A New Orleans man, Christopher Strickland, 42, is facing a second-degree murder charge following the death of his 5-month-old daughter, Louisa. This comes after a previous incident in 2021 where Strickland publicly criticized Louisiana child welfare officials for investigating bruises on his infant son.
Strickland was arrested and released on a $175,000 bond. He is also charged with cruelty to a juvenile. His attorney maintains Strickland's innocence, stating he did not harm his daughter. Strickland's explanation to doctors was that he shook Louisa in an attempt to revive her after finding her unresponsive. This account was reiterated by his defense attorney during a bond hearing.
On February 28th, Strickland called 911 reporting Louisa was unresponsive. He administered CPR and accompanied EMTs to Children's Hospital. Two days later, the infant passed away. The New Orleans coroner attributed her death to complications from abusive head trauma.
This incident follows a 2020 case where Strickland and his wife, Tess, were investigated by child welfare services after taking their son to the hospital for a bruise. The child was temporarily removed from their custody. A judge later criticized state procedures and ordered the child's return. Following Louisa's death, the now 3-year-old boy has been removed from the Strickland home again and placed with his grandparents.
