Charges upgraded to murder in 2017 death of Missouri boy

CRANE, Mo. (AP) - Prosecutors have upgraded charges against a southwest Missouri woman whose baby died last September.

Stone County authorities say 18-year-old Dakota Moore, of Crane, is charged with first-degree murder, child abuse and neglect in the death of her 9-month-old son.

KYTV reports Crane was initially charged with involuntary manslaughter after the baby died. The charges were upgraded after a medical examiner reviewed the autopsy reports and other evidence and determined that the boy died from suffocation and was a homicide.

Prosecutors say the evidence indicated the child also suffered abuse.

Investigators say Moore initially admitted she kicked her son in the head but said she didn’t mean to kill him.

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Information from: KYTV-TV, http://www.ky3.com