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The Inter-Mountain photo by Edgar Kelley
Dylan Matthew Rexrode, center, is led out of the Randolph County Courthouse after his trial ended Friday by Randolph County Sheriff's Deputy T.J. Knotts, right, and Court Officers Kumar Lambert, left, and H.K. Watson.
ELKINS -- After an hour and a half of deliberations at the Randolph County Circuit Courthouse on Friday, the jury found Dylan Matthew Rexrode guilty on just one of the 10 counts on which he had been indicted.
Rexrode, who had been charged with multiple offenses stemming from an incident involving an eight-week year-old infant in September 2019, was found guilty Friday on one felony count of child abuse causing injury.
"We are definitely happy with the verdict and we are most pleased with the fact that the jury took the case seriously," said James Hawkins, one of the attorneys representing Rexrode. "They deliberated it, asked some questions, and you could tell that they took their jobs seriously. They were attentive through the entire trial and they paid attention to the witnesses."
Rexrode, who was also represented by attorney Steve Nanners, was indicted in June 2020 on two counts of sexual assault in the first degree; two counts of sexual abuse by a parent, guardian, custodian, or person in a position of trust to a child; two counts of incest; one count of child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury; one count of malicious assault; three counts of child abuse creating risk of death or serious bodily injury; and one count of sexual assault in the third degree, all felonies.
Sentencing for Rexrode is scheduled for Aug. 2.
"As far as the trial went, Mr. (Randolph County Prosecuting Attorney Michael) Parker did an excellent job of presenting the state's case; we just felt that the evidence wasn't there and that the jury reached the right verdict based on the law as Judge (David) Wilmoth instructed them," said Hawkins.
"Dylan in his testimony told exactly what happened, took responsibility for his acts and I think the jury understood that and that's why they returned the verdict that they did," he added.
According to the original criminal complaint, the Randolph County Sheriff's Office responded to a 911 call in reference to an unresponsive infant in September 2019. Ruby Memorial Hospital reported back to the Sheriff's Office that the baby had a brain bleed and that there were signs of previous brain bleeds, according to the complaint. The infant was in the care of Rexrode, who is the baby's father, when a call was made to 911.