Mark and Sharon Latta lived in Bishops Waltham, Southampton, England with their ten-week-old daughter Charlotte. On December 2nd, 2001, Mark brought the baby into Royal Hampshire County Hospital, claiming that he had been feeding her when her eyes suddenly rolled back into her head and her body went limp. Interestingly, he had brought the infant to the same hospital earlier the same day for a routine check-up, and the little girl had seemed fine.
Upon examination, it was found that Charlotte had nearly three dozen fractures in the bones of her arms, legs, and ribcage. She also had severe head injuries resulting in brain damage. The child was placed on life support, but died two days later, on December 4th. Her father was subsequently arrested for her murder.
At his trial, the prosecution argued that the baby bore signs of continued abuse and that on the day she was taken to the hospital, her father allegedly shook her violently and bashed her head against a hard object while the rest of the family was eating lunch downstairs.
Despite the judge admitting that the baby was unquestionably abused and died as a result, he believed that there was insufficient evidence to show that Mark Latta was the person responsible for the violence. Charlotte’s father was therefore acquitted, and no further charges were pursued.
The horrific death of Charlotte Latta, then, stands as officially unsolved.
Crime Immemorial 