Ft. Irwin Soldier found guilty in baby death case

BARSTOW • A jury found a 22-year-old Fort Irwin soldier guilty of the 2007 murder of his infant son on Wednesday afternoon.

Segieray Cooper, 22, was found guilty of murder and child abuse resulting in the death of his son, Segieray Cooper Jr.

Cooper faces 25 years to life in prison. He is expected to be sentenced in September.

Deputy District Attorney Sean Daugherty said that a juror was dismissed at 9:30 a.m. this morning and replaced with an alternate, and deliberations had to begin again after the alternate was brought in. Daugherty had no other comments on the verdict.

This is Cooper’s second trial for the death of his son. A previous three-month long trial in December of 2009 resulted in a hung jury.

Authorities determined that Cooper’s son died as a result of blunt trauma to the head and abdominal area.

In the trial, Daugherty argued that the injuries Cooper Jr. suffered were clearly the result of child abuse, while Cooper’s court-appointed attorney, Paul Henderson, said the injuries were the result of attempts to revive the baby and administer CPR.

Henderson had no comment on the verdict.

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