Suspect pleads not guilty to assault on baby

A Kalispell man accused of severely beating of his 5-month-old daughter has pleaded not guilty. 

Brandan James Ryan Thorne is charged with two felonies: assault on a minor and tampering with witnesses and informants. A jury trial is scheduled for Jan. 5, 2015. 

Court documents state that on April 13, the Kalispell Police Department received a call from a woman saying that she heard what she believed to be her neighbor beating up a baby. A later call said that a baby had stopped breathing. 

Officers found Thorne holding his infant daughter. The baby was limp in his arms and was taken by ambulance to Kalispell Regional Medical Center. 

The neighbor told police that she heard the baby crying and Thorne yell “Shut up,” then heard banging against the wall between the residences. 

Thorne told officers that he was holding the baby and tripped and fell. When asked about the yelling, Thorne said he was on the phone with his friend Tyler. 

Officers contacted Thorne’s friend, Tyler Huston, who told them he hadn’t had a phone conversation with Thorne that day. Huston said he had received several text messages from Thorne indicating that he wanted Huston to cover for him. Huston said he had erased the text messages. 

Searches of Thorne’s and Huston’s cellphones turned up text messages that include multiple requests from Thorne asking Huston to tell officers the same story he did. Thorne also texted: “Please delete call logs and texts.” 

A couple of weeks after the incident, Thorne admitted to police he was “upset” with the baby because she wouldn’t take a bottle and admitted yelling at her. Thorne said he couldn’t recall what happened next because he blacked out. He said when he “came to,” he realized his daughter was hurt. 

The baby was in critical condition and was flown to Spokane. The child had retinal hemorrhages in both eyes. The infant’s condition deteriorated while in the hospital and she began suffering from seizures and subsequently underwent surgery to drain blood clots on her brain. She will likely require more surgery. 

Medical personnel in Spokane stated that Thorne’s daughter’s injuries are consistent with child abuse, particularly being violently shaken. She will likely require more surgery.