SD Father James Cunningham Charged Murder After Baby ‘Punched In Head’ Dies In Rapid City Hospital

RAPID CITY, SD. (THECOUNT) — James Cunningham, the Rapid City, South Dakota man charged with child abuse after allegedly punching an infant in the head, is now facing murder after the baby died earlier today. The baby had been hospitalized for nine days following the incident.

Cunningham, a 26-year-old senior airman at Ellsworth Air Force Base, was charged Thursday with second-degree murder, according to Lara Roetzel, chief deputy at the Pennington County State’s Attorney Office.

Cunningham was originally charged with aggravated child abuse on March 3. The charge was upgraded to murder after the baby died this morning, Roetzel said.

The infant would have turned 6-months-old on Friday. The Journal does not identify minor victims or their relationship to the defendant without the permission of a family member.

The baby was found unresponsive at a Rapid City home around 5:30 p.m. on March 3, according to police spokesman Brendyn Medina.

The infant was transported to the Rapid City hospital with “serious life-threatening injuries” before being flown to a Sioux Falls hospital for treatment, reports RapidCityJournal.

Cunningham, who is detained at the Pennington County Jail on a $10,000 cash-only bond, is expected to return to court for a preliminary hearing at 2:30 p.m. on March 19.

Ellsworth officials are assisting law enforcement with the investigation into the incident, which occurred off-base, an Ellsworth spokesman said in a news release.

“The Air Force takes allegations of this nature seriously and fully pursues appropriate actions,” the release says. “However, military members under investigation, for any offense, are presumed innocent until proven guilty.”

DEVELOPING::

Geo quick facts: Rapid City lies east of Black Hills National Forest in western South Dakota. It’s known as a gateway to Mt. Rushmore, the massive iconic sculpture of 4 U.S. presidents. “City of Presidents,” a series of life-size statues, spans several blocks downtown. North of Rapid Creek, which bisects town, the Journey Museum & Learning Center offers local history and geology exhibits. Snakes are on view at Reptile Gardens zoo – wikipedia.