Medical Examiner Changes Opinion In Case In Which Teen Lost Baby After Beating By Boyfriend

  • Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Hamilton County Medical Examiner Dr. James Metcalfe testified Tuesday that he had changed his findings in the death of a teen's foetus after she said she was beaten by her boyfriend.

Dr. Metcalfe first listed the death of "Promise Jones" as a homicide due to blunt force injury. 

He said he later determined that it could have been as the result of another cause - placental massive fibrin deposition, saying there were indications of that.

Justin Dewayne Armour, 23, is charged with criminal homicide in the death of the fetus that was stillborn after the 15-year-old girl was taken to a hospital following a weekend with Armour. She said she was kicked, punched and dragged while he kept her in a vacant house on Rubio Street.

The girl said Armour was upset when she told him she was pregnant, and told her, "This baby ain't going to live after today."

She said she and Armour had been romantically involved since 2013.

She said she found out in February that she was pregnant. She said she was told by her doctor to quit using marijuana daily, and she did.

The girl said got a friend to take her to Armour's sister's house on the night of May 9. She said she had just learned that the baby was a  girl. She was told by the doctor on May 5 that the pregnancy was going well.

She said Armour beat her for about 30 minutes outside the sister's house, then sneaked her inside.

She said he later took her to a vacant house three doors down, and she said at one point they had sex. But she said the beatings continued.

She said during the attacks she would try to cover her stomach to protect the baby.

She said on the 12th she and Armour went to the sister's house. She said Armour's mother was there, and her mother arrived. She said they talked about 30 minutes before her mother took her to the hospital because she was having pain.

Detective Andrew Peker said he noticed slight spots on the walls of the room where the girl said she was kept. He said a substance was used that detects blood stains and it shone brightly - indicating blood.

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