Father Convicted of Killing Infant Son Has Conviction Overturned

(KNSI) — A father convicted of second-degree murder for the death of his infant son is back in court today. This time, it’s a bail hearing for his potential release.

Robert John Kaiser was convicted in 2016 of shaking his baby, William, so hard that he suffered severe brain injuries and died. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

New evidence introduced last October shows William had an undiagnosed condition known as cerebral venous thrombosis. CVT causes clotting in the brain’s venous system. Kaiser’s attorneys say none of the state’s medical witnesses disclosed the presence of CVT, insisting that William could only have died due to abuse at the hands of his father. Court papers say the medical evidence showing William’s condition, flawed testimony, and ineffective advice from counsel is enough to support the claim that Kaiser was deprived of his constitutional right to a fair trial and the conviction should be overturned.

The judge agreed, and Kaiser is due in court Monday morning for a bail hearing.

His attorneys tell KNSI they are thrilled with the judge’s decision but declined to comment further, citing pending litigation.

We are thrilled with the Court of Appeals decision to uphold the district court’s order setting aside the conviction. After conducting an extensive investigation, we firmly believe in Robert’s innocence and that he should not have spent nearly eight years behind bars. However, the prosecution is still determining what they will do next, and we cannot make any additional comments while the case is still pending.

A date for a new trial has not been set.

___