An Air Force lieutenant was formally charged with murder in the Oct. 2 death of his five-week-old son, Andre.

Second Lt. David A. Valois was charged Nov. 21 under Article 118 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. He is an Air Force Research Laboratory program manager in human resources enterprise business systems.

The cause of death has not been released, pending the next step in the military justice system -- an Article 32 hearing. The date for the hearing has not yet been scheduled.

The Article 32 hearing is the military equivalent of a civilian court’s grand jury investigation.

Based on evidence presented at the hearing, the investigating officer will recommend to the convening authority on whether the case should go to trial. The convening authority is Lt. Gen. John L. Hudson, the Aeronautical Systems Center commander.

If tried and convicted of the preferred charge, the maximum sentence is dismissal from the Air Force and confinement in prison for life without parole.

As in the civilian legal system, the accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Andre Valois, was taken from base housing Oct. 2 to a local children's medical center, where he died.

The accused was placed in pre-trial confinement on base Oct. 3. A pre-trial confinement hearing was held Oct. 12. At the hearing, a neutral and detached officer determined there was probable cause for Lieutenant Valois to remain in confinement until his trial.

(Courtesy of Air Force Materiel Command News Service)