Parents charged in death of girl, 4, at LNAS

Few details are available in the case of a 4-year-old girl who was allegedly killed by her parents at Lemoore Naval Air Station near the end of June. Christopher Joe Stevens, 28, was arrested by the Navy Criminal Investigative Service on June 22 on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter following a three-day investigation into the death of his daughter. A few days later, his charges were changed to murder and wrongful death of a child under 8, according to then-base public information officer Dennis McGrath.

Unconfirmed reports say that the child suffered severe head trauma, which the parents tried to pass off to medical personnel as the result of a fall against a coffee table. Sources also say that doctors did not believe this claim based on the nature of the injury, which may have led to Stevens' arrest.

Investigators with the District Attorney's office could not be reached to confirm these claims or to comment on their status with the investigation. Officials with NCIS refused to comment on the story when contacted last week.

Andrea Marie Stevens, 30, and believed to be the child's stepmother, was arrested at the Lemoore base on June 30 on suspicion of murder, assaulting a child resulting in death and willful cruelty to a child.

Christopher Stevens, who officials say works in the Fleet Readiness Center, was stationed at the base in December 2005 and has been a resident there ever since.

He is reportedly being held at the Kings County Jail in lieu of $500,000 bail, while Andrea Stevens is being held without bail.

The reporter can be reached at 583-2425.

(July 8, 2008)