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Baby Death Now Murder Case

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By LISA A. DAVIS

ldavis@tampatrib.com

Published: January 28, 2009

PORT RICHEY - A 24-year-old father of twin baby girls was arrested at his home Monday evening, accused of killing one of the infants in December after being bothered by her cries, according to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office.
Thomas James Ludwig of 9845 Richwood Lane is charged with first-degree murder. He is being held without bail at Land O' Lakes Jail.

Roommates told detectives that when Ludwig arrived home at 9914 Richwood Lane about 8 p.m. Dec. 20, one of the 2-month-old girls was crying, so he put his daughters down to sleep and left the bedroom.

Ludwig soon went back to the bedroom, with a roommate following, and he "snatched" one of the babies from a stroller, popping her head backward, a report states.

Ludwig, according to the report, then forcefully put the baby - named Diella Ludwig - on a bed, cursed her and told her to shut up.

The roommate went back to her room. At some point, witnesses heard a loud bang, and the infant stopped crying, the report states.

The roommates then noticed a nearby house was on fire and went to watch, with Ludwig following, according to the report. The twins were left at home alone. The adults returned about 10 minutes later, and Ludwig went to his room and screamed. A roommate ran in and saw one of the twins motionless on a pillow on the floor, the report states.

The infant died the next day at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa.

A Hillsborough County associate medical examiner concluded the baby died of blunt trauma to the head. The autopsy report rules the death a homicide.

A state review found child welfare authorities failed to protect the little girl.

State and local officials agreed to give him custody of the girls, but no one checked whether he could care for them, said Nick Cox, a regional director for the Florida Department of Children & Families.

Caseworkers also failed to ensure the young man had access to services such as parenting classes, Cox said.

"It's not as much a systemic issue," he said late Tuesday, minutes after releasing DCF's review. "It's failures."The surviving twin, Shiloh Ludwig, has been removed from the home, said sheriff's spokesman Kevin Doll, who would not comment further on her condition.

Reporter Sherri Ackerman contributed to this story. Reporter Lisa A. Davis can be reached at (727) 815-1083.

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