Man Faces Murder Charge In Death Of Infant At Milford Hotel: Report

Crime & Safety

Man Faces Murder Charge In Death Of Infant At Milford Hotel: Report A man previously arrested in connection to the death of his infant daughter is facing new charges.

MILFORD, CT — A Bridgeport man will face a murder charge after his infant daughter was found dead in a Milford motel bathtub in August, according to News 12 Connecticut .

Dale Kirkland, 31, was charged Tuesday with murder with special circumstances because of the victim's age, as well as murder and risk of injury to a child.

He was initially arrested in August after cleaning staff at the Mayflower Motel on Woodmont Road found his 3-month-old daughter unresponsive in his room's bathtub, according to police.

Officers performed CPR on the infant until paramedics arrived and took over life-saving measures. The infant was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital and later declared dead.

At the time, Kirkland was charged with risk of injury to a minor and cruelty to persons. He was held on $1 million bond.

The Office of the Medical Examiner then determined the infant's cause of death, completing a final report on the death this month. This led to the upgraded charges against Kirkland, according to News 12 Connecticut .

A police investigation found that Kirkland had been renting a room at the hotel. Police believe Kirkland arrived at the motel with the infant on a Tuesday evening and checked out the next morning, leaving the infant behind.