Man charged with Clay County toddler's April murder

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — A man is charged in the April death of his former girlfriend's 14-month-old son.

Eddie Bernard Duggan III, 27, was formerly charged Monday with the murder of Anterious Miller, according to a Clay County Sheriff's Office arrest report.

Duggan was being held in Bradford County on violation of probation charges relating to a previous possession of drug paraphernalia charge, CCSO spokesperson Mary Justino said.

The Clay County warrant for Duggan for Anterious' murder was issued Dec. 15.

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According to the CCSO affidavit for arrest warrant, Duggan was living with Anterious' mother in Middleburg on April 28. Anterious' mother left for work at 4:30 a.m., and Anterious was asleep in a swing in the living room. Anterious' 4-year-old brother was asleep in a bedroom.

Just before 1 p.m. that day, Duggan called 911 to report that that Anterious was not breathing. The toddler was taken to St. Vincent's, in Clay County, and later transported to Wolfson Children's Hospital, in Jacksonville. Doctors determined the child was brain dead and was pronounced dead on April 29, according to the affidavit.

An autopsy on the child was performed on May 1. Investigators found there was bruising on the victim's neck and that he also suffered "abusive head trauma," and these injuries indicated "some combination of violent shaking and/or blunt force trauma to the head," the report said.

Duggan will have his first court appearance on Tuesday and is being held without bond, Justino said.

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