Former Charleroi Couple Faces Trial In Death Of Child

A preliminary hearing was held for a former Charleroi couple that has been charged in the October, 2023 death of their 14 month old child. All charges against Brooke Whitehead, 32 and Ryan Whitehead 32, have been held for court. Testimony from a pathologist identified blunt force trauma to the head, torso and extremities as the cause of death. The pathologist detailed multiple skull fractures that led to lacerations of the brain and multiple fractures of the legs and arms that occurred over a period of time. Some of those fractures were healed, others were re-fractures of previous injuries. Police testimony detailed two interviews held with Brooke Whitehead. In the first, she said she was the only adult caring for her children that night. In a subsequent interview, police said she provided four other scenarios of how the child received the injuries that ultimately claimed their life. Defense counsel for Ryan Whitehead asked that the felony charge of child endangerment he faces be dropped because he was out of town working when the incident occurred. The request was denied. Brooke Whitehead faces felony charges of homicide, aggravated assault and child endangerment. All of her charges were held for trial. Detectives found the couple living in the Bellefonte, PA area and had to have them extradited back to Washington County. Both are being held in the Washington County Jail without bond.