(Memphis, TN) A Memphis woman has been charged with killing her 11-month-old son by not caring for him properly.Karen Kirkwood is charged with First Degree Murder and two counts of Aggravated Child Abuse.
In March, Kirkwood's son, Christopher, was severely burned in what was deemed a suspicious fire.
Investigators say Kirkwood did not immediately report the 2nd and 3rd degree burns that covered 30% of the child's body.
Christopher Kirkwood was released into his mother's care April 16 from Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center where his mother was trained how to care for him.
Hospital administrators taught Kirkwood how to care for her son's wounds as well as his tracheal tube.
Monday, May 25, Christopher Kirkwood was found dead in his mother's home. An autopsy showed the child's tracheal tube was, "...completely clogged, obstructing the child's airway."
Police say Karen Kirkwood left Christopher unattended for long periods of time and that she, "...opted to disregard the care orders of the doctors and the training she received..."
It was also learned Kirkwood never used a monitor given to her to track her son's breathing and heart rate, something that would have alerted her to the blocked tracheal tube.
The child's grandmother said he was burned by a space heater. The woman said the family was in the process of moving so he was placed on a pile of clothes to sleep. Because the home's heater did not work, a space heater was put next to the clothing and a fire started.
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