FRANKLIN — A Franklin man with a history of domestic violence against his girlfriend now faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of their unborn son.

        Danny L. Scearce, 24, remained free on a recognizance bond Friday after he waived a preliminary hearing that would have disclosed evidence in the case.

Scearce

        Franklin Municipal Judge James Ruppert sent the case to a Warren County grand jury for consideration.

        Police began investigating the death Oct. 27 after Mr. Scearce's girlfriend, Sarah Smith, 21, arrived at the emergency room of Middletown Regional Hospital complaining that she was experiencing problems with her 27-week-old pregnancy.

        She told emergency room staff that she had not felt her baby move since earlier that morning following an accident, Detective Doug Hickey said.

        “They determined the baby didn't have a heartbeat. They induced labor and the baby was stillborn,” he said.

        Police were drawn into the case after an anonymous female caller reported that Mr. Scearce had assaulted Ms. Smith.

        “The female (caller) stated that the boyfriend hit the female, causing the baby's death, and she (Ms. Smith) had to be induced at the hospital to deliver the baby. The female caller stated that her friend reported to the hospital that she fell down the steps, but she knows otherwise,” according to Detective Hickey's police report.

        An autopsy by the Butler County Coroner's Office determined the fetus died when the placenta was torn away from the uterus as a result of trauma, Detective Hickey said.

        Mr. Scearce faces one to five years in prison if convicted of the involuntary manslaughter charge.

        Neither Ms. Smith, Mr. Scearce nor his lawyer, Richard West, could be reached for comment.

        Police reports indicate that the couple had a volatile relationship that landed one or both of them in court on domestic violence charges twice since January.

        Franklin police charged Mr. Scearce with misdemeanor domestic violence Jan. 13 after Ms. Smith, who weighs about 98 pounds, reported that he had smacked her in the forehead and picked her up and threw her during an argument at their apartment at Franklin Commons.

        Both were jailed June 9 on domestic violence and other misdemeanor charges after a 14-year-old neighbor reported an altercation.

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