This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Ogden • The operator of a Roy child care facility made her initial appearance in court Tuesday, a week after she was charged in connection with the death of a child left with her two months ago.
Tisha Lynn Morley, 33, is charged in Ogden's 2nd District Court with first-degree felony child abuse homicide.
She appeared in court Tuesday out of custody, having posted a $10,000 bond on her $100,000 bail.
A public defender was assigned to her case, and another court date — May 20 — was set for the woman to decide whether she wants a preliminary hearing.
Roy police spokesman Bryce Weir said that on Feb. 19, the father of the infant went to pick up the baby, along with the child's 3-year-old brother, at Tots & Tykes Day Care. He found the baby cold and unresponsive.
The father took the boy to a local emergency room where doctors allegedly discovered the infant had sustained a head injury. The child, who was flown to Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City, eventually died on Feb. 28.
"The victim suffered a skull fracture and trauma to the brain from shaking and impact-inflicted trauma. The trauma was classified as non-accidental," Weir stated. "The medical examiner ruled the manner of death as a homicide with the cause of injury being blunt force injury of the head."
Weir said Tuesday that the delay between the child's death and the woman's arrest was due to the amount of time needed to complete their investigation.
"It takes time to get all the information together," he said. "Especially on a homicide case, it just flat-out takes time."
In spite of the baby's death and suspension of her day care license, Morley continued to provide day care services, police have said.
Then on March 27, a 3-year-old child allegedly suffered a broken leg while at Tots & Tykes Day Care.
No charges had been filed in connection with that injury as of Tuesday.
Twitter: @jm_miller