A Rhinelander woman accused of causing t he death of her 20-month-old stepson in April is back in jail after violating the terms of her probation.
28-year-old Ellen Tran had been ordered not to have contact with her 18-month-old daughter after posting a $50,000 cash bond for her second-degree reckless homicide charge. Court records indicate that Tran set up a meeting with her child's temporary foster parent and her daughter at Rhinelander's Independence Day parade. 20-month-old Avery Edwards died back in mid-April due to a traumatic head injury while he was in Tran's care.
Tran claimed that the injury was caused by a fall in the shower, but a St. Joseph's hospital child abuse expert told investigators that the injuries didn't match up with her story.
The boy's father told investigators that Avery was having problems "bonding" with his stepmother. A temporary restraining order had been in place after Avery was returned to his mother with bruises about 10 months before his death.
Tran appeared in court Thursday and has a count of bail jumping added to her charges. A $10,000 signature bond was set.
