May 31, 2007 By Josh Krysak 3 min read

A North Union Township man accused of assaulting a Lemont Furnace infant March 2 will have his day in Fayette County Court following a preliminary hearing Wednesday, but will await his court date out of jail. James Ray Morrison, 27, of 202 Woodview Terrace, was charged before Magisterial District Judge Wendy Dennis with aggravated assault, simple assault and endangering the welfare of a child in the alleged assault.

The infant, Seanna Shrock, was pronounced dead at 10:10 a.m., according to officials with the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner, two days after allegedly being assaulted by Morrison.

Fayette County Assistant District Attorney Jack Heneks Jr. and defense attorney Charles Gentile reached an agreement Wednesday that will allow Morrison to remain free on bond.

Morrison had been incarcerated at the Fayette County Prison on $100,000 straight cash bond.

According to Heneks, in return for the bond modification, Morrison waived all charges against him to court and also stipulated that the case against him remains open pending further investigation.

“We still do not have the autopsy report in this case, so no decision has been made to amend the charges to include homicide at this time,” Heneks said. “We agreed to a $100,000 unsecured bond while the investigation continues.”

State police and District Attorney Nancy D. Vernon have maintained that further charges including homicide could be filed pending the autopsy report by Allegheny County medical examiner Dr. Karl Williams. The autopsy was conducted March 5.

A doctor who examined the 3-month-old prior to her death at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh said the baby’s injuries were a result of an “extremely violent assault.”

According to trooper David Bell, police questioned Morrison after being notified by Fayette County Children and Youth Services that the baby was injured while being cared for by Morrison between 5:30 and 9 p.m. March 2.

Bell said Morrison was watching the infant, along with three other children, at his home.

Bell said Morrison told police that around 8:30 p.m. he fed Shrock her bottle and was later holding the infant when she allegedly vomited.

Bell said Morrison told police he then turned the baby over and she vomited again, during which time he noticed the infant was not breathing.

Bell said Morrison told investigators he then shook the baby “a little” and said, “Come on baby, please wake up, please wake up.”

Morrison told police that Shrock briefly opened her eyes but then closed them, Bell said. He then called Shrock’s mother, Marcia Ann Hawk of Lemont Furnace, who told him to call 911, police said.

Officials talked Morrison through cardiopulmonary resuscitation, which he reportedly performed on the infant, Bell said.

Hawk and Uniontown Firemen’s Ambulance officials arrived soon after, Bell said.

Shrock was initially taken to Uniontown Hospital before being transferred to Children’s Hospital.

Bell said Children’s Hospital physician Dr. Rachel Burger said, “There is absolutely no way that the victim’s injuries were caused by a little shake as the defendant stated,” and said the child had suffered an extremely violent assault.