Rochester man pleads not guilty to manslaughter following child’s death
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(ABC 6 News) – UPDATE: Darius Dwayne Pitchford, 34, pleaded not guilty to charges of 2nd-degree manslaughter–culpable negligence creating unreasonable risk and neglect of a child–results in substantial harm in Olmsted County Court Tuesday, Aug. 15.
The Rochester man was charged after his 4-year-old son died in Feb. of 2022, after Pitchford allegedly took him home from the hospital against the advice of medical professionals, who told him the child could die.
Pitchford is scheduled to stand trial on the charges Feb. 26, 2024.
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(ABC 6 News) – A Rochester man charged with child neglect following the death of a 4-year-old faces a new charge of 2nd-degree manslaughter–culpable negligence creating unreasonable risk, according to court documents filed last week.
Darius Dwayne Pitchford, 34, faced the first charge of neglect of a child resulting in substantial physical harm after his son died Feb. 14, 2022.
RELATED: Rochester man charged with child neglect in death of young child – ABC 6 News – kaaltv.com
Pitchford is accused of taking his sick child to the hospital, then taking him back home against the advice of medical professionals, who told him the child could die.
The child was found dead the following morning by both parents.
The charge of 2nd-degree manslaughter was added to Pitchford’s criminal complaint May 19.
Pitchford appears in Olmsted County Court at 2 p.m. today, May 24.