Indianola Woman Charged With First-Degree Murder For Death Of Infant

(Indianola, IA) — Indianola Police are charging a babysitter with first-degree murder for the death of an infant. Melissa Hancock turned herself in yesterday morning after a four-month-old child was airlifted to a Des Moines hospital last October and died from severe injuries. Medical officials found a pattern of abuse after discovering the boy suffered a traumatic skull fracture, spinal trauma consistent with blunt force trauma, and other injuries. The incident happened at the 51-year-old woman’s in-home daycare. Hancock is being held on a one-million-dollar bond at Warren County Jail.