On June 9, 2022, Zachary McCaa, 26, was left alone with his approximately two-month-old son Caiden McCaa at their Caledonia, New York home for three hours. During that time, McCaa violently abused the infant by throwing him, violently shaking him on multiple occasions, grabbing him by the neck, hitting him on his crib, throwing him into the crib, deliberately and repeatedly dropping him on his head, and inflicting severe trauma to his eyes. First responders were called to the home after the baby was found not breathing and rushed Caiden to Strong Memorial Hospital, where he died seven days later on June 16, 2022, from blunt force injuries to the head. McCaa was initially charged with reckless assault of a child; after the infant's death, charges were upgraded to second-degree murder, manslaughter, and endangering the welfare of a child. A jury convicted McCaa following a 10-day trial, and he was sentenced to 22 years to life in prison.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
All three sources describe inflicted injuries. The democratandchronicle.com article states McCaa was "accused of throwing the baby, causing him to strike his head, and shaking the child 'violently' on several occasions." The whec.com article further details: "McCaa was found to have grabbed the infant by his neck, hit him on his crib, thrown him into the crib, deliberately and repeatedly dropped him on his head, and inflicted many other injuries. He also inflicted severe trauma to Caiden's eyes."
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Multiple sources explicitly describe shaking and head trauma. The democratandchronicle.com article states McCaa was accused of "throwing the baby, causing him to strike his head, and shaking the child 'violently' on several occasions." The 13wham.com article states: "McCaa's 2 1/2-month-old son died in June 2022, seven days after McCaa, then 26, threw him and caused blunt force injuries to the head" and "McCaa also violently shook the baby on more than one occasion." The whec.com article adds that McCaa "deliberately and repeatedly dropped him on his head."
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
The 13wham.com article quotes the DA referencing "the brutal torture this baby had to endure." The whec.com article details multiple forms of deliberate cruelty: "McCaa was found to have grabbed the infant by his neck, hit him on his crib, thrown him into the crib, deliberately and repeatedly dropped him on his head, and inflicted many other injuries. He also inflicted severe trauma to Caiden's eyes." Additionally, he "violently shook the baby on more than one occasion." The DA described McCaa's actions as "depraved indifference to human life." While these acts occurred within a single 3-hour window, the word "torture" is explicitly used, and the pattern of varied and repeated cruel acts supports this characterization.
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
All three sources identify Zachary McCaa as the child's biological father. The democratandchronicle.com article refers to "his two-month-old son." The 13wham.com article states: "this was his son, this was his parents' grandchild" and "A 2 1/2-month baby brutally murdered by his own father." McCaa was convicted and sentenced for killing his biological son.
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
All three sources document that Zachary McCaa was charged and convicted. The democratandchronicle.com article states he "was arraigned in Livingston County Court on charges of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter and second-degree manslaughter, all felonies, and endangering the welfare of a child." The 13wham.com article confirms: "a jury convicted McCaa of murder, manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child." The whec.com article states he was "sentenced to 22 years to life for murder in the second degree."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the sources. The whec.com article reports that Caiden's maternal grandmother expressed dissatisfaction with the sentence, stating through tears that she "did not believe this was justice for her grandson" and "believed this was a slap on the wrist for McCaa." The same article also notes that "Caiden was supposed to go to his [maternal] grandmother's house that day," suggesting the abuse may have been preventable had the child been handed off earlier. McCaa's friends and family "sent in letters of support, asking for leniency." Additionally, the 13wham.com article quotes Dr. Elizabeth Murray, a pediatrician at Golisano Children's Hospital who testified in the case, providing guidance: "If you are faced with extreme frustration, put your child down and walk away. They will be safe in their crib." This highlights the systemic focus on prevention of shaken baby syndrome and frustration-driven abuse.
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