Murder, manslaughter charges filed against Mankato father

New charges have been filed against a Mankato father accused of assaulting his baby, who died earlier this month.

Kristopher Dale Arlando Henderson, 39, was charged last week in Blue Earth County Court with 2nd-degree murder without intent and 1st-degree manslaughter in the death of the 2-month-old girl.

Henderson was charged with 1st-degree assault in October before the child died.  He still faces that charge, as well as three counts of felony malicious punishment of a child.

Court documents say the baby was taken to a Mankato hospital in late September by her mother, who returned home from work to find the child’s eyes bulging after having been in Henderson’s care.  A criminal complaint says the 2-month-old girl suffered brain hemorrhaging, rib fractures, and broken leg bones.  She was transported to a hospital in Rochester, where she died on November 3.

The complaint says Henderson admitted that he had struck the child for about five minutes on her back, hard enough to break her ribs.

Mankato police say it will be about two to three months before a final autopsy is completed.