Father charged with murder in death of Clayton County toddler

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By Angel K. Brooks

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Charges have been upgraded to murder for the father of a 13-month-old Clayton County boy who was taken off life support Monday after suffering severe injuries.

Clayton County Sheriff's Office, Clayton County Sheriff's Office Ryan Edwards, 34, is charged with child cruelty and aggravated battery.

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Channel 2 Action News, Channel 2 Action News Mikkah Brown died Monday.

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Ryan Edwards, 34, remained in the Clayton County Jail without bond Thursday, charged with murder, child cruelty and aggravated battery.

Mikkah Brown was found unresponsive by his mother, Toni Brown, when she returned home from work Friday. The toddler had been left in his father's care, Channel 2 Action News said.

Toni Brown said she took Mikkah to an urgent care facility near their Morrow home, and he was transferred to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston.

"He had suffered a severe brain injury, fractured skull and severe brain damage," she told Channel 2.

Monday, she made the difficult decision to have life support removed, the report said.

"Mikkah was very loving, very happy, very sweet," she said.

Brown told Channel 2 that she had never had this kind of trouble with Edwards.

"Children are innocent, and people should pay for hurting the innocent," she said.

Staff writer Mike Morris contributed to this article.