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By
Mackenzie Wright [former]
- January 28, 2022
Court
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Daily Stories
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Homicides
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Suspects
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Victims
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On Jan. 28, a 33-year old homicide defendant rejected a plea of 55 years before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn.
Paul Hardy is charged with first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree child abuse, second-degree child abuse, first and second-degree assault, and reckless endangerment in connection to an incident on Oct. 8, 2020.
On Friday, Judge Phinn listened as the prosecutor presented a plea of life suspending all but 55 years for first-degree murder.
Hardy and his defense attorney, Catherine Flynn, rejected the plea offer.
According to the Baltimore Sun, Hardy was babysitting Zariea Dixon on the 600 block of Mosher Street when the baby began throwing up and coughing and had stopped breathing. The baby was taken to the hospital where she remained on life support for 3 days before passing away.
The cause of death was later determined to be blunt force trauma to the head and neck and was ruled a homicide.
Hardy has been in custody since he was extradited from Georgia in July 2021.
Hardy’s trial is scheduled for Oct. 31.