Murder Charge Dropped Against Man in Death of Toddler

A murder charge against a Vermont father accused of killing his girlfriend's 2-year-old son with a forceful blow to the abdomen has been dismissed.

Prosecutors say the state could not sufficiently prove that 32-year-old Luke Theriault, of Hartford, caused the death of Jamaal Turkvan. The second-degree murder charge was dismissed Monday.

Documents filed in Windsor Superior Court show that the prosecutors can still refile charges against Theriault later.

Prosecutors had argued that Theriault and the boy's mother were the only people with access to the boy at the time when authorities said the fatal blows happened, likely during the evening of July 2 or the early morning hours of July 3.

Theriault's lawyer says he and his client are vindicated.