HAYDEN, Idaho — A man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted of a horrific case of child abuse.
According to the Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, 28-year-old William Joseph Baures was arrested after deputies were called to Kootenai Health on Christmas day 2024 for a baby with a broken leg.
Deputies launched an investigation into suspected child abuse, and said they discovered up to 25 fractures on a five-week-old infant.
They said the majority of the broken bones were leg and rib fractures.
Deputies said Baures told them many of the injuries happened while he was sleep-deprived and trying to get the infant to calm down.
They said he used a “SUIDI” (sudden unexplained infant death investigation) doll to demonstrate to detectives how the injuries occurred, at one point folding the doll in half. It’s important to note: the infant did not die as a result of the injuries, but the doll is used in both death investigations and in infant abuse investigations.
Investigators said the abuse included Baures squeezing and/or shaking the infant, tossing it onto a couch, pulling/jerking the infant by its legs, push on the infant’s shoulders, and/or trying to pop the infant’s back.
On June 30, 2025, District Judge Barry McHugh sentences Baures to 10 years in prison with the eligibility of parole after five years.
To report suspected child abuse or neglect in Washington, contact your local law enforcement agency or contact the Department of Children, Youth & Families at 1-800-557-9671.
To report in Idaho, contact the state Health & Welfare office at 855-552-5437.
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