MILFORD, Ohio — A Clermont County man is due back in court Monday after being indicted on murder and multiple additional charges in connection with the death of his four-month-old daughter.
Marcellaus Malone, 30, was indicted by a grand jury on one count of murder, one count of involuntary manslaughter, one count of domestic violence and seven counts of endangering children, according to the Clermont County Prosecutor’s Office.
The charges relate to the December 2025 death of the infant, after police were called to an apartment in Milford for reports of an unresponsive baby.
First responders attempted lifesaving measures before the child was transported to hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Prosecutors say the investigation uncovered what they describe as an escalating pattern of abuse in the weeks leading up to the infant’s death.
According to officials, investigators identified video evidence in which Malone allegedly made threats toward the child, including statements that she would become a “dead baby” and that he would harm her if she cried.
Authorities further allege the infant was repeatedly swaddled in a manner that restricted her breathing, including covering her head, and would sometimes lose consciousness as a result.
On at least one occasion, Malone is accused of striking the child, causing visible injury.
The night of the infant’s death, prosecutors say she had been unsettled before being placed in a bassinet in another room. Malone was the last person reported to have seen the child alive.
An autopsy found no alternative medical cause of death, but documented a reported history of obstruction of the nose and mouth linked to swaddling as a contributing factor.
Clermont County Prosecutor Mark Tekulve described the case as “unthinkable,” adding: “Children are our most precious gifts. It is unthinkable that this innocent child could have been treated in such a callous and evil manner.”
Malone was previously taken into custody on related charges and remains in jail. If convicted on all counts, he faces the possibility of life in prison.
He is scheduled to appear in court again on Monday, April 27.
