2-month-old showed signs of abuse, was killed by father in Red Wing, charges say

A 2-month-old boy whose body showed signs of repeated physical abuse was killed by his father last week in Red Wing, according to charges.

Hunter M. McCutchen, 27, was charged Friday in Goodhue County District Court with first- and second-degree manslaughter and child endangerment in connection with the boy's death on Thursday.

McCutchen remains jailed in lieu of $500,000 bail ahead of a June 21 court appearance. His attorney declined Tuesday to comment on the allegations. McCutchen's criminal history includes two convictions for domestic assault and one for violating a court's no-contact order.

While court records do not identify the baby, his mother disclosed in a lengthy Facebook posting many details about Ozzy McCutchen being born prematurely, other aspects of his brief life and her struggles in her relationship with Hunter McCutchen.

"The only positive thing to come from this is my sweet angel was able to save 2 other babies and one adult with his gifts of a heart, liver and kidneys," 24-year-old Aonica Lex wrote. "My sweet angel deserves justice, and there is no sentence in prison that's enough to get him that. I hope that evil monster gets what he deserves."

In a phone interview Tuesday, Lex said she has heard criticism for leaving her son with McCutchen. She said she doesn't want anyone to believe "that I left my baby with a murderer. … I never would have done that."

According to the criminal complaint:

Red Wing police and fire personnel were called to a home in the 500 block of Maple Hills shortly after noon on May 23 after Lex called 911 and said her baby was not breathing.

They arrived to find the infant unresponsive. The child was taken by emergency responders to St. Marys Hospital in Rochester.

McCutchen told a police officer that he was feeding the boy on the couch, stepped away briefly and returned to find the child unresponsive. He said that this had not happened before.

While the boy was at the hospital, Lex told a doctor that she arrived home after taking her 4-year-old daughter to and from preschool to find her boyfriend of the past 1½ years holding their "limp and pale" son.

Lex added that "she has noticed some abnormal bruising on the infant recently [and] that she feels nervous about leaving [the boy] alone with McCutchen and feels that he plays too rough with the infant," the charges read.

An X-ray of the baby's chest revealed broken ribs and a broken collarbone in various stages of healing. The injuries are "highly suggestive of nonaccidental trauma," the charges noted. Medical personnel also detected bleeding on the child's brain and loss of brain function.

Lex shared with a doctor photos she took in recent weeks of injuries to her baby: broken blood vessels on the eye, and facial bruises and scratches. She also reported having seen bruises on the boy's legs, back, chest and face since he was about 2 weeks old.

Based on the injuries, the doctor concluded that the boy was a victim of excessive shaking.

Lex told police that she was thinking of leaving McCutchen because he smokes marijuana daily, drinks alcohol frequently and has been violent to her. One incident led to a conviction in 2022 for domestic assault.

The day after the child was hospitalized, Lex called police to say McCutchen admitted hurting the baby. She added that she recorded part of the conversation on her cellphone, a transcript of which was included in the complaint:

Lex: "How many times did you shake him?"

McCutchen: "I shook him once."

Lex: "Why?"

McCutchen: "I don't know, I just got so overwhelmed. … I wasn't thinking."

He went on to say, "I am never going to be able to forgive myself," and Lex responded, "I hope you don't. … I won't."