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Farmington • After 2-year-old James "J.J." Sieger Jr. had been taken to a hospital clinging to life, Joshua Schoenenberger offered police a variety of explanations of how the toddler suffered what proved to be fatal blows to his stomach and bruising all over his body.
Schoenenberger, who had been dating J.J.'s mother, Jasmine Bridgeman, initially told police that he had left the child alone in the bathtub for 40 minutes on May 9, and then found him facedown in the water, Layton Detective Ryan Jeppson testified Thursday during a preliminary hearing.
But that didn't explain the bruising or internal injuries that doctors later discovered, Jeppson said, so police pushed Schoenenberger for another explanation. The 35-year-old Layton man — now charged with first-degree-felony aggravated murder in the boy's May death — then flipped his story, saying it was Bridgeman who had been left alone with the child.
Then, he said it was Bridgeman who "beat" the child.
But Jeppson testified that Schoenenberger eventually admitted to police that had inflicted the injuries, allegedly admitting that while taking a shower with the young boy, he picked him up, squeezed him hard and then dropped him.
"He was upset about, essentially, J.J. not listening to him," Jeppson testified. "[And that] J.J. was struggling with potty training."
Jeppson was one of three witnesses who testified before 2nd District Judge John Morris, who ruled there was probable cause for the case to go to trial.
Jeppson also testified that Schoenenberger was visibly upset as he told police that the boy, who died two days after he was taken to the hospital, had been removing his diaper and spreading feces on the walls.
"He essentially felt that J.J. was ruining his house," the detective testified.
Earlier in the hearing, Brooks Keeshin, a doctor at Primary Children's Medical Center, testified that J.J. was flown to there by helicopter, and that medical staff noticed injuries that caused "significant concern for abuse."
Keeshin said he noted that J.J. had bruises on his ears, chest, abdomen, genitals and legs. He said surgeons later discovered that the child's colon had broken in one place and there was significant injury to the lowest part of the colon. He said the injuries were "consistent with significant blunt force trauma."
"It's not something we see in a normal accident," Keeshin said. "It's not something we see in falls. It's something we see in severe, violent, blunt-force trauma directly targeted at the abdomen."
Utah Medical Examiner Todd Grey testified that he certified J.J.'s death as a "homicide," and said the child died of "blunt-force trauma to the abdomen."
The medical examiner noted that there was no finding of water in the child's lungs to indicate that he may have drowned, as Schoenenberger originally told police.
Along with the aggravated murder charge — which could carry the death penalty — Schoenenberger is charged with second-degree-felony child abuse.
The defendant was charged with aggravated murder under "Shelby's Law," a 2007 statute that allows prosecutors to seek the death penalty if a child dies during an act of abuse, sexual assault or kidnapping — even if the defendant does not intend to kill the victim.
Prosecutors have until 60 days after Schoenenberger's arraignment, which is set for Feb. 22, to declare whether they will seek the death penalty.
Bridgeman, 23, is charged with second-degree-felony obstruction of justice for allegedly lying to police as they investigated the homicide.
On Monday, Bridgeman waived her right to a preliminary hearing. She is due back in court on Jan. 25 for a disposition hearing.
At the time of the alleged crime, the couple had lived together for about four months, according to charges.