UPDATE: Mother of dead toddler charged with murder

MORGAN COUNTY, Mo. – The mother of a child killed yesterday was charged with second-degree murder and two counts of child endangerment at 2:15 p.m., today. Jamie Miller Litton is being held in the Morgan County Jail on a $100,000 cash-only bond, Sheriff Jim Petty announced during a press conference held at 3 p.m., today.

According to the probable cause statement, Litton’s three-year-old child Blake Litton was alive when brought to her place of work by her boyfriend Thomas “T.J.” Joseph Presley. Presley was charged at 9:30 a.m., today, with second-degree murder, may face additional charges, and is also being held in the Morgan County Jail on a $100,000 cash-only bond.

Court documents indicate Presley allegedly told Litton he had beat the child into a paralyzed state.

In an interview, Litton described the child’s breathing as shallow, his pulse faint, and the child unresponsive to his name.

Presley allegedly informed Litton that he planned to lay the child in the road to fake a hit-and-run accident to get the child medical care and stay out of the jail.

Litton has been charged with murder in the second degree for failing to get the child immediate medical care and allowing the child to remain in Presley’s care after being informed of the abuse.

A more complete story about this incident will be published tonight at LakeExpo.com.

Lies uncovered, charges pending in case of dead toddler

Posted: Thursday, February 16, 2012 6:03 pm

By Ra’Vae Edwards/LakeExpo.com

MORGAN COUNTY, Mo. -- A local man is behind bars facing murder charges in the alleged beating death of a three-year-old toddler.

The mother has also been arrested for child endangerment and may face additional charges as the investigation into the toddler’s death continues.

Inconsistencies in the story told police early Thursday morning about an alleged hit-and-run accident on Highway 135 led Morgan County authorities to pursue second-degree murder charges against Thomas “T.J.” Joseph Presley, 21.

Authorities said Presley reported the alleged accident at about 5:10 a.m. Thursday stating the toddler, Blake Litton, had been struck by a car on Highway 135, near his home on 105 Park Lane in Stover.

Litton was transported by ambulance to Bothwell Hospital in Sedalia where he was pronounced dead at 6:30 a.m.

Inconsistencies at the scene, along with Presley’s statements about the alleged accident and the violent trauma to Litton’s head and torso, led law enforcement to further question Presley.

Morgan County Sheriff Jim Petty said investigators became suspicious when they discovered there were no skid marks in the road where the toddler was allegedly struck and the injuries were not consistent a hit-and-run accident.

Petty said investigators later learned that Presley had taken Litton and a two-year-old toddler with him to Wal-Mart at about 2 a.m. Thursday morning to purchase food, which he then took to the mother of the children at her workplace in Stover.

“The little boy misbehaved and messed his pants and he (Presley) lost it, I guess,” Petty said.

Sometime between the hours of 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., Petty said Presley returned to Golden Age Nursing Home in Stover, where Jamie Miller Litton, the mother of the two children worked. Petty said it was during that visit that the couple “hatched the scheme” to keep Presley from going to jail.

Petty said Jamie Miller Litton was taken into custody late Thursday.

“She knew some of the plan,” he said. “I know that the prosecutor will be charging her with child endangerment on the little girl but at this time they are trying to determine what additional charges will be filed.”

Petty said the little girl did suffer some bruising and has been taken into protective custody.

Presley allegedly made some statements to law enforcement officers but Petty said the official probable cause statement will not be filed until charges are official. He estimates that will be sometime Friday morning on both Presley and Jamie Miller Litton.

According to the Missouri Highway Patrol arrest records, Presley was taken into custody at 1 p.m. Thursday.

Multiple agencies are assisting in the investigation.

Presley is being held in the Morgan County Jail, without bond, pending formal charges of second-degree murder.

Jamie Miller Litton is also being held on a 24-hour investigative hold in the Morgan County Jail pending formal charges of child endangerment.

“At the very least this involves a cover up that resulted in the death of a toddler that never should have happened,” Petty said.

“I have a three-year-old grandson. This has been a really hard day,” the sheriff said.