A Trenton man who had been charged with second degree murder in connection with the death of a newborn in 1990 has been found not guilty of the charge.
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A Trenton man who had been charged with second degree murder in connection with the death of a newborn in 1990 has been found not guilty of the charge.
Michael V. Pilcher, 42, had been charged with second degree murder in connection with the death of his newborn daughter, born in Livingston County on April 11, 1990. He was arrested in October 2001 after a family visit with the Division of Family Services resulted in information concerning the child?s death. The infant daughter had been born prematurely and Pilcher was accused of not providing medical care and not allowing others to provide medical care to the child, whose mother, Lori Davis, lived with Pilcher in Chula. After the information came to light in 2001, Pilcher was interrogated and later led authorities to a farm east of Laredo on the Grundy County/Linn County line, where the child had been buried. Authorities recovered the remains of the child at that time.
At the time of the arrest, Livingston County Sheriff Steve Cox said the murder charge was filed because in Missouri, someone who commits a felony that results in the death of a person, can be charged with that person?s murder. Pilcher had been accused of endangering the welfare of a child, which is a class D felony.
Pilcher?s case was moved to Clinton County, where he was tried on April 14. The verdict was handed down on Monday.