Blunt force trauma ruled as cause of death of 5-year-old

LACONIA — An autopsy shows blunt force trauma to the head and neck caused the homicide of a 5-year-old boy on Dec. 24, the attorney general’s office said in a news release Wednesday.

Police were called to an apartment at 103 Blueberry Lane where the child, Dennis Vaughan Jr., was reported to be having a medical issue. The boy was taken to Lakes Region General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Several of his family members were in the home when police arrived, the release said.

The death was quickly regarded as suspicious. The child had significant bruising on his body, according to court records. Authorities have not reported any criminal charges or arrests.

“The investigation remains ongoing and additional information will be released as it becomes available, while protecting the integrity of the investigation. Anyone with any information is encouraged to contact Trooper Stephen McAulay of the New Hampshire State Police at 603-628-8477,” the news release said.

Caseworkers for the New Hampshire Division of Children, Youth and Families investigated allegations of physical abuse or neglect at least twice at the home where the boy died and in both instances the complaints were determined to be unfounded, according to DCYF correspondence sent to Dennis Vaughan's grandmother, Sherry Connor.

She and Jake Leon, a spokesman for the state Health and Human Services Department, did not immediately return calls for comment.

Leon previously provided a one-sentence response to an email seeking more information about DCYF’s handling of the case:

“State and federal laws require us to protect the privacy and confidentiality of individuals involved with DCYF.”

The child lived with his grandmother and four siblings at the Wingate Village apartment complex on Blueberry Lane.

The news release said the cause of death was determined after an autopsy by Associate Medical Examiner Dr. Christine James and after subsequent testing and analysis.

It’s not clear why it took more than five months to publicly release the cause of death as blunt force trauma and the manner of death as a homicide. It’s also not clear whether any suspects have been identified.

The surviving children, ages 12, 10, 10 and 3, are no longer living with their grandmother.