A tragic case has emerged from Tulsa, Oklahoma, where a father has been charged with the first-degree murder of his two-month-old son. The Tulsa Police Department reported that on October 28, they responded to an apartment at 7100 S. Erie Ave, following an emergency call concerning a male infant experiencing cardiac arrest and unable to breathe.
Medical intervention saw the infant briefly resuscitated at the hospital, where it became apparent the child had sustained extensive injuries. According to the Tulsa Police Department, the baby had "Doctors reported the infant had multiple fractured ribs, retinal hemorrhaging, visible bruising all over, and human bite marks on his back, hips, neck, arms, and legs." Two days later, on October 30, the infant was declared brain dead and subsequently passed away on October 31 after being removed from life support.
The subsequent investigation pointed to the child's father, Landon McCullah, who was caring for the infant solo when the injuries occurred. McCullah's explanations did not account for the severity and nature of the injuries his son endured. On Thursday, the Tulsa District Attorney's Office formally charged McCullah with 1st Degree Murder - Death of a Child by Injuring, Torturing, and Maiming, details of which were posted on the Tulsa Police Department's Facebook page.
As the legal process takes its course, McCullah remains detained at the Tulsa County Jail with a bond set at $5 million. The Tulsa Police Department's post was careful to note that "This is an arrest, not a conviction." The tragedy has left the Tulsa community in shock, sparking conversations around child welfare and the critical importance of mental health support for parents and caregivers.
