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Former soldier charged with murdering baby
Posted: 02.22.2011 at 12:47 PM
Updated: 02.23.2011 at 3:15 PM
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George Peters  / Courtesy: Colorado Springs Police Department
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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- The man who allegedly murdered a baby in Colorado Springs Feb. 10 is a former Fort Carson soldier.

Police said 23-year-old George Peters murdered 2-month-old Nicholas Johnson. According to police, Peters admitted to bouncing Johnson up and down while babysitting him to stop him from crying because he 'couldn't stand it.' Peters said Johnson's head moved back and forth during the bouncing, and he eventually became unresponsive and stopped breathing.

Medical officials said Johnson had multiple brain bleeds consistent with abuse, and the coroner ruled Johnson's death a homicide.

Peters was babysitting Johnson that day. Samantha Peters, George's wife and a Fort Carson soldier, said Johnson seemed fine when she came home on her lunch break that day.

Johnson's mother Madaline is also a soldier and arranged for George to babysit Nicholas.

George and Samantha have their own 2-month-old, Gabriel. When a neighbor offered to watch Gabriel when Peters went to the hospital with Johnson, the neighbor changed Gabriel's diaper and noticed Gabriel had bruises on her thighs, lower back and butt. Peters later admitted to smacking Gabriel when he 'gets out of line.'

He faces charges relating to his son's abuse as well as the first degree murder charge in Johnson's case.

Peters also admitted to using heroin once a week and had been smoking marijuana often to try to stay off heroin.

Peters does not have Colorado identification and is not employed. He is originally from Florida.


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Original story:

The El Paso County Coroner's Office has ruled the death of a 2-month-old Nicholas Johnson on Feb. 10 a homicide, and have charged his babysitter with murder.

Colorado Springs police arrested 23-year-old George Peters, Johnson's babysitter, on Feb. 11 for felony child abuse. Police are now charging him with first degree murder after hospital officials took Johnson off life support Saturday.

Police were called to a house in the 3900 block of Patrick Drive Feb. 10 to investigate Johnson, who was not conscious and not breathing. Johnson was taken to Memorial Hospital.

Coroner's office officials said Johnson died as a result of complications from blunt head force trauma, allegedly caused by Peters. It is the third homicide in Colorado Springs in 2011, compared with two in the city at this time in 2010.

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