Topline: Police say the child was left unattended for hours before being found unresponsive.
Published: April 10, 2026 3:36 pm ET
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Omni Maxx Morningstar, left, and Remington Morningstar (via Mankato Police Department / Mankato Mortuary)
MANKATO, MN — A Minnesota man is accused of leaving his infant son alone for hours under a weighted blanket in a case that has now led to a manslaughter charge.
The Mankato Police Department announced that officers arrested Omni Maxx Morningstar, 26, on April 6, 2026, in connection with the death of his 10-month-old son, Remington Tristan Morningstar.
He was taken into custody at his residence without incident and is being held in the Blue Earth County Jail on a charge of second-degree manslaughter, according to KIMT.
Emergency responders were first called to a home on James Avenue on Oct. 1, 2025, after reports of an infant who was not breathing, according to police.
Despite life-saving efforts by first responders and medical staff at Mayo Clinic Health System, the child was pronounced dead.
According to charging documents cited by KSTP, Morningstar told investigators he had placed the baby facedown on a bed for a nap around 11 a.m. and covered him with a weighted blanket. He said he did not check on the child again until about 4 p.m., when he found the infant unresponsive.
A medical examiner later determined the child’s cause of death was probable asphyxia due to compression from the weighted blanket, according to the complaint.
Investigators say Morningstar initially described the child as having frequent fevers and being a colicky baby who had been to the hospital “quite a bit,” telling authorities that was the reason he used the weighted blanket, despite having previously been warned against doing so, according to the complaint.
He later told investigators he used a 12-pound weighted blanket and folded it to increase pressure on parts of the infant’s body, and admitted he had covered the baby’s head with blankets on prior occasions to stop him from crying, according to the same documents.
The child’s mother also told police about an earlier incident, saying she returned home about a month before the death and found the baby completely covered with a blanket, prompting her to call 911. She said Morningstar told her he had forgotten about the child while playing video games, according to the complaint.
Authorities say the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension assisted in the investigation.
Morningstar’s initial court appearance is scheduled for April 16. He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted, according to KSTP.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Infant Dies After Being Left Face Down Under Weighted Blanket; Father Faces Charge
Police say the child was left unattended for hours before being found unresponsive.
By Jacob Charles
Published: April 10, 2026 3:36 pm ET
Omni Maxx Morningstar, left, and Remington Morningstar (via Mankato Police Department / Mankato Mortuary)
MANKATO, MN — A Minnesota man is accused of leaving his infant son alone for hours under a weighted blanket in a case that has now led to a manslaughter charge.
The Mankato Police Department announced that officers arrested Omni Maxx Morningstar, 26, on April 6, 2026, in connection with the death of his 10-month-old son, Remington Tristan Morningstar.
He was taken into custody at his residence without incident and is being held in the Blue Earth County Jail on a charge of second-degree manslaughter, according to KIMT.
Emergency responders were first called to a home on James Avenue on Oct. 1, 2025, after reports of an infant who was not breathing, according to police.
Despite life-saving efforts by first responders and medical staff at Mayo Clinic Health System, the child was pronounced dead.
According to charging documents cited by KSTP, Morningstar told investigators he had placed the baby facedown on a bed for a nap around 11 a.m. and covered him with a weighted blanket. He said he did not check on the child again until about 4 p.m., when he found the infant unresponsive.
A medical examiner later determined the child’s cause of death was probable asphyxia due to compression from the weighted blanket, according to the complaint.
Investigators say Morningstar initially described the child as having frequent fevers and being a colicky baby who had been to the hospital “quite a bit,” telling authorities that was the reason he used the weighted blanket, despite having previously been warned against doing so, according to the complaint.
He later told investigators he used a 12-pound weighted blanket and folded it to increase pressure on parts of the infant’s body, and admitted he had covered the baby’s head with blankets on prior occasions to stop him from crying, according to the same documents.
The child’s mother also told police about an earlier incident, saying she returned home about a month before the death and found the baby completely covered with a blanket, prompting her to call 911. She said Morningstar told her he had forgotten about the child while playing video games, according to the complaint.
Authorities say the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension assisted in the investigation.
Morningstar’s initial court appearance is scheduled for April 16. He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted, according to KSTP.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Infant Dies After Being Left Face Down Under Weighted Blanket; Father Faces Charge
Police say the child was left unattended for hours before being found unresponsive.
By Jacob Charles
Published: April 10, 2026 3:36 pm ET
Omni Maxx Morningstar, left, and Remington Morningstar (via Mankato Police Department / Mankato Mortuary)
MANKATO, MN — A Minnesota man is accused of leaving his infant son alone for hours under a weighted blanket in a case that has now led to a manslaughter charge.
The Mankato Police Department announced that officers arrested Omni Maxx Morningstar, 26, on April 6, 2026, in connection with the death of his 10-month-old son, Remington Tristan Morningstar.
He was taken into custody at his residence without incident and is being held in the Blue Earth County Jail on a charge of second-degree manslaughter, according to KIMT.
Emergency responders were first called to a home on James Avenue on Oct. 1, 2025, after reports of an infant who was not breathing, according to police.
Despite life-saving efforts by first responders and medical staff at Mayo Clinic Health System, the child was pronounced dead.
According to charging documents cited by KSTP, Morningstar told investigators he had placed the baby facedown on a bed for a nap around 11 a.m. and covered him with a weighted blanket. He said he did not check on the child again until about 4 p.m., when he found the infant unresponsive.
A medical examiner later determined the child’s cause of death was probable asphyxia due to compression from the weighted blanket, according to the complaint.
Investigators say Morningstar initially described the child as having frequent fevers and being a colicky baby who had been to the hospital “quite a bit,” telling authorities that was the reason he used the weighted blanket, despite having previously been warned against doing so, according to the complaint.
He later told investigators he used a 12-pound weighted blanket and folded it to increase pressure on parts of the infant’s body, and admitted he had covered the baby’s head with blankets on prior occasions to stop him from crying, according to the same documents.
The child’s mother also told police about an earlier incident, saying she returned home about a month before the death and found the baby completely covered with a blanket, prompting her to call 911. She said Morningstar told her he had forgotten about the child while playing video games, according to the complaint.
Authorities say the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension assisted in the investigation.
Morningstar’s initial court appearance is scheduled for April 16. He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted, according to KSTP.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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