A Missouri newborn is fighting for his life after his father brutally attacked him. Emergency responders arrived at a home in the 1400 block of E. 24th Street in Springfield following a call about a lethargic infant making grunting sounds. The infant’s parents, Kenai Logun Kelley and Starr Mariah Vesey, both 19, initially denied hurting their baby, but when Springfield Police began questioning the pair, their story took a heartbreaking turn. Police arrested Kelley and Vesey, who both face abuse charges related to their infant’s injuries.
The baby reportedly had visible injuries.
According to court records, EMS contacted police on July 28, 2026, after finding the baby, just shy of six weeks old, with visible injuries consistent with what police called “shaken baby syndrome.”
“I observed bruising around V1’s eyelids, broken blood vessels in both eyes, a bruise on his forehead, petechial-type marks on his torso and extremities, and that he had been cold and unresponsive inside the residence,” a detective wrote in the probable cause statement.
After first taking the infant to a local hospital, emergency staff airlifted him to St. Louis Children’s Hospital for more intensive treatment. After arriving, staff diagnosed the infant with a severe brain bleed, significant brain swelling, a retinal hemorrhage, rib fractures, and head trauma.
Kelley allegedly admitted to hurting his child.
At first, he denied abuse, but per court documents, he admitted he “played too rough” with his baby boy. Kelley reportedly showed police with a doll how he threw his son onto a hardwood floor from several feet above, which caused the baby to go limp…