Fayetteville Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Murder of Infant Daughter
A Fayetteville man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the murder of his four-week-old daughter in 2021. Charles Dugan pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and second-degree battery in connection with the infant’s death.
The incident occurred on August 29, 2021, when police and emergency responders were called to an apartment complex on E. Kantz Drive. The infant was found unresponsive and eventually declared dead at Arkansas Children’s Hospital-Northwest. An autopsy revealed that the cause of death was blunt force trauma and posterior rib fractures.
Dugan initially reported that he had placed the baby in her crib with a bottle, but later confessed to falling asleep with the infant on his chest. He claimed that she may have fallen to the floor, but he did not mention this detail during his initial interview.
The investigation found discrepancies in Dugan’s narrative. His wife mentioned that he had a history of sleepwalking episodes, which may have contributed to the incident. Despite the confusion, Dugan was arrested on December 16, 2021, for unrelated charges and subsequently charged with the murder of his daughter.
This guilty plea and sentence bring closure to a tragic event that shocked the community. The 15-year prison sentence, along with a 15-year suspended sentence, reflects the gravity of the crime.
