West Frankfort man charged with murder after brother’s death

WEST FRANKFORT, Ill. (KBSI) – A man faces murder and battery charges after sheriff’s deputies say his brother died.

Kyle G. Morris, 46, faces charges of aggravated battery, domestic battery and murder.

A regional hospital notified the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office on July 25 that 46-year-old Justin D. Hauptman arrived to the hospital’s emergency room via private transport and was being treated for injuries sustained in a domestic violence incident.

Franklin County Sheriff Kyle Bacon says the injuries were described as significant and the person was listed in critical condition.

Deputies and detectives went to an address in rural West Frankfort where an altercation was alleged to have occurred.

They met Morris who is the brother of the victim.

Sheriff Bacon says the two brothers had a verbal fight that resulted in Morris striking his brother in the head.

Morris was arrested.

On Wednesday, July 31, hospital staff contacted the sheriff’s office to say that Hauptman died from his injuries.

Sheriff Bacon says an autopsy showed the cause of death to be “blunt force trauma of the head.”