An Ohio father has been charged with multiple serious offences after prosecutors alleged he suffocated his four-month-old daughter by forcefully holding a pacifier over her mouth and nose because he “wanted to go back to sleep”.
Chance Topp, 29, was indicted on 13 charges linked to the October 2023 death of his infant daughter, identified in court documents only as R.T.
The charges include aggravated murder, murder, involuntary manslaughter, child endangerment, strangulation, reckless homicide, domestic violence and falsification.
According to prosecutors, emergency responders were called to a home in Utica on October 13, 2023, after reports of an unresponsive infant.
Police officers and deputies arriving at the scene allegedly found the baby motionless inside the house.
Court documents stated that family members present at the scene were visibly distressed and allegedly shouted at Topp, asking: “What did you do?”
Investigators said Topp initially claimed he had fallen asleep after placing the infant in her crib and later woke to find her gasping for air.
He allegedly told authorities he attempted CPR but did not personally call emergency services.
According to the prosecution filing, the infant’s grandmother told investigators she had heard the baby screaming unusually loudly hours before her death, describing it as “the most awful cry she ever heard”.
She also reportedly claimed Topp refused offers of help caring for the child.
The filing further alleged the grandmother described Topp as someone who frequently stayed up late playing video games, drinking alcohol and using drugs.
Medical personnel who examined the infant reportedly noticed bruising along the jawline and markings on the neck consistent with possible strangulation injuries.
An autopsy later concluded the infant died from asphyxia.
Prosecutors alleged the baby suffered severe brain swelling and petechiae — small blood spots commonly associated with strangulation or suffocation.
Authorities also claimed the infant tested positive for Delta-8-THC exposure.
During a later interview with investigators in 2025, Topp allegedly admitted he had smoked Delta-8-THC in the same room as the infant and may have held the child “too tight”.
Court filings stated Topp later confessed to forcefully pressing a pacifier against the infant’s mouth and nose while attempting to stop her from crying and fall asleep.
Investigators alleged he became frustrated because the child was “fussy and crying” and he wanted to return to sleep.
According to prosecutors, Topp allegedly admitted during questioning that he held the pacifier “too hard and too long”, causing bruising to the infant’s jaw.
A pathology expert involved in the case reportedly concluded the child’s death was consistent with a deliberate homicide.
Court records also alleged Topp later admitted during a recorded jail phone call on Christmas Day that statements he gave investigators in 2025 were truthful and that he had lied during the initial investigation.
The case followed a 20-month investigation involving forensic analysis, interviews and search warrants conducted by the Licking County Sheriff’s Office.
Topp has pleaded not guilty to the charges and remains in custody after his bond was reduced from US$2 million (approximately RM9.4 million) to US$200,000 (approximately RM940,000).
His trial is scheduled to begin in July.
