Alleged Killer of Adrian Peterson's Son Charged with Murder

The man who allegedly caused the death of NFL star Adrian Peterson's 2-year-old son has been charged with second-degree murder, TMZ.com reports.

Joseph Patterson, the man suspected to be behind the assault on Peterson's son, was also charged with two counts of first-degree manslaughter, aggravated battery of an infant and felony child abuse.

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Police and an EMS crew were called to a Sioux Falls, S.D., home, where the child was found unresponsive and was rushed to the hospital. The boy was under the care of Patterson, who is believed to be the boyfriend of the child's mother, and nobody else was home. After it was discovered at the hospital that the child's injuries were consistent with abuse, Patterson was taken into custody and charged.

If found guilty of the second-degree murder charge, Patterson could face a mandatory life sentence in South Dakota.