Jefferson City father Noah Humphus, accused of fracturing 4-month-old daughter’s bones to toughen her, allegedly swung baby upside down

A 23-year-old Missouri father was arrested after his 4-month-old daughter was hospitalized with multiple broken bones from alleged physical abuse, authorities said.

Noah Humphus, 23, lives in Jefferson City, Missouri.

The 4-month-old baby girl was hospitalized after being subjected to repeated physical abuse by the person responsible for caring for her, authorities said.

Doctors examining the infant discovered multiple fractured ribs, a fractured femur and a possible fracture of the tibia, court documents state.

Investigators say some of the baby’s fractured ribs were already healing, indicating that not all of the injuries had occurred at the same time.

The fact that some fractures were reportedly already healing may help medical professionals estimate when particular injuries occurred, court records state. But the finding does not by itself establish precisely who caused each injury or when, authorities noted.

The infant remained hospitalized and was undergoing additional medical testing when the probable cause statement was filed, police said.

Because those examinations were still underway, authorities indicated that additional injuries could potentially be discovered.

Humphus routinely stayed home with their daughter while she worked, the child’s mother told investigators.

The mother alleged that she had personally witnessed Humphus shake the infant when she became hungry or cried, police said. According to her account, this allegedly happened approximately twice a day.

When questioned about why Humphus would allegedly treat a 4-month-old baby that way, the mother described an explanation that became central to the case, records state.

Humphus allegedly said shaking his daughter would “toughen” her, the child’s mother told police.

The father also reportedly expressed the belief that being rougher with children was normal, according to her account.

Investigators then interviewed Humphus himself, police said.

Humphus admitted shaking his daughter more than 10 times but fewer than 20 times, according to police.

Authorities allege his description of how he handled the infant went beyond shaking.

Police say investigators provided Humphus with a doll and asked him to demonstrate some of his interactions with his daughter.

Humphus allegedly demonstrated how he would pull on the baby’s legs and swing her upside down by them, according to police.

The father has been charged with first-degree domestic assault and abuse or neglect of a child, court documents show.

Humphus has been charged and not convicted, court records show. The allegations against the defendant must still be proven in court.

The defendant remains incarcerated without bond, according to court records.