A court hearing for a Southwest City man accused of killing his 3-year-old daughter has been rescheduled or continued, according to electronic court documents filed on Case.Net.
Steven Scott, 27, of Southwest City is slated to be back in court on Feb. 17 for a pre-trial conference. Scott has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of his 3-year-old daughter, Heaven, on Jan. 12. He also faces charges of abuse of a child resulting in death and first-degree child endangerment. He pleaded not guilty to the charges during an arraignment earlier this month.
According to McDonald County Sheriff Robert Evenson, fire and emergency medical personnel were dispatched to a house on Comanche Street in Southwest City regarding a child who was unresponsive and not breathing.
Officers from the Southwest City Police Department and deputies with the McDonald County Sheriff’s Department were dispatched when it was learned that the injuries to the child were inflicted by an adult in the household.
Evenson said it is believed the child was struck several times and may have suffered a head injury that resulted in her death sometime during the daylight hours Jan. 12.
A probable cause affidavit signed by Evenson said Scott told officers he was punishing the girl for disobeying him, soiling her clothing and “regressing” with her potty training.
“Steven Scott stated that he was punishing Heaven by striking her with a plastic sauce spoon and that Heaven was moving around trying to avoid the strikes,” Evenson wrote. “Steven Scott stated that at least one time, Heaven was trying to avoid the strikes when he ‘spun’ her around, causing Heaven to fall and strike her head on either the floor or the wall of the house.”
