A South Carolina man has been charged with homicide by child abuse after police say he fled his vehicle that burst into flames killing his year old daughter.
Wearing an orange jumpsuit, Imhotep Osiris Norman reportedly broke down in tears during his bond hearing Saturday. (April 13)
According to law enforcement at about 10:20 PM Friday, a state trooper with the South Carolina Highway Patrol attempted to pull Norman over on Highway 14 near the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport.
Norman was doing 67 mph in a 45-mph zone.
When the car didn’t stop. Seventh Circuit Solicitor Barry Barnette said Norman’s vehicle began to spark and smoke during the pursuit.
As the car approached the 58-mile marker on Interstate 85, troopers say they saw a large bag be thrown from the window. A few minutes later, the car was totally engulfed in flames. The car reportedly slowed down and troopers attempted to block the road before Norman escaped.
After the fire extinguished investigators found Norman’s 1-year-old daughter, Xena Rah’Lah Norman dead in the backseat.
In court, Norman alleges he didn’t know the car was on fire. “I would never leave my daughter,” Norman said. “I would have gotten my daughter out of that car.”
Norman’s mother Sharon Mathesis said she doesn’t believe the cops version of events. “My son loved his daughter and would have never let this happen,” Mathis said. “He loved her so much. He loved her so much.”
If convicted, Norman faces 20 years in prison.
