Man charged with capital murder in court Monday

A man accused of killing his girlfriend’s 18-month-old daughter made his first court appearance Monday.

Joseph Earl Jenkins, 28, was charged with capital murder and placed in the Tuscaloosa County Jail on no bond last week after the child was taken to DCH Regional Medical Center under conditions first responders deemed suspicious.

Tuscaloosa County District Attorney Hays Webb said Raylean Richardson had internal bleeding consistent with blunt-force trauma.

Her body was sent to Montgomery for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. Jenkins may be facing additional charges.