When his adopted daughter Melody Velasquez, 3, died on Jan. 9, 2009, Matthew Aranda, 49, claimed that she accidently fell down a flight of stairs at the family's North Bexar County home.
Two days after the fall, she developed a high fever and was having trouble breathing. Aranda (pictured below) and his domestic partner, Norberto Velasquez, called an ambulance.
Sheriff's deputies also made the scene. Aranda told them the child had fallen 31 hours earlier.
On Friday during Aranda's trial on murder charges in connection with the child's death, a child abuse expert called by prosecutors offered another theory concerning that stairway fall.
"If someone or something could cause her to be thrown or pushed down the staircase at a very high rate of speed, then that conceivably (could) cause some of those fatal injuries that she had," Dr. James Lukafhar told the jury.
Earlier in the trial, doctors testified that the child's death was ruled a homicide and that she suffered broken limbs, ribs, multiple bruises and head injuries.
Lukafhar's opinion tracked earlier testimony.
"Melody was the victim of severe and repeated child abuse," he said.
In November 2013, Velasquez was tried and convicted of injury to a child and given probation. He became ill as his trial ended and died several days later before he could be sentenced.
If Aranda is found guilty, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. But like Velasquez, he is eligible for probation.
Testimony will continue before Senior Judge Pat Priest in 144th District Court on Monday.
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