A Manhattan man charged with first degree murder and child abuse appeared in the Riley County District Court via webcam from the county jail Tuesday afternoon.
Andrew Gibson, 25, appeared before Judge William Malcolm for a status hearing that was continued from May 24.
The court scheduled Gibson for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 9 at 2 p.m. The hearing is estimated to last one hour and will be in front of Judge Sheila Hochhauser.
On May 11 KMAN obtained more details on the case.
According to an affidavit of Gibson’s arrest warrant, three-month-old Serenity Reich was not breathing when police arrived at Gibson’s Stone Drive residence in Manhattan on May 5.
She was transported to Via Christi Medical Center where she was pronounced dead from her injuries.
An autopsy completed on May 7 revealed that small marks on the scalp – possibly caused by fingers, contusions to the eyelids, abrasions to both cheeks, the left side of the forehead, and a contusion to her nose were among injuries the infant suffered.
A medical examiner in Kansas City believes Reich could have died from asphyxiation, as a result of her head being forcibly pressed down upon.
