MANHATTAN -Alexander McConnell appeared in Riley County Court Friday morning facing charges of 1st degree murder and child abuse. The hearing was supposed to be a preliminary hearing, but unexpectedly,

McConnell waived his right to a preliminary hearing.

McConnell was arrested on September 29, 2014 following the death of a child identified as “AKM” in the in the case’s criminal affidavit.

The document said that McConnell’s wife Angela had left the child with Alexander for a short period of time, and when she returned the child was not breathing.

The infant was taken to Mercy Regional Hospital in Manhattan, and then to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.
The child died that evening.

During the autopsy, the medical examiner found the child had experienced previous substantial bleeding in the skull, as well as injuries to it’s neck, head, and ribs.

Arraignment in the case is set for March 23.