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Court date postponed for foster parent accused in death of toddler

Will Bublitz
Sky-Hi Daily News

The legal wrangling continues in the case of a Grand Lake woman charged with the death of the 3-year-old foster child in her care.

Baber is charged with “Child Abuse Causing Death,” a Class 2 felony. She is accused in the death of Daisai Derzon who died as the result of head injuries last January. She has been incarcerated since her arrest a few days after the child’s death.

In a hearing before Judge Mary Hoak of the 14th Judicial District Court on Friday, prosecutors from the District Attorney’s Office replied to an earlier motion by Michelle Baber’s public defender. The judge set Monday, Oct. 6 as Baber’s next court date.



Over the spring and summer, continuances were granted by the district court so medical evaluations could be performed on the defendant. Baber’s case was bound over to the district court from the Grand County Court on April 28.

Baber is accused in Derzon’s death that followed an incident Wednesday, Jan. 9, at her Grand Lake residence. On that day, the child was rushed by ambulance to the Granby Medical Center for treatment and later transported to Children’s Hospital in Aurora, where she died Saturday morning, Jan. 12.



In a Jan. 15 press release announcing Derzon’s death, the Grand County Sheriff’s Office stated she suffered “closed head injuries” at her foster home.

The Grand County Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s Office and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation were involved in the investigation. An autopsy was performed, but the results have not been released.


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