Michaela had seven rib fractures on her left side, which the examiner said was a result of a "blunt object swung at a high velocity."
Burns on Michaela's body were also a cause of death.
On March 11, Hall said he responded to an emergency call for a 10-year-old fall victim, and when he arrived, Michaela was on a bed in a downstairs room of the family's home at 35 Memorial Park. She had "severe" bruising on her face and on the left side of her torso, he said.
Joy and Patrick Watkins told police they were the only ones to have custody of Michaela in the 72 hours leading up to her death and that Joy Watkins and the girl had a "physical altercation" the day before.
Joy Watkins admitted striking Michaela in the face and wrestling with her at the family's residence.
The same day, the couple said that Michaela urinated on herself. The parents told police they had instructed her to go upstairs and take a bath. A short time later, they heard a scream, and found Michaela in the tub. As she was attempting to get out of the tub, she fell and struck her head twice.
Hall said the girl had burns from her buttocks all the way down to her heels on the backs of her legs when he saw her the next day.
At that time, the Watkinses did not call for help for the girl, but Joy Watkins purchased first aid products. They said Michaela was fine for the rest of the evening.
The next day, Hall said, the couple said Michaela "took a turn for the worse." Her breathing was labored, she was drifting in and out of consciousness and was cold to the touch. In court, Hall was asked if they sought help for her at that point.
"No, they packed up the family and went to Red River Gorge," he said.
The couple said the family was gone for about three hours and arrived home between 2:30 and 3 p.m. on Sunday. At that point, Michaela was drifting in and out of consciousness, they said. They also said she fell down the stairs after they returned home, and 45 minutes passed before Michaela's aunt called emergency services.
Dispatchers received the call at 3:56 p.m.
The physical evidence reported by the autopsy were not consistent with the story given by the Watkinses, Hall said. She did not have any burns on her feet, so Hall said the investigation has determined that she would have to have been laid in the tub.
Hall also told the court that the medical examiner said Michaela's flailed chest could not have been caused by a fall down the stairs.
Police searched the home and the vehicle of the family. A tobacco stick and part of a table leg were found in the car. They also have surveillance video of Patrick Watkins buying groceries at Save-A-Lot in Shoppers Village around noon on the day of Michaela's death.
Both defendants were initially charged with criminal abuse of a child under 12 for failing to seek medical attention for Michaela, but that charge was dismissed yesterday on a motion of the commonwealth. The case has been waived to the grand jury.
