Prosecutors will seek the death penalty for the man accused in the beating death of an Indiana County toddler.

The medical examiner said 19-month-old Leonard McIntire died of blunt force trauma to the head.

Police said Joshua Turner, 18, of Black Lick, first told them he was carrying the toddler on his shoulders when he fell and was hurt. But police said Turner eventually acknowledged beating, biting, shaking and punching the child on Oct. 27.

The toddler suffered a fractured skull, broken arm and had several bite marks on his body, police said.

Turner is charged with criminal homicide. He has a preliminary hearing is set for Dec. 1.

The child's mother said she left the child with Turner, her boyfriend of two months, and when she returned, he told her the child had fallen and bumped his head.