Kayla Guo

Normally in just the news reporting business in general, you kind of have a sense of what at least are the options for what might happen. That was not the case for this story.

Normally in just the news reporting business in general, you kind of have a sense of what at least are the options for what might happen. That was not the case for this story.

Her condition had only gotten worse, and she had been, again, sick for some time now.

Her condition had only gotten worse, and she had been, again, sick for some time now.

The doctors saw symptoms that, at that time, told them to diagnose shaken baby syndrome.

The doctors saw symptoms that, at that time, told them to diagnose shaken baby syndrome.

The medical consensus said that if a child presented with a triad of symptoms, that means unexplained bleeding in the brain, bleeding behind the retinas and brain swelling, doctors could and should make a diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome. And they could presume that somebody had violently shaken this baby and caused these injuries.

The medical consensus said that if a child presented with a triad of symptoms, that means unexplained bleeding in the brain, bleeding behind the retinas and brain swelling, doctors could and should make a diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome. And they could presume that somebody had violently shaken this baby and caused these injuries.

Nikki had been transported to Dallas without Robert knowing. And so I don't know exactly how he found out she had died, but she died when he was not with her and he was not in Dallas with her when she died.

Nikki had been transported to Dallas without Robert knowing. And so I don't know exactly how he found out she had died, but she died when he was not with her and he was not in Dallas with her when she died.

He has maintained his innocence through all of this. One of the aspects impacting the investigation is he's a man with autism, and that wasn't a diagnosis that the doctors or investigators knew about at the time that he had at the time. But investigators have said they looked at his flat affect as evidence of his guilt.

He has maintained his innocence through all of this. One of the aspects impacting the investigation is he's a man with autism, and that wasn't a diagnosis that the doctors or investigators knew about at the time that he had at the time. But investigators have said they looked at his flat affect as evidence of his guilt.

The investigator, the lead investigator in his case, Brian Wharton, he said that Robert didn't seem too concerned in that moment, wasn't reacting how you might expect another parent to react in that situation when their child seems to be in grave danger. His emotional reaction to, I think, both Nikki's condition at the time and And his arrest later on, his expressive reaction was atypical.

The investigator, the lead investigator in his case, Brian Wharton, he said that Robert didn't seem too concerned in that moment, wasn't reacting how you might expect another parent to react in that situation when their child seems to be in grave danger. His emotional reaction to, I think, both Nikki's condition at the time and And his arrest later on, his expressive reaction was atypical.

And that was one of the things that I think investigators thought was evidence of his guilt at the time. At the trial, the state's case hinged on this shaken baby diagnosis, which again, presumes abuse on the part of the caretaker, in this case, Robert. They pointed to Nikki's autopsy report. They had a few medical experts come testify, one being the person who conducted the autopsy. And...

And that was one of the things that I think investigators thought was evidence of his guilt at the time. At the trial, the state's case hinged on this shaken baby diagnosis, which again, presumes abuse on the part of the caretaker, in this case, Robert. They pointed to Nikki's autopsy report. They had a few medical experts come testify, one being the person who conducted the autopsy. And...

They describe Nikki as ill, and they describe blunt force trauma to her head, which is consistent with shaken baby syndrome. Shaking is not distinguishable from what you might normally think of as blunt force.

They describe Nikki as ill, and they describe blunt force trauma to her head, which is consistent with shaken baby syndrome. Shaking is not distinguishable from what you might normally think of as blunt force.

At trial, Robert had maintained his innocence, but his defense attorney at the time did not pursue the innocence claim. His defense attorney's defense was mainly that Robert hadn't meant to kill Nikki in allegedly shaking her. And so that was the entirety of his defense was that he didn't mean to ultimately kill her.

At trial, Robert had maintained his innocence, but his defense attorney at the time did not pursue the innocence claim. His defense attorney's defense was mainly that Robert hadn't meant to kill Nikki in allegedly shaking her. And so that was the entirety of his defense was that he didn't mean to ultimately kill her.