NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Police arrested a man accused of murdering his 2-week-old daughter while he was at the hospital awaiting the birth of another child by his girlfriend.
Johnathon Lemons, 25, was charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child neglect and aggravated child abuse in the death of his daughter, Harmony Lemons.
Harmony died on January 6, 2020 at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt from a severe brain injury. The medical examiner determined the cause of death as blunt head trauma.
Harmony was with Lemons when she began showing symptoms of an injury, according to police. Lemons reportedly told a MNPD detective that he did not cause the injury and was certain there had been no accidents. But about a week later, Lemons asked to talk to detectives again and said he tripped and dropped Harmony onto a carpeted floor.
Lemons is presently on parole for an attempted first-degree murder conviction in Knox County.
West Precinct Community Field Intelligence Team (CFIT) detectives contacted his parole officer in an attempt to serve the new indictment on Wednesday and learned that he had moved to Macon County. Authorities ultimately found him at the Stanford, Kentucky hospital where officials say he was awaiting the birth by his girlfriend of another child. He was taken into custody as a fugitive from Tennessee.
