Man denied Bond in Toddler’s Death

Judge Cordell Maddox refused to set bond Wednesday for a Westminster man facing child abuse charges. Matthew Jason Chappell stands charged with homicide by child abuse and inflicting great bodily injury. Back in November, deputies with the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office arrested Chappell after an investigation into the June 11, death of a 22-month old girl, Gwynne Ann-Marie Hess. At the time of death, it was thought she died accidentally of complications from choking on a “gummy snack” after an onset of crying that caused an airway obstruction. That later changed. And, in a statement, the Sheriff’s Office said, “it was determined Chappell had caused the injuries,” according to the arrest warrant, “pushing the child into an object which resulted in the skull fractures and a loss of consciousness.”