PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A grand jury voted Wednesday to file additional charges against a 20-year-old man accused of murdering a 2-year-old boy.
Zackariah Daugherty died August 16, one day after he was transferred to OHSU Doernbecher’s Children’s Hospital. The boy was taken to Portland Adventist Medical Center with traumatic injuries.
Homicide detectives were asked to help child abuse detectives with the case.
Taylor Lynn Kraig — the boyfriend of Zackariah’s mother — remains in custody at the Multnomah County Detention Center.
The grand jury heard from 17 witnesses, 6 of them by affadavit and another 11 in person. Those witnesses included doctors, Kraig’s father, and the child’s mother.
Court records show Kraig had indicated he wanted to testify before the grand jury, but he did not testify.
When prosecutors originally filed the case, they charged Kraig with one count of felony murder.
The grand jury indictment now charges Kraig with one count each of felony murder and murder by abuse, 3rd-degree assault and 1st-degree criminal mistreatment. He’ll will be arraigned Wednesday morning.
Kraig “knowingly and intentionally” committed 1st-degree assault upon Zackariah, the indictment states. Investigators believe the assault ultimately killed the boy.
The grand jury also determined that Kraig had “previously engaged in a pattern and practice of assault and torture” towards Daugherty.
The Oregon State Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy and determined Daugherty died of homicidal violence.
Police and prosecutors declined to comment on the specific allegations of abuse, citing the ongoing investigation.
Anyone with additional information on the case is asked to contact Detective Mark Slater at 503.823.9319 or Detective Erik Kammerer at 503.823.0762.
Filed under: Crime, Editor's Pick, Multnomah County, Portland
