Prosecutors allege the child suffered fatal head trauma after being subjected to abuse when he was only weeks old.
OCALA, Fla. — A Florida man has been indicted on a first-degree murder charge nearly two years after his infant son died from injuries that investigators allege were caused by abuse, according to court records and local news reports.
James Westervelt, 38, was indicted by a Marion County grand jury after prosecutors filed the charge July 30. The child was placed on life support in August 2024 and later died. Westervelt, who had previously faced a child abuse charge connected to the case, remains in the Marion County Jail.
Investigators allege Westervelt used a leaf blower near the baby when the child was between several weeks and 2 months old. Westervelt allegedly told investigators that he used the device because he thought doing so would be funny, according to reports citing the investigation.
Authorities also allege that Westervelt forcefully bounced the infant. Doctors attributed the child’s death to blunt head trauma caused by the bouncing, according to local reports. The available court and news records do not indicate that the leaf blower itself was identified as the direct cause of death.
Investigators said video showed Westervelt using the leaf blower in a manner that caused the baby to struggle to breathe. Details about when the recording was made, who recorded it and how investigators obtained it have not been publicly released.
The child was 6 months old when he died in August 2024, according to reports. Authorities have not publicly released the infant’s name. The case remained under investigation after the initial child abuse allegation before prosecutors pursued the murder charge.
First-degree murder is the most serious homicide charge under Florida law, but the indictment represents an accusation and does not establish guilt. Prosecutors will be required to prove the charge in court, and Westervelt is presumed innocent unless convicted.
Publicly available reports did not include a response from Westervelt to the murder allegation. His attorney and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately provide additional comment to news organizations seeking information about the indictment.
Westervelt also faces separate charges of possessing methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia stemming from a May case, according to court records cited by the New York Post. A pretrial conference in that matter was scheduled for Aug. 5. Those allegations are separate from the infant’s death.
Westervelt is expected to return to court in the murder case in September. A detailed prosecution timeline, possible plea and trial date had not been publicly announced as of Sunday.
Author note: Last updated August 2, 2026.