Parents cleared of murder charges

Six years after accusing Dr. Peter Yhip and his wife, Edelyn, of murder in the death of their son, the Butte County District Attorney’s Office dropped all charges against the Chico couple last Thursday (Aug. 23).

Prosecutors had alleged shaken baby syndrome or abusive head trauma caused the April 2012 death of Ben, one of the twin boys the Yhips had adopted from Taiwan. Ben, almost 3 when he died, had a history of hospitalizations for chronic health problems. A court in 2013 cited medical evidence indicating that he died of a stroke when restoring custody of the Yhip’s other children.

The DA’s office cited lack of sufficient evidence in dismissing the criminal case against the couple, a cardiologist and a cancer nurse.