-year-old child in a room at WakeMed’s Heart Center Inn.
During her absence, hospital staff informed Savannah that Gunner had experienced a brain bleed and swelling due to head trauma. Although he had no visible external injuries or broken bones, the head trauma had resulted in oxygen deprivation.
Additionally, the hospital staff told Savannah that Gunner’s injuries stemmed from being “shaken by his father.”
“I trusted my husband to watch Gunner while I was taking care of his sister in the ICU. He was sweetest boy with most beautiful blue eyes … he was the best baby [and] for him to be taken so soon is so wrong,” Savannah added.
Nevertheless, Gunner was taken off of life support last week while Noah is currently being held without bond.
