Manchester family says father facing murder for death of 5-week-old is innocent

MANCHESTER, Tenn. (WKRN) — “A horrible accident” — that’s what the family of a man facing murder for the death of his 5-week-old baby is claiming. It’s been more than two years and Gavin Clark is still awaiting trial in Manchester.

Clark’s biological mother, Angel Liggins, said her son is wrongfully accused and incarcerated. She said it’s a fight she’s not giving up on, adamant her son is innocent. 

“I seen that tractor on the stairs that day,” Liggins told News 2. 

It’s a toy that will forever haunt the minds of Gavin Clark’s family. 

“When he was coming down the stairs, he stepped on a little metal green John Deere tractor and he stumbled with the baby.” 

Baby Noah was admitted to the hospital with a head injury — an injury he ultimately didn’t survive.  

The baby’s father, Noah, was arrested after two Vanderbilt doctors found the infant’s injuries “to be consistent with abuse.” 

“That’s when our life was turned upside down. It was terrible, it was terrible. It was an accident his four-year-old seen it happen,” Liggins explained.

Liggins shared transcripts from an interview with Gavin’s son who was three years old and there at the time, that back up his father’s story. 

“When that little boy said he seen that, why didn’t they let his dad come home,” Liggins questioned. 

She said her son was an amazing father to three and is missing out on precious moments while behind bars. 

“He should have been home a long time ago.” 

Now, she is fighting for justice as she wears a “Noah’s Truth” shirt. She has also started a “Grieving with Gavin” Facebook page. 

“There’s so many people when you start looking up wrongfully convicted or wrongfully accused innocent inmates. It happens all too often, more often than everybody realizes and my son happens to be one of those and you never expect it to happen in your family,” said Liggins.  

Gavin’s family is also frustrated that his trial continues to get delayed. News 2 spoke to the district attorney general who said much of that was due to COVID, but that the latest date was postponed after the defense got an expert witness. The trial is now set to move forward on Sept. 19.