The death of a baby who was decapitated during birth was ruled a homicide Tuesday. The Clayton County Medical Examiner’s Office in Georgia said the child died as a result of “fracture dislocation with complete transection (to the) upper cervical spine and spinal cord” which was caused by the “actions of another person.” His 20-year-old mother, Jessica Ross, suffered complications as she was giving birth at the Southern Regional Medical Center in July. A lawsuit filed on her behalf alleges that the baby’s shoulders became stuck in the birth canal and that a c-section was performed too late, with a doctor then applying “excessive tension” on the baby’s head, causing the decapitation. The suit also claims the doctor didn’t tell the parents what had happened, and it wasn’t until they were contacted by the funeral home that they found out the truth. It’s not yet clear if any charges will be filed in light of the medical examiner’s homicide ruling.
