A search warrant obtained by KPRC 2 is revealing new details in case of a former Lone Star College-Tomball official charged with the murder of his infant son.
Emmitt Eugene Carter, 38, who served as the Assistant Dean of Student Success at Lone Star College-Tomball, is accused of the death of his six-month-old son.
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The child was brought to Texas Children’s Hospital in The Woodlands on July 8, 2023. The same day, he was transferred to the Texas Children’s Hospital in the Texas Medical Center with signs of bodily trauma, including fractures, hemorrhages and bruises.
The search warrant documents included a report written from a statement from the physician who treated the child. The physician reported that the infant had severe brain bleeding and swelling, as well as rib fractures on both sides. They also noted that these injuries were not a natural medical emergency and were instead caused by “a violent acceleration and deceleration of force.”
The documents also included a report from a medical examiner with the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences (HCIFS) who conducted the autopsy on the child. The autopsy found subdural hemorrhaging throughout the brain, but no skull fractures on the head or face, which would signal trauma to the head. Almost all of the child’s ribs also had signs of being broken and were in different stages of healing.
The child was pronounced dead on July 11, three-and-a-half days after arriving at the hospital.
In an interview with investigators, Carter provided his timeline of the events on the day of the hospital visit.
Carter was home with the baby alone, because his wife was out of town on a planned trip. He reported that he woke up to change and feed the baby at around 2:30 a.m. on July 8 and went back to sleep after around 30 minutes. He said he next awoke around 6:30 a.m. to the sound of the child making “choking noises.” He said he placed his son stomach-down and patted his back, calling it “percussions.” He said he patted the child four to five times over the course of under five minutes. He said the infant stopped making noise and did not open his eyes.
Carter then called the nurse health line and followed their instructions, before being told to call 911. He said he was not aware of the injuries to the child until he was at the hospital.
The warrant also revealed that Carter the child’s material uncle a video recorded on his iPhone from the morning of July 8. The uncle said that the video was timestamped to 6:50 a.m., and only showed the baby’s bassinet. He said Carter and the child could be heard in the audio, and the uncle asked Carter what was happening.
Carter demonstrated by hitting his own chest with his open hand. He said he had his child on his lap and was patting his back. The uncle was concerned about the amount of force Carter was using and asked him if he hit his son the same way, to which he said, “Yes.”
Carter also told the relative that his son made a “bobble-head” motion, before going unresponsive.
The uncle also observed that the child was making “crying noises” rather than “choking noises,” as Carter had claimed. Carter replied that the video didn’t tell the whole story.
Carter faces a first-degree felony charge with a potential sentence of 5 to 99 years or life in prison. The judge set his bond at $300,000.
Carter has worked in education for over 18 years and has been with Lone Star College for 10 years. He currently oversees various student support and mentoring programs at the college. He is being held on a $600,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court today.
KPRC 2 contacted Lone Star College who said that Carter is no longer an employee of the college.