Update: Mr. Page's trial begins 06 JAN 2009. Indecent assault, aggravated assault, kidnapping, homicide.
And the story has changed a bit. Then:
Page told police he woke up early Saturday and found the girl awake and playing near a mirror in the hallway, according to the criminal complaint. He said he got mad when the girl wouldn't go back to bed so he hit her so hard she hit her head and was unconscious, the complaint said. Page then took her outside wrapped in a blanket and left her, police said.
Now:
“The only witness to take the stand during Page’s preliminary hearing was Allegheny County Detective Robert Opferman, who told the court of a detailed confession given by Page in the days after Nyia was left outside in 7-degree temperatures. According to Opferman, Page admitted he awoke at 3 a.m. on Feb. 3 and went to the basement to drink a brandy. The detective said Page confessed that Nyia came downstairs without her diaper on and he became so frustrated that he kicked her between the legs. Then, according to Opferman, to stop the bleeding, Page admitted he penetrated the toddler with his fingers then wrapped Nyia in a blanket and took her outside. Opferman said Page considered dropping Nyia into a sewer before taking her to the woods behind Hawkins Village.According to Opferman, Page confessed that Nyia cried for 10 minutes before he left her there and went back to his Braddock home and back to bed.”
The prosecutor is seeking the death penalty in this case.
Aside: I found this update on a website dedicated to tracking progress in cases of serious crimes against minors. While I guess it's a positive that someone's keeping attention on these cases, the sheer volume of content at that site is depressing. Actually, "depressing" doesn't begin to cover it; spend a few minutes on that site, and it's like every cell in your body has had all its positive energy removed. I greatly regret finding it.
