Overview
- The indictment, filed July 30, 2026, upgraded an earlier second‑degree murder charge to first‑degree premeditated felony murder after a roughly two‑year investigation.
- Medical examiners determined the six‑month‑old died of blunt‑force head trauma consistent with shaken‑baby syndrome, findings that form a central part of the prosecution's case.
- Detectives recovered video from Westervelt's phone showing him directing a running leaf blower at the infant when the child was about two months old.
- Prosecutors say jailhouse interviews in April produced repeated, self‑contradictory statements from James Westervelt that, together with the video and medical evidence, supported the claim of premeditation.
- Westervelt is held without bond at the Marion County Jail, additional charges are reported as pending, and a mandatory pretrial hearing is set for September 2026 where a trial date is expected to be set.