Luca Hudson (left) and Annthoni Bliss
A man charged with murder in the death of a toddler last year in Keene, New Hampshire, faced a judge Wednesday and newly unsealed court documents reveal new details about the case against him.
Annthoni Bliss, 22, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 23-month-old Luca Hudson, who died in January 2024.
WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE
 |
Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. |
Keene police responded on Jan. 14, 2024, to an apartment, where the young boy was reported to be in medical distress. He was found unconscious and not breathing, investigators said.
Luca was brought to a hospital, where he remained until his death on Jan. 17.
Get updates on what's happening in Boston to your inbox. Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter.
According to court documents, Bliss was dating the boy's mother at the time and often stayed over at the home. He first fell under suspicion when investigators learned that Bliss had been alone with Luca and his older brother for around an hour while their mother went grocery shopping on the Saturday night before first responders were called to the home.
In that time frame, court documents state, a neighbor heard a child crying in the apartment. That neighbor was familiar with the family and believed the child he'd heard crying was Luca.
Early Sunday morning, Luca vomited in his crib and was complaining of head pain. Bliss told police that Luca's head felt "soft" and "squishy" to him, and though he did not mention anything to the child's mother, investigators discovered he made internet searches for "2 year old head squishy" and "2 year old hit head now swollen head squishy."
Later Sunday morning Bliss found Luca struggling to breathe in his crib and called 911. When first responders arrived, Luca was unconscious and not breathing. He was taken to the hospital, where a CT scan found a head injury. Luca never regained consciousness and died several days later.
An autopsy determined the child died by homicide from blunt force trauma to the head, according to New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella. Investigators believe Luca was injured in the timeframe he was left alone with Bliss at the apartment.
Bliss is accused of causing Luca's death "recklessly under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to the value of human life, by subjecting Luca to abusive violence and not obtaining timely medical assistance for his injuries," Formella's office wrote in a press release.
Bliss appeared virtually in 8th Circuit Court in Keene for arraignment on Wednesday. He did not enter a plea.
A probable cause hearing was set for April 3.
