ATLANTA — Jessica Ross and Treveon Isaiah Taylor, Sr., the parents of a child who tragically died during a difficult birth last summer, spoke Wednesday following news that the death was officially ruled as a homicide by the medical examiner's office.
The Clayton County Medical Examiner's Office said the cause of death was from a "fracture-dislocation with complete transection, upper cervical spine and spinal cord."
It also said that ruling the manner of death as a homicide means the death was caused by the actions of another person. At this time, there is no word on whether charges will be filed against anyone in light of the news. Clayton County Police are still investigating the case.
Lawyers for the family touched on the multiple lawsuits launched behind the death, including against the hospital, which the council alleges attempted to cover up the child's manner of death.
Taylor said, "We want justice for our son; they lied to us." Meanwhile, Ross was next to his side, fighting to hold back tears. She eventually left the room.
"It's been tough on the whole family," one of the lawyers told reporters. "They have been strong and resilient."
The family's legal team also specified that they are still working to depose all those who were in the room at the time of the birth.
11Alive's Molly Oak spoke with the family after the press conference. The parents opened up more about the pain they're dealing with.
"I just want justice for my baby boy. I’m hurt. I’m hurt bad. [The doctor] hurt me. She took my baby," said Ross. "She didn’t show no emotions. I just want justice for my baby."
Both Ross and Taylor said the hospital staff did not allow them to hold their child after delivery. They said not being able to carry their child, one that bears Taylor's name, still causes them pain.
"It hurts, it hurts. Because I wanted to hold him, and they kept telling me no," Ross said as she started crying.
Shaking his head in disbelief, Taylor said he didn't get to touch the infant. He said the delivery process and outcome was "shocking" and still gives him "chills."
"Because they lied to us," Taylor said, saying he's experienced a mix of emotions. "They played in our face. They tried to cover it up. They didn’t tell us the details of what happened."
Both the couple and their lawyers said they want answers and need people to speak up.
"Just come forward, please. The nurses that was in the room. Please just come forward please. I just want justice for my baby," Ross said tearfully.
She thinks about her baby every day and said she doesn't think she will ever heal from this.
"I know he's watching over us," Taylor added.
More on the case
Back in August, Jessica Ross and her boyfriend, Treveon Isaiah Taylor, Sr., sued Southern Regional Medical Center following the death of their baby during delivery. Lawyers said Ross was in labor for 10 hours. The couple was devastated after the July 9 delivery.
According to the lawsuit, there were complications during the labor, and the doctor applied “ridiculously excessive force” on the baby’s head and neck to try to deliver it, attorney Roderick Edmond, who is also a physician, said. Around three hours passed before the doctor took 20-year-old Ross for a C-section, legal documents said.
The lawsuit also alleged the hospital kept the manner of the baby's death a secret from the family for several days. In response to the allegations, Southern Regional Medical Center initially released a statement that due to patient privacy laws, they couldn't discuss a patient's care but offered thoughts and prayers to the family.
Shortly after the couple's initial lawsuit was announced, the hospital released another statement, denying the allegations and stating the doctor mentioned in the lawsuit is "not an employee of the hospital," adding they had "taken the appropriate steps in response to this unfortunate situation." They also clarified that they believed the baby died before it was born. Lawyers said that the evidence will show if this was the truth.
After the delivery occurred, the funeral home referred the family to a pathologist. The couple then signed a contract and paid the pathologist $2,500 to perform the private autopsy, according to the suit.
In another lawsuit filed in September, the couple alleged that the pathologist hired to perform an independent autopsy on their baby shared videos of the examination on social media.
That video was described as "graphic and grisly." It was posted on July 14. For context, the baby died on July 10. The doctor then allegedly removed the first video and posted two more videos of the examination later that month. Lawyers said the couple first learned of the videos through followers of the pathologist.