Trial Begins For Man Accused Of Beating 8-Week Old Son
Audra Dowler Expected To Testify Against Husband
POSTED: 9:48 am MST November 14,
2003
UPDATED: 8:54 pm MST November 14,
2003
DENVER -- Testimony begins Friday in the trial of a Boulder man accused of killing his infant son.
Tanner Dowler was just 8 weeks old when he died last October from brain injuries.
The baby had 14 broken bones and burns on both feet, according to medical reports. He had been shaken so hard that parts of his eyeballs had separated.His father, Joseph Dowler, is charged with first-degree murder and child abuse in connection with his death. Dowler's trial started Thursday in Boulder.During opening statements on Thursday, his attorney questioned whether Tanner's mother Audra Dowler, 18, might have caused some of his injuries. The prosecution told the jury that Joseph Dowler had already admitted his guilt to police.Audra Dowler is serving 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to endangering Tanner. Prosecutors said she failed to get help as her husband repeatedly brutalized their son for three weeks.She is expected to testify against her husband during the trial.District Attorney Mary Keenan has not said whether she will seek the death penalty against Joseph Dowler.
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Testimony Describes Joseph Dowler As Jekyll And Hyde|
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Previous Stories:
- March 11, 2003: Father Of Fatally Beaten Infant Pleads Not Guilty
- January 30, 2003: Report: Typo May Have Led To Child's Death
- January 30, 2003: Full Report On Tanner Dowler's Death By Department Of Human Services
- January 15, 2003: Doctors: Infant May Have Been Beaten For Weeks
- October 21, 2002: Beaten Baby Laid To Rest
- October 18, 2002:
Father Of Dead Baby Faces Murder Charge
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