‘What do I do after I beat my infant,’ dad asks the internet

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Photo Source: FBI

TACOMA, WA – Today Daniel Joseph Krempl pleaded guilty to murder in the second degree for the death of his 5-week-old infant twin daughter. He also pleaded guilty to assault in the second degree for injuries to his twin son.

Krempl, 30, was sentenced to 23 years in prison.

“This was a horrific violation of a parent’s duty to care for and protect their children,” said Prosecutor Mark Lindquist.

Before Krempl was sentenced the court heard from Deputy Prosecutor John Cummings, who handled the case, and two family members.

“K.K.’s passing has left a hole in my heart,” Ziquora Banks, the children’s aunt, said. “She is a sister her brother will never get to protect, a cousin my son will never meet, a granddaughter that never got the chance to grow up.”

On January 17, 2017, Tacoma police responded to Krempl’s home for a death investigation. Maya Howard, who was in a relationship with Krempl and who was the mother of the twins, was pronounced dead by the Tacoma Fire Department. It was later determined Howard died from a stomach infection.

The female twin, K.K., appeared lethargic and had flu-like symptoms thought to be similar to her mother’s. Both twins were transported to the hospital. When K.K. was evaluated in the emergency room her condition was determined to be possibly life threatening. K.K. wasn’t breathing on her own and required a breathing aid device.

One doctor told investigators that K.K. appeared to have had a stroke with damage to her brain. He added that the results from the CT scan were the worst he had ever seen. The infant also had a broken left shoulder, broken ribs, and a skull fracture. K.K. passed away two months after the incident.

Krempl’s phone was analyzed, and internet searches for “head injuries” of children, “people beating infant,” and “what do I do after I beat my infant,” were found on the phone. Police found no information indicating searches for medical information.

Doctors concluded the majority of K.K. injuries were the result of non-accidental trauma. The other twin, E.K., has recovered from the assault.

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