Joseph Matthew Welborn was sentenced by a jury Thursday to life in prison for the death of his 10-week-old son. He pled guilty to injury to a child causing serious bodily injury, a first-degree felony.
Welborn, 31, was home alone with his baby, Christian, on December 21, 2018.
When Christian's mother and grandfather returned home from a shopping trip, they found the baby unresponsive, pale, and unconscious. They called the police.
The baby – who had suffered blunt force trauma to the head – was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy showed Christian had two complex skull fractures.
Joseph Welborn told police several stories, including one blaming his four-year-old son for dropping the baby and causing the injuries.
Tarrant County Assistant District Attorneys William Vassar and Katie Owens prosecuted the case, assisted by Investigator Matt Hardy and Victim Coordinator Laura Flores.
They asked the jury to send a message with their sentence.
"The last thing that Christian saw was his dad grabbing him and violently slamming his head" into a hard surface, Owens said.
“This is about giving Christian a voice. It was stolen by his own flesh and blood, his father," she said. "This sweet, innocent little baby deserved better."
Thanks to the Tarrant County Sheriff's Department for their work on this case and for their commitment to keeping this community safe.
