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The mother of a 2-month-old baby murdered last July was indicted this week for permitting child abuse and endangering children.
Marietta resident Megan Wiggins was charged with the first-degree felony permitting child abuse and the third-degree felony endangering children.
Ohio Revised Code 2903.15 states in part that no parent having custody of a child under 18 years of age shall cause serious physical harm to the child, or the death of the child, as a proximate result of permitting the child to be abused.
"It's a first-degree felony if the child dies," explained Washington County Prosecutor Nicole Coil.
Wiggins was charged with endangering children because no parent shall create a substantial risk to the health or safety of the child, by violating a duty of care, protection, or support, as noted in ORC 2919.22.
Coil said she doesn't believe Wiggins actually personally abused the child.
"She permitted the child abuse," she said. "We received the autopsy report and the list of injuries is significant and that was the final basis of our decision. Speaking with medical professionals, it would be difficult for her not to know he suffered significant injuries during this time."
The boy's father, Michael Anthony Dawson Jr., 31, of Marietta, was arrested in July and charged with the murder of 2-month-old Gannon.
The Washington County Sheriff's Office reported that deputies responded to a 911 call at Dawson's home at 101 Longacre St. that an infant wasn't breathing. The baby was rushed to Marietta Memorial Hospital and was later flown to Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus.
While Gannon was at Marietta Memorial, doctors were concerned that the baby's condition was caused by abuse.
After tests were done in Columbus, it was found Gannon had a skull fracture, a healing broken collar bone, seven or eight broken or fractured ribs that were in various stages of healing, and new and old hemorrhages that were consistent with being shaken. It was also reported he had liver damage and bruising to his bowels.
If convicted, Dawson faces 15 years to life in prison.
See this weekend's Marietta Times for a full article on the 22 defendants and 39 indictments the Washington County Grand Jury passed this week.