New revelations in Cardwell case
News 11's Crystal Jimenez has the latest from the courtroom
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Prosecutors showed jurors video of an interview with Jared Cardwell from the days following his stepdaughter's death as his trial moved through its third week.
Cardwell is accused of killing the 20-month old girl. He faces second-degree murder charges.
Celine Carreno died on May 18, 2015. The interview shown in court Thursday was from just four days later.
At that time, investigators had learned the child died from blunt force trauma to the head. However, how she got the injuries remained unclear.
News 11's Crystal Jimenez recaps the latest developments in the Cardwell trial:
During the taped interview with NCIS Investigator Lt. Jeff Rudy, Cardwell repeated the same story he'd previously told about Celine's last night. He insisted the only thing he did to the girl was spank her after she pooped on the living room floor.
The video also shows Cardwell admitting to leaving the child alone for about a half-hour while he picked up her mother from work. Agent Rudy then told him they had no evidence someone broke into the house and killed the toddler while he was gone.
Rudy also informed him, the autopsy showed Celine died while in his care. In fact, he told Cardwell, the post-mortem examination revealed the child, died before he left the house. The agent told him, that made him the prime suspect.
Rudy is also seen expressing frustration about the girl's mother on the videotape. He didn't understand why she didn't check on the child after learning she'd been left alone. Carreno didn't find her daughter's lifeless body until the following morning.
