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Highlands Today

Parker may face murder charges

Child may come off life support this week

Highlands County Sheriff's Office

Parker, 32, was arrested March 29 and charged with aggravated child abuse for allegedly hurting the infant, who is the daughter of his former live-in girlfriend.

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Brad Dickerson

Published: May 4, 2009

Updated: 05/04/2009 03:44 pm

SEBRING - The 20-month-old child who Avon Park police officer James Parker is accused of seriously injuring March 29 may be taken off life support this week.

Attorney Richard Pipkin, speaking on behalf of the victim's mother, said she is planning to take her daughter off life support after Thursday, following the birthday of her older child.

Pipkin was one of two witnesses that Assistant State Attorney Steve Houchin called to testify at a hearing Monday held to consider reducing Parker's bond. Parker, who is charged with aggravated child abuse, remains in jail on a $250,000 bond after Judge Peter Estrada denied the motion.

Pipkin said the infant's mother chose a day after Thursday because she did not want her elder child's birthday to fall on the day her younger child dies.

Gasps from the courtroom audience could be heard as the attorney talked about the child's condition and the mother's decision.

"She (the mother) is a registered nurse and the doctors have made this recommendation and she is going to be abiding (by that)," Pipkin said.

If the child does live, she would be living in a vegetative state, he added.

Parker's attorney, William Fletcher, asked for the bond to be reduced from $250,000 to $50,000.
"He's been in jail the whole time since his arrest," Fletcher told Judge Peter Estrada. "The defendant owns no real estate. He has no money in the bank."

Fletcher said if the bond was reduced, Parker would live with an aunt and grandmother in Wauchula.
Pipkin said the mother was "adamantly opposed" to any type of bond reduction.

Before Estrada issued his ruling, Houchin asked Highlands County Sheriff's Detective Tyrone Tyson to talk about his investigation into the events of March 29.

According to the sheriff's office, Parker was watching the child and severely injured her while the mother – who was the defendant's live-in girlfriend – was at work.

Tyson said the victim suffered skull fractures from two or three blows to the head and was first taken to Highlands Regional Medical Center before being transferred to All Children's Hospital. She underwent surgery to have a portion of her brain removed.

The detective also said there was evidence of older injuries, including a fractured right collarbone roughly two months old, and a broken elbow that occurred about a week prior to March 29.

Parker could end up facing first-degree murder charges if the mother disconnects the ventilator and the child dies, Estrada added.

Highlands Today reporter Brad Dickerson can be reached at (863) 386-5838 or bdickerson@highlandstoday.com

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