Three-month-old John Emric Weckesser was admitted to WakeMed hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina, in late April 2022 with injuries consistent with abuse, and was placed on life support in the pediatric ICU. His father, 27-year-old Andrew Chance Weckesser, was charged with intentional child abuse resulting in severe physical injury. The infant died on May 3, 2022, from blunt force injuries, and the father's charges were upgraded to murder. The manner of death was ruled a homicide, and Andrew Weckesser was held without bond at the Johnston County Detention Center.
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)
The ME report (NC_22_90.pdf) lists the cause of death as "Blunt force injuries" and states the infant had "trauma indicative of abuse." The news article corroborates this, noting the child had "signs of trauma consistent with abuse" and died "as a result of injuries from abuse." Blunt force injuries are inflicted injuries.
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?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
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?
The ME report states: "The child's father, Andrew Chance Weckesser, was initially charged with intentional child abuse and later charged with murder following the child's death." The news article confirms: "27-year-old Andrew Chance Weckesser was charged Wednesday with murder in the death of his son, John Emric Weckesser." The perpetrator is explicitly identified as the child's father.
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?
The ME report states: "The child's father, Andrew Chance Weckesser, was initially charged with intentional child abuse and later charged with murder following the child's death." The news article corroborates: "Andrew Chance Weckesser was charged Wednesday with murder in the death of his son." He is "being held without bond at the Johnston County Detention Center."
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?
These fields were populated by an AI model and may contain inaccuracies. Review the links and PDFs provided for verification before citing. Contact [email protected] to report any inaccuracies where corrections are needed.