A recorded cell phone conversation played inside a Hopewell courtroom captured 22-year-old Nathan Travis-Nunnally admitting he shook his crying infant son and then told him to shut up, just days before the baby died. The recording was presented Thursday morning during a preliminary hearing in Hopewell Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, where a judge certified homicide, malicious assault, and child abuse charges against Travis-Nunnally to a grand jury.
According to WTVR CBS 6, prosecutors say Travis-Nunnally called 911 on June 14 after his five-month-old son, Skottie, became unresponsive at the Rodeway Inn. Hopewell Police previously stated that emergency telecommunications received the initial call regarding an unresponsive infant in the 4900 block of Oaklawn Boulevard at 10:41 a.m. that day, according to an official Hopewell Police Department statement. Skottie died five days later, on June 19, triggering the escalation from child abuse and aggravated malicious wounding charges to a felony homicide charge, as reported by Across Virginia Patch.
Officer Testimony Describes Baby Going Limp
Officer C. Foley testified that Travis-Nunnally told him the baby became overly fussy and suddenly went limp before he called emergency services, per the same account relayed in WTVR's courtroom coverage. A detective also told the court that Travis-Nunnally said he had tried to calm the baby by rocking him after feeding him a bottle. First responders transported Skottie to Tri-Cities Hospital before he was flown to Chippenham Hospital and ultimately admitted to the intensive care unit at Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU, where police said his injuries were consistent with shaken baby syndrome.
Skottie's mother, Sarina Aldrich, testified that she was serving a weekend sentence at Riverside Regional Jail when her baby was injured. She told the court that she and Travis-Nunnally had previously been engaged, had recently broken up, and that she had planned to leave him. Describing her son, Aldrich said Skottie was her heart, soul, and everything.
Doctor Details Cardiac Arrest and Brain Damage
Dr. Robin Foster, who leads the Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU's child protection team, testified that Skottie was in full cardiac arrest for more than 30 minutes and described extensive brain bleeding and swelling. She said the infant's EEG showed no organized brain waves, and he was ultimately taken off the ventilator and placed in compassionate care until he died. Aldrich said she did not understand the extent of her son's injuries at the hospital because of the shock.
The defense asked whether Skottie's cranial helmet could have contributed to the severity of his injuries, but Dr. Foster testified that the baby was very healthy and had been scheduled to have the helmet removed just days after the assault.
Uncle's Recording Captures Chilling Admission
The baby's uncle testified that he recorded a cell phone conversation with Travis-Nunnally while standing in the ICU. In that recording, Travis-Nunnally said he wanted the baby to be quiet and started screaming at him, before picking him up, shaking him, and then telling him to shut up, according to testimony recounted by the station. Aldrich said her uncle made the recording to ensure the family had what they needed in case Travis-NunnALLY made a statement.
Court records previously cited by WTVR CBS 6 show Travis-Nunnally was charged with domestic assault in Petersburg in July 2025 after allegedly threatening a woman with a knife. A judge deferred that charge and ordered him to complete an anger management course by February 2026, which records show he failed to fulfill.
Family Remembers Skottie, Seeks Justice
Family members told the court Skottie liked Winnie-the-Pooh, Bluey, and Dragon Tales. Skottie's grandparents attended the hearing along with nearly a dozen relatives. Shane Aldrich said he wanted justice for his grandson and hoped Travis-Nunnally received what he deserved.
Judge Robert J. Fierro Jr. certified all three charges — homicide, malicious assault, and child abuse — to a grand jury, which is expected to consider the case in December. Under Virginia Code § 18.2-33, felony homicide is defined as an accidental killing during the commission of a non-capital felonious act and is punished as second-degree murder, carrying a prison sentence of 5 to 40 years. Separately, Virginia Code § 18.2-371.1(A) makes it a Class 4 felony for a parent or caregiver whose willful act or omission causes serious injury to a child's health, punishable by 2 to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.
A Pattern Seen Nationwide
The National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome reports that roughly 1,300 cases of shaken baby syndrome or abusive head trauma occur across the United States each year. Pediatric experts from Carilion Clinic, cited by WSLS 10, have noted that violent shaking of an infant proves fatal in approximately 25% of cases, with surviving victims often facing lifelong severe cognitive and motor disabilities. A 2021 study published in Child Abuse & Neglect examined 1,431 convictions with appellate rulings since 2008 and found that 3% were overturned on appeal; medical-evidence grounds accounted for about 1% of cases overall.
