Father charged with third-degree murder in death of infant daughter

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Craig Baylis, 31 (Montgomery County District Attorney's Office)

WEST NORRITON, Pa. - A Montgomery County father has been charged with third-degree murder in the death of his six-week-old daughter earlier this year.

On Thursday, authorities announced charges against Craig Baylis, 31, of West Norriton Township in the Feb. 22 death of Mackenna Baylis. Baylis has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child in addition to third-degree murder.

On Feb. 22, around noon, West Norriton Police responded to a 911 call for cardiac arrest. When police arrived on the scene they found the child's mother performing CPR on her daughter. An officer took over CPR until medics arrived and the girl was taken to Einstein Montgomery Hospital where she was pronounced dead a short time later.

Investigators later learned that the mother had left the home shortly before 10 a.m. that day to go to a doctor's appointment, leaving the girl with her father, Craig Baylis.

About two hours after she left, police say she received a call from Baylis saying the baby had fallen and her nose was bleeding, but "she was fine."

The mother rushed home to find Baylis rocking the baby, who she thought looked 'gray and lifeless,' according to authorities. She called 911.

After an autopsy was performed, the Montgomery County Coroner's Office found that the cause of death was head trauma and the manner of death was homicide.

"A very vulnerable child--only a month and a half old—was left in the care of someone who should have protected her. Instead, he shook the life out of baby Mackenna." said Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele. "We will seek justice for Mackenna and for a family mourning the death of baby Mackenna."

Baylis was arraigned and denied bail. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for June 7, 2021.