MOUNT VERNON -- The Knox County coroner has determined a 1-month-old was killed by a dog in its home on Sept. 20.
The infant, Barrett Hagens, was attacked by one of the dogs found in the home while in its bassinet in the father's bedroom.
The infant suffered extensive blunt force injuries to the head resulting in his death. The autopsy revealed no trauma from any source other than the canine. The infant was healthy and well taken care of prior to his death.
The toxicology on the infant is pending and will likely take multiple weeks.
The investigation included an autopsy of the child and necropsy of the two dogs to evaluate the contents of the canine's stomach.
The dog involved appeared to be a light brown, male pitbull/pitbull mix.
The Knox County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of an infant killed by a dog in the 16000 block of Wooster Road a little after 6:30 a.m. Sept. 20.
The home is northeast of Mount Vernon, between Fredericktown and Danville.
According to 911 calls, only the father of the baby was home at the time. He said the baby appeared to be dead in the bassinet.
The Knox County Dog Warden's Office removed two dogs from the home and they were later destroyed.
Detectives spent nearly 12 hours on the scene the day of the incident.
