Tanya and Ryan Greenwood (Lancaster County Jail).
A Nebraska couple is facing criminal charges for abusing and killing their 4-month-old daughter, with police saying the father was “playing rough” with the infant before the mother came home to what she described as “the worst cry I had ever heard.”
Ryan Greenwood, 36, and Tanya Greenwood, 28, are both charged with child abuse resulting in the death of their baby on Aug. 14, according to local reports.
Court documents obtained by local CBS affiliate KOLN and the Lincoln Journal Star say Ryan Greenwood admitted to “playing rough” and causing his daughter to cry uncontrollably, per the outlet. The child was put to bed with a bottle, but she failed to wake up at her usual time, according to Tanya Greenwood.
Ryan Greenwood allegedly claimed their daughter was “perfectly fine” when he checked on her around 11 p.m. that night, according to the court documents. The baby was unresponsive and cold to the touch when Ryan Greenwood found her the next day, police say.
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Ryan Greenwood allegedly performed CPR on the child before he contacted Tanya Greenwood and 911, police say.
According to KOLN, Tanya Greenwood claimed she wanted to take their child to a medical center for help, but Ryan Greenwood allegedly told her not to do it. An autopsy later revealed that the child died from a traumatic brain injury and suffered other injuries consistent with shaken baby syndrome.
An abuse specialist at a local children”s hospital concluded that the injuries were non-accidental and immediate medical attention could have improved the infant’s chances of survival, KOLN reports.
Ryan Greenwood was arrested and booked on Aug. 26, while Tanya Greenwood was taken into custody two days later on Aug. 28, according to jail records. Tanya Greenwood allegedly told police investigators she saw Ryan Greenwood shake their daughter on at least one occasion and squeeze her leg tightly on another, per cops. The couple’s internet search history allegedly shows Tanya Greenwood looking up information on shaken baby syndrome after their child’s passing.
The parents were being held Monday on bonds of $1.5 million each. They are both scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 1.
