Alabama foster parents convicted of aggravated child abuse; victim had fractured skull, other broken bones
Published 8:51 pm Thursday, October 5, 2023
An Alabama couple was convicted of aggravated child abuse of a toddler foster child who was in their custody.
John and April McDowell were convicted by a jury Thursday. They face from 10 years to life in prison. Their sentencing will be in December.
The victim suffered a fractured skull and several other broken bones, investigators said.
The trial was two weeks in length.
The investigation began in April 2020 when April McDowell called 911 as the child was going in and out of consciousness. Medical experts at the hospital alert law enforcement because the injuries the 18-month-old suffered were not consistent with the McDowells’ story.