NEWVILLE, Pa. — A Cumberland County father is headed to the Court of Common Pleas to answer for charges that he killed his 13-month-old child.
A judge bound over all charges against Timothy L. Sampson, 25, of Newville, for court at a preliminary hearing. The charges include first-degree murder, third-degree murder and endangering the welfare of children.
The judge heard testimony from multiple Pennsylvania State Police troopers and Dr. Wayne Ross, an expert is forensic pathology.
The testimony showed that the 13-month-old victim suffered from asphyxia at his father’s hands during the overnight hours between Dec. 31, 2022, and Jan. 1, 2023. Following an autopsy, Dr. Ross opined that the cause of death was asphyxia due to multiple traumatic injuries caused by compressive loading and that the manner of death is homicide.
Dr. Ross testified that injuries due to compressive loading require substantial force. He further opined that death caused in that way is an intentional act that takes several minutes.
Police say that Sampson was acting "very unusual" on the day his son died, performing chest compressions with little to no emotion and describing the compressions as not effective.
Later that same day, troopers reportedly observed Facebook messages between Sampson and another individual stating, "He's not breathing/ Not really sure what do to/ Ok he is just barely moving in is breathing a little he is super pale I think he got a blanket wrapped around him."
Sampson later reenacted the night of the victim's death for police, but stated he couldn't remember much of the night's events due to a lack of sleep.
Now, he is facing charges.
