Brian Wharton, the chief detective of a small police force in East Texas, had seen his share of tragedies on the job, but he had never handled a case like Robert Roberson’s : In January 2002, Roberson, a 35-year-old single father, arrived at the emergency room with his 2-year-old, Nikki, limp and bundled in a blanket.
Roberson said the girl had fallen from bed overnight, but when nurses and doctors evaluated her severe head injuries, they grew suspicious. Wharton led the investigation.
