Man Charged In Death Of Owasso Baby Arrested In Kansas

A 22-year-old Owasso man charged with the death of a 10-month-old baby girl was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Task Force in Hutchinson, Kansas, Thursday night.

News of Brandon Wade Nordstedt's arrest came during a vigil held Thursday evening to remember Emmy O'Roarke. O'Rourke died two months ago, but a charge of child abuse murder was filed by prosecutors Thursday.

Friends of the family gathered outside the police station to remember Emmy and celebrate her birthday - she would have been one this month.

The vigil was planned before charges were filed Thursday, but timing is everything and the warrant gave all the people a sense of relief knowing justice will be served.

The laugh of the beautiful baby girl will sadly never be heard again. Emmy O'Rourke's life was taken much too soon and Owasso Police believe her mother's boyfriend at the time, Brandon Nordstedt, is to blame.

"He was alone with the victim at the time and the investigation pointed to him as far as our belief that he is responsible for those injuries," said Owasso Police Chief, Scott Chambless.

He said Nordstedt was alone with 10-month-old Emmy on June 11, 2015 at the Villas at Bailey Ranch Apartments, and when paramedics arrived, she was unresponsive.

Court records say she suffered a brain injury and had bruises on her face and ears.

It's taken two months for detectives to gather all the evidence needed for the district attorney to charge Nordstedt.

"This has been pending for several days now that we felt like we had the level of proof necessary to make an arrest," Chambless said.

Emmy's family held a balloon release last month and created a Facebook page - Justice for Emmy - as a place for family to seek justice.

7/15/2015 Related Story: Vigil Held For Owasso Baby Who Died Sunday

The police chief said, "Now, hopefully, the tone of that vigil will be ‘continues to justice,’ but we will have an arrest very soon, hopefully, and we hope that puts their mind at ease."

The family has been anxious for an arrest to be made, but the chief said he wanted to make sure detectives were very thorough in their investigation and they had what was needed to charge Nordstedt.