Babysitter pleads guilty in Jacksonville baby’s death
Barbara Kendrick confessed Tuesday to forcibly throwing an infant into a playpen. She is charged with aggravated child abuse.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 67-year-old babysitter who Jacksonville police said caused the death of a 5-month-old baby has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, News4Jax learned Thursday.
In March 2017, police said Cooper Dubovic died of brain injuries suffered when Barbara Kendrick threw him into a playpen because he was fussy from having a fever and teething. She was 65 at the time.
Kendrick was subsequently indicted for first degree murder. The case has been moving slowly through the courts.
When Kendrick was interviewed by homicide detectives in 2017, police said she confessed to throwing the baby. Her lawyer tried to have her confession thrown out, saying that when she made that confession to JSO, she was going thru early stages of dementia.
The motion was denied. Kendrick underwent a psychiatric evaluation, and was ruled competent for prosecution.
Kendrick has a sentencing hearing scheduled for March.
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