By LeaAnne Klentzman

A Needville man who confessed to causing the death of his three year old step daughter, then said it was an accident, was convicted by a jury.

Timothy Morales, 33, was on trial in Judge Thomas R Culver’s 240th District Court for the last couple of weeks for his part in the death of his three year old step daughter. Natalie Baez. In March of 2009, Natalie Baez followed Morales outside as he went to his truck. Morales was angered by her behavior, and according to him, kneed her in the stomach.

Eventually, Morales took an unconscious Baez to her doctor where she was immediately taken to Oak Bend Hospital, where she died.

At the time of the incident sheriff’s spokesperson Terriann Carson said, “Initially physician’s thought the child was in toxic shock suffering from appendicitis. However, after an autopsy it was determined that the child’s death was the result of blunt force trauma to her abdomen.”

During the investigation into the child’s death, Morales confessed to a sheriff’s investigator during a taped interview. That taped interview was then played for the jury and many questions were raised about its legality by Morales’ attorney. The premise of the defense was that the child’s injuries were a terrible accident.

The sentencing phase of the Morales trial is currently underway.

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