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Amy Hunter Affidavit
Amy Hunter Affidavit
Amy Hunter Affidavit
v.
AMY HUNTER,
Defendant.
("NCIS") for nine years. I am currently assigned to the NCIS Resident Agency aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. I have conducted numerous investigations relating to violent crime, including but not limited to investigations involving aggravated assault, domestic
violence, sexual abuse, child sexual abuse and murder.
2.
HUNTER, charging her with Murder in the Second Degree, in violation of Title 18, United
States Code, Section 1111. The facts and information contained in this affidavit are based upon
3.
This affidavit contains information necessary to support probable cause for this
application. This affidavit is not intended to include each and every fact and matter observed by
me or known by the government.
Probable Cause
4.
The defendant AMY HUNTER is a United States citizen, who resides aboard
Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia with her U.S. Marine Corps Member spouse, and her
dependent child. 5. On or about April 26,2011, in the Eastern District of Virginia, aboard Marine
Corps Base in Quantico, within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United
States, the defendant AMY HUNTER assaulted and shook a child in her care, causing the child
serious bodily injury which resulted in the child's death. 6. Specifically, on or about the morning of April 26, 2011, beginning at
approximately 8:15 am, nine-month old child (hereinafter "C.P.") was in the care of her regular,
unlicensed, at-home child care provider, the defendant AMY HUNTER, at HUNTER's residence
on the Quantico Marine Base. HUNTER's spouse was not at home that morning, and HUNTER
was alone in the house with her ten-month old daughter and C.P.
7.
At approximately 9:23 a.m. that morning, HUNTER placed a 911 call, and
reported that C.P. had "hit the back of her head really hard" and lost consciousness. HUNTER
further explained that C.P. had "smacked her head on the staircase." Shortly after the 911 call,
8.
During the interview, HUNTER stated, in sum and substance, that earlier that morning, after she put her 10-month old daughter down for a nap, she gave C.P. a bottle. HUNTER stated that she
stopped feeding C.P. to get up to use the bathroom. HUNTER stated that when she returned from the bathroom, she observed C.P. holding onto a chair in a standing position. HUNTER explained that when she called C.P. by name, C.P. turned toward HUNTER and fell backwards,
striking the back of her head on the lower chair rail. HUNTER stated that she observed that C.P. was unconscious, and she picked up C.P. and carried her into another room, where she laid C.P.
on the floor. When HUNTER could not awaken C.P., she called C.P.'s mother, who told her to
call 911.
9.
Doctors at Fairfax INOVA Hospital determined that C.P. suffered from skull
fractures, soft tissue swelling overlying the skull fractures, subdural hematoma and severe
bilateral retinal hemorrhages. Physicians also noted that C.P. had a healing rib fracture in her
left eighth rib, which was likely a few weeks old. Dr. William Hauda II, Medical Director,
Forensic Assessment and Consultation Teams Department, INOVA Fairfax Hospital, found that
C.P.'s head injury was severe, and that her head had both contact and non-contact injuries. Dr.
Hauda found that C.P.'s skull fractures "could only be explained by impact on the back of her
head." However, the location of C.P.'s brain hemorrhages were consistent with "non-contact
inertial trauma during violent repetitive rotational head trauma." 10. On or about the evening of April 27,2011, your affiant conducted a second
interview of HUNTER. During this interview, HUNTER admitted that on the morning of April
26,2011, she repeatedly shook C.P., causing C.P.'s head to strike the wall. She related that after
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C.P.'s head hit the wall, C.P. appeared to lose consciousness. HUNTER stated that after the baby lost consciousness, she first called C.P.'s mother, and then called 911. HUNTER further
admitted that she had shaken C.P. in a similar fashion approximately three weeks prior to April
26th.
11.
between January 2011 and April 27,2011, an individual with access to the computer had
conducted several internet searches related to "shaken baby syndrome" and "baby hits back of
head." The first of these internet searches was performed on or about January 6,2011. Two of these internet searches occurred on the morning of April 26,2011, at approximately 9:01 a.m.
and 9:02 a.m.
12.
On or about April 28,2011, C.P. was pronounced brain dead, and was removed
from life support. An autopsy later revealed that C.P. had multiple injuries, including skull fractures, a subdural hematoma, retinal hemorrhaging and a healing rib fracture. The medical
examiner who performed the autopsy found the cause of death to be craniocerebral and spinal
cord injuries, and the manner of death to be homicide. 13. Based on the information provided in this affidavit, there is probable cause to
believe that on or about April 26,2011, in the Eastern District of Virginia, aboard Marine Corps
Base in Quantico, within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, the
defendant AMY HUNTER committed murder in the second degree, in violation of Title 18,
United States Code, Section 1111.
FURTHER YOUR AFFIANT SAITH NOT.
Andrea David