KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) A 24-year-old Lyndeborough man has been found not guilty of second-degree murder in connection with the January 2024 death of a 23-month-old boy, concluding a criminal case that stemmed from the toddler’s fatal injuries.

Annthoni Bliss was charged with causing the death of Luca Hudson, the young son of his girlfriend, Lydia Marrotte. A Cheshire County jury returned its verdict Friday, Nov. 6, following a nine-day trial. Bliss had pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Luca died Jan. 17, 2024, after being taken to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon. An autopsy determined that his death was a homicide caused by blunt force trauma to the head.

Bliss was arrested in March 2025 after an investigation into the toddler’s death.

The prosecution alleged that Bliss was responsible for the injuries that ultimately killed Luca and failed to obtain emergency medical assistance soon enough. The case relied heavily on medical findings, the accounts of those involved in the events preceding the child’s hospitalization, and information gathered during the police investigation.

Medical experts presented differing explanations for Luca’s injuries. The state’s position was that the bleeding between the toddler’s scalp and skull, along with swelling of his brain, resulted from severe trauma.

The defense disputed that conclusion, maintaining that the state had not established how the injuries occurred or demonstrated that Bliss caused them. Its medical explanation involved a condition known as a subgaleal hematoma, which can involve bleeding beneath the scalp following an impact.

The investigation also examined the circumstances surrounding Luca’s care before his death, including Bliss’ time alone with the children, information initially provided to police and internet searches concerning head injuries.

Bliss and Marrotte were both questioned about the events leading up to the toddler’s hospitalization. Marrotte had left her two children in Bliss’ care while traveling to Manchester. She later acknowledged that she had initially withheld information about Bliss being with the children when speaking with investigators.

Bliss maintained that he noticed Luca was unwell after hearing sounds consistent with vomiting and later finding the toddler covered in vomit. He said he sought assistance from his mother and subsequently contacted emergency services after discovering Luca unconscious.

The defense also challenged the police investigation, raising concerns about how investigators handled evidence and whether they had given equal attention to other potential explanations and individuals connected to the case.

Second-degree murder under New Hampshire law includes knowingly causing another person’s death recklessly under circumstances demonstrating extreme indifference to the value of human life.

With Friday’s not-guilty verdict, Bliss has been acquitted of the murder charge stemming from Luca Hudson’s death.