Willis Joe Lambert was jailed Wednesday in connection with the death of his 6-month-old daughter just 14 months after being released from prison in a child abuse conviction.
Rachel Michelle Lambert died Tuesday morning at an Oklahoma City hospital after Willis Lambert called 911 to say she wasn’t breathing, police said. A spokeswoman for the state medical examiner said Rachel’s death was ruled a homicide caused by whiplash, also known as shaken baby syndrome.
Investigators interviewed Lambert, 37, of Choctaw at police headquarters Wednesday and booked him into the Oklahoma County jail on a murder complaint, police said. He remained jailed Wednesday without bail.
Lambert pleaded guilty 10 years ago in Oklahoma County to abusing his then-2-month-old son, Isaac Arnold Lambert. He began serving a 20-year prison term in May 1999 and won his release in April 2008 through "earned credits," or good behavior, a parole board spokesman said. Lambert admitted using "unreasonable forceā on his son, who had bruising around his eyes, a broken collarbone and a broken leg.
He told police he put Rachel in a bassinet in her home at 2416 SE 51, about 9:30 p.m. Monday and called 911 about seven hours later when he got up and noticed she was "very still,” according to a police report.
Rachel’s mother, who lives in the house on SE 51, told police she and Lambert had been dating about 12 years and planned to marry next week.
Police said two other children were removed from the SE 51 home. No one answered the door there Wednesday.
Contributing: Staff Writers Johnny Johnson and Jay F. Marks