The tragic death of 11-year-old Leonardo Ramon Hinkle has been determined to be a homicide, according to Dr. Bob Baker, the Fayette County coroner. This ruling, as reported by WPXI, comes after Leonardo passed away due to complications related to blunt force trauma of the head and neck, which was further specified to have been from shaken baby syndrome. These complications, sadly, lingered and ultimately led to the death of the child years after the initial injury.
In a heart-wrenching twist, the boy was victimized by his father, Kyle Hinkle, who previously served time for aggravated assault in connection to the injuries Leonardo sustained. Hinkle admitted to authorities that he had shaken Leonardo, then only 3 months old, to quieten his cries, an admission that landed him a 2-year stint in prison, according to CBS News Pittsburgh. Leonardo's condition relegated him to a wheelchair, rendered him nonverbal, and required him to have a feeding tube as well as continuous care for most of his brief life.
Dr. Baker, in an interview with CBS News Pittsburgh, described the situation as "very sad," emphasizing the somber nature of dealing with child fatalities. "He was wheelchair bound, he was nonverbal, he had a feeding tube and he also required 24/7 care for the majority of his life," he elaborated. The impact of Kyle Hinkle's actions in 2012 reached far into the future, not just affecting Leonardo physically and developmentally but culminating in the final chapter of the child's life over a decade later.
The recent autopsy conducted by a pathologist confirmed that the cause of Leonardo's death was indeed related to the Shaken Baby Syndrome. The boy's mother, who had since moved to Oliver, Fayette County, was likely yearning for this verdict, a bittersweet closure. "The mother said he spent his whole life suffering, and I can recall that she shared with us that she said justice will finally be served for Leonardo," Dr. Baker stated, as reported CBS News Pittsburgh. While his father had already been convicted for the injury that occurred in Bucks County, not Fayette, the complexities of the legal system now pose a challenge as to whether Kyle Hinkle can be charged anew for his son's death.
