Cobb Father to Serve 20 Years in Baby’s Battery

Patch Staff Report

Cobb District Attorney Vic Reynolds announced Monday that a Cobb father will spend 20 years in prison for life-long injuries he inflicted on his 8-week-old son.

Joseph Rucker McFall, 31, of Austell, pleaded guilty on April 17 to five counts of aggravated battery against the child. He admitted that in October 2012 he inflicted blunt-force injuries to the child’s head, fractured bones in both of the baby’s arms, and also fractured a rib.

“By pleading guilty, Mr. McFall is taking responsibility for actions that were not isolated to a single incident on a single day,” Susan Treadaway, the assistant district attorney prosecuting the case, said in a release.

The child’s mother, who has filed for divorce from McFall, spoke during last Thursday’s hearing, and gave an emotional description of the injuries to the child that are believed to be life-long and the struggle she has every day in caring for the child.

The boy is now 20 months old. He is legally blind, and it is believed that he will never be able to walk, talk or behave normally.

McFall spoke briefly during the hearing and maintained that the child’s injuries were accidental.

But Cobb Superior Court Judge James G. Bodiford told McFall his actions were “unspeakable.”

“It’s not an accident. What you’ve done is give a life sentence to your son, and to your son’s mother,” Judge Bodiford said, before sentencing him to the state’s recommendation of 30 years, with 20 years to serve in custody.

McFall, who has remained in custody since his arrest Oct. 30, 2012, had been scheduled to go to trial on April 28.