By Dave Andrusko
Noah Benjamin Bliss, 22 and the recent father of twins, was arrested at WakeMed in Raleigh, North Carolina on charges of first-degree murder of Gunner Bliss, his three-week-old son. “He also faces charges of intentional child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury in the incident, which occurred on Oct. 6,” according to WRAL reporter Chelsea Donovan.
Mr. Bliss, who was arrested in Raleigh, appeared in court Tuesday, “where he was jailed with no bond. His next court date is scheduled for November.”
Savannah Bliss, the baby’s mother, told Donovan that Gunner was injured at WakeMed while in his father’s care.
“According to Savannah Bliss, her husband was watching Gunner and their older child, a 1-year-old, in a room at WakeMed while she was on another floor visiting Gunner’s twin sister in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at WakeMed.”
Gunner and his twin sister, Madelyn, were born prematurely at 34 weeks. “The babies had not yet gone home from the hospital,” Donovan wrote, when the attack occurred.
According to Savannah Bliss, nurses told her Gunner’s injuries indicate he was shaken by his father.
Medical staff told Savannah Bliss that Gunner had no external injuries or broken bones, but the infant suffered a brain bleed and swelling, and he was deprived of oxygen due to the head trauma he sustained. On Monday night, Gunner was taken off life support.
Noah Bliss appeared in court Tuesday, where he was jailed with no bond. His next court date is scheduled for November.
“I want justice for my son,” said Mrs. Bliss. “I trusted my husband to watch Gunner while I was taking care of his sister in the ICU. He was sweetest boy with most beautiful blue eyes … he was the best baby [and] for him to be taken so soon is so wrong.”