A new attorney has been appointed for Tyler Prescott, who faces the death penalty for the August rape and murder of his 2-year-old son in Bradford.

Late last week, President Judge John Pavlock appointed Lycoming County attorney William J. Miele to represent Prescott. Miele is certified capital counsel under Pennsylvania law. In the order, Pavlock suggested Miele find a second attorney as co-counsel on the case, as Pennsylvania standards strongly favor two qualified attorneys to ensure quality legal representation in capital cases.

Prescott, 33, is being held without bail in McKean County Jail, facing the death penalty for the alleged rape and murder of his son, Oakley Hedlund, who was found dead Aug. 14 in the Sherman Street home where he had been staying with his father.

Prescott is charged with criminal homicide, rape of a child, rape of a child resulting in serious bodily injury, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse of a child resulting in serious bodily injury, and aggravated indecent assault of a child, all first-degree felonies; incest of a minor, a second-degree felony; indecent assault, a first-degree misdemeanor; three counts of aggravated assault and one of endangering the welfare of a child.

Prescott’s prior attorney, Chris Pentz, stepped down in December after Prescott alleged unfounded accusations of him of conspiring with District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer on “illegal and corrupt s—,” according to a motion filed in the case. Pentz was permitted to withdraw from the case.

Prescott has been incarcerated since the child’s body was discovered, without bail as of Sept. 17, when homicide and rape charges were added to the case against him.

According to testimony at the preliminary hearing, Bradford City Police and ambulance were dispatched around 4:30 a.m. to the Sherman Street residence where Prescott and Oakley were staying. While rescue attempts were made, the child was already deceased. The child was taken to Bradford Regional Medical Center, where a sexual assault examiner noted his extensive injuries and signs of rape.

After an autopsy in Erie, the medical examiner announced the child died from a combination of multiple trauma and combined drug toxicity, cocaine and methamphetamine.

During the time the child was with his father, Prescott was sending messages to the child’s mother claiming they were in Harrisburg with family, according to the testimony.

Following the preliminary hearing, District Judge Rich Luther bound all charges over to McKean County Court.