ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Testimony in the Buncombe County murder trial of a man accused of killing his infant daughter focused Thursday on search warrants, body camera footage and possible blood evidence.
Nickolas Shane Stephenson, 37, is charged with first-degree murder and intentional child abuse causing serious bodily injury in the June 2022 death of his 12-week-old daughter, Riley Leshae Hannah Stephenson. The child’s mother, 32-year-old Diandra Haleigh Fuhr-Farlow, also faces a first-degree murder charge and is expected to testify for the prosecution.
Assistant District Attorneys Stormy Ellis and Amy Buchanan are prosecuting the case. Stephenson is represented by defense attorney Dustin Randolph Dow.
First responder testimony
Sgt. Stanley Murray of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office testified that his body camera recorded emergency crews trying to revive the baby inside an ambulance on June 28, 2022.
“I saw bruising on the baby’s head, nose and forehead,” Murray told jurors. On the recording, he is heard saying, “That baby’s head is all to pieces. That baby’s head is bruised all around it.”
Murray said Fuhr-Farlow told him Riley struck her head on a faucet while being rinsed in the tub. She said the parents first used ice on the injury, then switched to heat packs, which burned the child’s face.
“She said the baby wasn’t eating well after that,” Murray testified.
On cross-examination, defense attorney Dow asked Murray if the parents were read their rights when deputies requested they remain at the scene.
He said they were not.
Investigator testimony
Capt. Christopher Stockton, a 19-year law enforcement veteran who supervised the sheriff’s office criminal investigations division at the time, said he saw Riley at Mission Hospital shortly after she was brought in.
“She was pale, ribs showing, sagging skin, circular marks on her head, bruising and scabbing,” Stockton testified. “I didn’t see any signs of life.”
He said the injuries, along with inconsistent statements from the parents, led investigators to conclude Stephenson and Fuhr-Farlow should be charged.
“The totality of what I observed led me to believe she had been neglected for a long time and experienced a tremendous amount of pain,” he told jurors.
Search warrant execution
Former Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office detective Daniel Barale testified about preparing and executing a search warrant at the family’s home.
“I found what looked like small bloodstains on a bassinet sheet,” Barale said. “In a closet, there was a trash bag with baby clothing and a burp cloth that also looked stained. The odor coming from the bag was one I associated with decomposition.”
Barale said the home smelled strongly of cigarettes and was cluttered but had fewer signs of routine infant care than expected.
Under questioning from the defense, Barale acknowledged, “Only lab testing can confirm if something is blood,” and admitted he did not know the family’s financial circumstances..
Crime scene processing
Crime Scene Unit Supervisor Leigh Thomas testified that she documented the home with other investigators, noting odors in the bedroom where the family stayed and the presence of 142 containers of baby formula.
Crime scene investigator Makayla Sawyer Pegg, who had been on the job only a few months at the time, said she photographed, sketched and collected items that “appeared to show suspected blood stains” for later testing at the state crime lab.
Some of those items were shown to the jury.
However, those items were never tested for blood.
Digital evidence
Detective Ian Luther, a digital forensics specialist, testified about extracting data from two cellphones seized under search warrants. He said forensic imaging software allowed investigators to review text messages, photos, GPS records and other communications. Prosecutors introduced call logs and messages as evidence.
One of those messages was a photo of Riley sent on May 31, 2022.
The response was that the baby is precious, followed by, “Does she have bruises on her head?”
The response,” Bad bath experience.”
MORE COVERAGE
Emergency responders testify in death of 12-week-old