DOVER, Del.- Delaware State Police have arrested a Dover mother and father after an investigation into the death of their baby more than two years ago was later determined to be a homicide.
Police said that that in the early morning hours of April 30, 2017, troopers responded to Bayhealth Kent General Hospital in reference to a death investigation of a child.
Troopers said a further investigation revealed that the child, who was 1 at that time, was at home with his father, 25-year old Antonio Hughes, while his mother 26-year old Chanel E. Green was at work. The child had reportedly experienced a medical emergency when Hughes contacted Green to respond back to the home, located in the 4000 block of Forrest Avenuei in Dover.
Investigators said that upon Green returning to the home, she and Hughes privately transported the child to the hospital, where the child was later pronounced deceased. The child was turned over to the Delaware Division of Forensic Science to conduct an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.
According to police, at the time of the child's death, investigators learned Hughes had been arrested and convicted of second-degree child abuse in 2016. Police said the arrest involved the same child, in which a no contact order was issued.
Troopers said that upon Hughes’ release from prison after this incident, Green allowed him to return to the home, knowing it was in violation of a no contact order. Green also continued to allow Hughes to be the primary caretaker for their child, police said.
Authorities said that when the incident involving the child's death occurred on April 30, 2017, there was a no contact order still in place between Hughes and the child and also a no contact order between Hughes and Green. Hughes was arrested at this time for violating this order and committed to the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center on $15,000 cash only bond.
It was later determined by the Delaware Division of Forensic Science that the child’s cause of death was homicide by manner of blunt force trauma associated with child abuse.
On May 29, 2019, Green turned herself in at Troop 3 where she was charged with criminally negligent homicide and endangering the welfare of a child. She was arraigned before the Justice of the Peace Court and committed to the Delores J. Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution on $16,000 cash only bond.
On June 6, 2019, Hughes was charged with murder by abuse. He was arraigned before the Justice of the Peace Court and remained at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center on $1 million cash only bond.
