Shamong Man Charged with Murder in Toddler's Death

A grand jury indicted a Shamong man on a charge of murder in connection with the death of a 1-year-old toddler in Cinnaminson earlier this year, authorities said Tuesday.

Steven R. Donaldson, 29, of Wesickamen Drive, is formally charged with killing Claudia Nunes on Feb. 12 at his girlfriend’s Cinnaminson home, according to the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office. The toddler, who turned a year old the day before her death, was in Donaldson’s girlfriend’s foster care.

Authorities said Donaldson was caring for the girl while his girlfriend was at work. Just before 8 p.m., he allegedly placed a 911 call and told the dispatcher Claudia had stopped breathing. Law enforcement and emergency medical technicians were unable to revive the girl. She was taken to Kennedy University Hospital in Cherry Hill, where she was pronounced dead.  

An autopsy performed by Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood concluded the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Donaldson was taken into custody on March 26 and released after posting $250,000 bail with no 10 percent option.

Donaldson was charged with murder back in March. The indictment, in which a grand jury considers the evidence in the case, is a determination that there is enough evidence to move forward with the prosecution.

According to the Courier-Post, Donaldson's defense attorney claimed Claudia's death was an accident.

The investigation was conducted by detectives from the Cinnaminson Township Police Department and the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office.

A spokeswoman for the state Department of Children and Families, the agency that oversees New Jersey's foster-care program, confirmed in March the agency had launched an investigation into Claudia’s death. The agency declined to confirm Tuesday whether its investigation was still underway.

Information provided by the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office.