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Child abuse charge dismissed because of loss of contact with mother

Joplin Globe - 12/15/2018

Dec. 15--The Jasper County prosecutor's office Thursday dismissed a child abuse charge that a Joplin man was facing because of loss of contact with his wife, a witness to the alleged incident involving their 2-year-old son.

Patrick M. King, 26, was scheduled for a preliminary hearing on the charge in Jasper County Circuit Court, but the hearing had to be scuttled and the charge dismissed without the testimony of Taylor King.

A probable-cause affidavit states that Joplin police were contacted Oct. 26 regarding alleged abuse of the couple's 2-year-old boy. Taylor King told an officer that she heard her husband spanking her son and the boy was crying and screaming but suddenly went silent.

The affidavit states that she told police that she went up some stairs to see what was happening and saw her husband in their bedroom with their son's head in a choke hold between his forearm and bicep. The boy appeared unable to breathe and was turning dark red in the face and drooling, she told police, according to the affidavit.

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(c)2018 The Joplin Globe (Joplin, Mo.)

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