UPDATED 6:22 P.M.
PEKIN, Ill. – A Pekin man accused of killing his infant daughter will remain behind bars.
As required by the state’s new Pretrial Fairness Act, a Tazewell County judge Tuesday ruled Hunter Waters, now 20, must remain in the Tazewell County Jail because of the nature and circumstances surrounding the death of Addison Waters, 2 months.
Waters is charged with multiple counts of First Degree Murder and Aggravated Battery Causing Great Bodily Harm to a Child.
Prosecutors presented evidence that an autopsy on Addison Waters on December 1st took eight hours to complete, as well as photos from the autopsy. Some of those injuries included 12 broken ribs, kidney damage, lacerations to the liver, pools of blood in the cranial area and spinal column, and a skull fracture that exposed portions of her brain.
Hunter allegedly lied to investigators at first about how the infant was injured, but later confessed to handling her roughly, according to a probable cause affidavit, including having “struck her head against his bedroom door.”
Defense attorneys had wanted Hunter released to the custody of his mother, her significant other, his father, and his grandmother in the mother’s home with electronic monitoring. But prosecutors argued that it would be the same home of the alleged scene of the crime, with the same people that were allegedly in the home at the time of the incident.
Prosecutors also argued that Hunter had a history of being unable to control his temper, including an incident with Pekin Park District Police after allegedly flashing an airsoft rifle at someone on park property.
A history of manipulation by Hunter was also brought up by prosecutors, including how he met the mother of Addison Waters. Hunter reportedly met the mother while he was to be a mentor to her in the Pekin Best Buddies program, which assists kids and adults with special needs. Prosecutors also brought up an order of protection from 2021 that alleges Hunter attempted to manipulate a minor to have sex with him.
Defense lawyers have 14 days to appeal the decision. An arraignment is scheduled for December 21 at 2:00 p.m.
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PEKIN, Ill. – A Pekin man accused of killing his infant daughter will remain behind bars.
As required by the state’s new Pretrial Fairness Act, a Tazewell County judge Tuesday ruled Hunter Waters, now 20, must remain in the Tazewell County Jail because of the nature and circumstances surrounding the death of Addison Waters, 2 months.
Waters is charged with multiple counts of First Degree Murder and Aggravated Battery Causing Great Bodily Harm to a Child.
Addison Waters allegedly had a number of hemorrhages, a lacerated liver, multiple broken ribs, and a fractured skull, all allegedly at the hands of Hunter Waters when she was taken to a Peoria hospital November 26.
Hunter allegedly also lied to investigators at first about how the infant was injured, but later confessed to handling her roughly, according to a probable cause affidavit, including having “struck her head against his bedroom door.”
Defense attorneys had wanted Hunter released to the custody of his parents in their home with electronic monitoring , but prosecutors argued that would be the same home that was the scene of the crime.
Attorneys also claimed Waters was unable to control his temper, a history of injuries to his daughter, and manipulation, allegedly including the mother of the child.
An arraignment hearing is scheduled for December 21 at 2:00 p.m.
(Reporting by T.J. Carson, WMBD Radio News)
