May 18, 2013
Jacksonville police have identified the Marine who they say shot himself yesterday as they were about to question him in his baby's death.
Police say 22-year-old Corporal Rodney Burton was stationed at Camp Lejeune.
They say Burton shot himself in his truck which was parked in the driveway of a home in Trent Woods. Police would not say why they believe Burton went to Craven County on Wednesday.
Police say Burton, the baby's father, was a person of interest in the child's death.
Police say the baby boy's airway was blocked by an object and he died later at Onslow Memorial Hospital. The boy's death is a homicide investigation, but police say they have no other suspects.
They say Burton was interviewed Tuesday, but never arrested.
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Police say the father of a baby who was found not breathing at a home in Jacksonville yesterday took his own life today in Trent Woods.
Jacksonville police say the 11-month old died at Onslow Memorial Hospital after they got a call shortly before 3:00 p.m. to the home on Banks Street.
The child's father, who police say was a person of interest in the case, was found dead this afternoon in a pickup truck outside a home on Camelia Road in Trent Woods. The Craven County SWAT team was called to the house for assistance.
Trent Woods police would only say the man was a U.S. Marine, but they have not yet released his name.
Jacksonville police say they will hold a news conference this morning at 10:00 a.m. to release more information on this case.
