A southeast Iowa man will get a new trial on charges that he shook his five-month-old daughter so violently she died.
Jared York of Washington, Iowa, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment for his baby daughter Rylie’s death.
The Iowa Court of Appeals has ruled the trial judge should not have allowed prosecutors to show a 15-minute video entitled "Portrait of Promise: Preventing Shaken Baby Syndrome". Prosecutors argued York had seen the video before his daughter’s brain injury and that meant he knew what he did was wrong.
The Court of Appeals has ruled there was no need to show the video at York’s trial since there were witnesses who testified about York’s anger at his baby and his admission that he had shaken the child. Showing the video "virtually assured" that the jury would convict York, according to the Court of Appeals. He’s to get a new trial.
Rylie York died August 26, 2003. She was a twin. Her twin brother’s name is Kase.