A Colorado man accused of murdering his girlfriend’s baby has had the charges dropped after the district attorney handling the case made shocking sexual comments about the suspect.
Suspect William Jacobs, 22, was arrested in May 2023 on a charge of first-degree murder after he was accused of killing his live-in girlfriend’s 10-month-old baby.
Jacobs’ girlfriend and the baby’s mother, 21-year-old Brooke Crawford, had left the baby in the care of her boyfriend while she was at work.
The baby, Edward Hayes, was found unresponsive in a motel room in Cañon City, about 40 miles south of Colorado Springs.
Baby Edward passed away on May 23, 2023 at Children’s Hospital in Colorado Springs.
According to an arrest affidavit, during his initial interview, Jacobs told authorities he was changing the baby’s diaper when “the baby became hard and began making gurgling noises.”
Jacobs reportedly admitted to investigators that she bit Edwards on the arm while playing roughly with him, but also told authorities the baby had dog bite marks.
Jacobs admitted to hitting Edward’s head against the bathroom door frame while trying to get the baby to throw up in the bathroom. Canon City Daily Record.
The detective said Jacobs’ story “kept changing throughout the course of questioning.”
During the preliminary hearing, experts reportedly testified that based on the severity and pattern of the injuries, the infant’s head injuries were not accidental.
On April 9, 2023, Jacobs was released on bail after Crawford provided a handwritten letter to the judge stating that he was OK with being with her.
“William is a good man,” Crawford wrote, “he just needs the opportunity to show it to you and the community. There is a lot of potential that is wasted in prison. … If you give him the time and opportunity to show it, I think you will see what a great man he is and how great he can become.”
South Korea In the summer of 2023, The Daily Star, a Colorado Springs radio station, aired and published an interview with 11th Judicial District Attorney Linda Stanley, who was the lead prosecutor in the Jacobs case.
Mr. Stanley told a reporter about Mr. Jacobs: “Without the element of compassion, without the element of love, (the boy) is (censored) trouble.”
“To be completely honest with you, he has no interest in this child. Absolutely not. The only reason he’s looking after the baby is to have sex, that’s it. And just so he has a place to sleep. Sorry to be blunt with you, but to be honest, that’s the way it is,” Stanley told the outlet.
of New York Post According to the report, Stanley told reporters that Jacobs had a “pretty bad history of fondling his mother… that’s not OK… it’s just weird… it’s not like a kid would fondle his own mother, right?”
The district attorney also reportedly told the outlet that Jacobs had previously been charged with sex offenses, had been in juvenile detention and had a “violent history.”
After Stanley’s comments aired, Jacobs’ public defenders, Daniel Zettler and Jake Taufer, filed a motion to dismiss the case based on the district attorney’s controversial comments.
Taufer argued that Stanley’s comments were an attempt to “use the media as an attack against Messrs. Jacobs and Crawford.” He argued that Stanley made the comments intentionally, voluntarily and knowingly. He argued that the purpose of the interview was to sway public opinion and prejudice the jury.
Crawford’s lawyer, Tom LeDoux, also argued that Stanley’s interview was “deeply biased.”
Last week, Fremont County District Court Judge Caitlin Turner dismissed the murder charge against Jacobs, citing “reprehensible government action.”
“This conduct violated Mr. Jacobs’ right to due process. Accordingly, dismissal of the charges is the appropriate remedy,” Judge Turner wrote in his decision.
Stanley claimed he thought the interview was private.
But Turner disagreed, saying, “Mr. Stanley knew or reasonably should have known that comments he made publicly to reporter Rice about Ms. Jacobs and co-defendant Mr. Crawford would be disseminated publicly and would likely have a material adverse effect on the criminal proceedings.”
Stanley now faces ethics complaints and possible disbarment.
A hearing on her conduct is scheduled for June.
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How DA’s sexual comments about suspect forced judge to drop murder charges in case accusing him of killing girlfriend’s baby
A Colorado man accused of murdering his girlfriend’s baby has had the charges dropped after the district attorney handling the case made shocking sexual comments about the suspect.
Suspect William Jacobs, 22, was arrested in May 2023 on a charge of first-degree murder after he was accused of killing his live-in girlfriend’s 10-month-old baby.
Jacobs’ girlfriend and the baby’s mother, 21-year-old Brooke Crawford, had left the baby in the care of her boyfriend while she was at work.
The baby, Edward Hayes, was found unresponsive in a motel room in Cañon City, about 40 miles south of Colorado Springs.
Baby Edward passed away on May 23, 2023 at Children’s Hospital in Colorado Springs.
According to an arrest affidavit, during his initial interview, Jacobs told authorities he was changing the baby’s diaper when “the baby became hard and began making gurgling noises.”
Jacobs reportedly admitted to investigators that she bit Edwards on the arm while playing roughly with him, but also told authorities the baby had dog bite marks.
Jacobs admitted to hitting Edward’s head against the bathroom door frame while trying to get the baby to throw up in the bathroom. Canon City Daily Record.
The detective said Jacobs’ story “kept changing throughout the course of questioning.”
During the preliminary hearing, experts reportedly testified that based on the severity and pattern of the injuries, the infant’s head injuries were not accidental.
On April 9, 2023, Jacobs was released on bail after Crawford provided a handwritten letter to the judge stating that he was OK with being with her.
“William is a good man,” Crawford wrote, “he just needs the opportunity to show it to you and the community. There is a lot of potential that is wasted in prison. … If you give him the time and opportunity to show it, I think you will see what a great man he is and how great he can become.”
South Korea In the summer of 2023, The Daily Star, a Colorado Springs radio station, aired and published an interview with 11th Judicial District Attorney Linda Stanley, who was the lead prosecutor in the Jacobs case.
Mr. Stanley told a reporter about Mr. Jacobs: “Without the element of compassion, without the element of love, (the boy) is (censored) trouble.”
“To be completely honest with you, he has no interest in this child. Absolutely not. The only reason he’s looking after the baby is to have sex, that’s it. And just so he has a place to sleep. Sorry to be blunt with you, but to be honest, that’s the way it is,” Stanley told the outlet.
of New York Post According to the report, Stanley told reporters that Jacobs had a “pretty bad history of fondling his mother… that’s not OK… it’s just weird… it’s not like a kid would fondle his own mother, right?”
The district attorney also reportedly told the outlet that Jacobs had previously been charged with sex offenses, had been in juvenile detention and had a “violent history.”
After Stanley’s comments aired, Jacobs’ public defenders, Daniel Zettler and Jake Taufer, filed a motion to dismiss the case based on the district attorney’s controversial comments.
Taufer argued that Stanley’s comments were an attempt to “use the media as an attack against Messrs. Jacobs and Crawford.” He argued that Stanley made the comments intentionally, voluntarily and knowingly. He argued that the purpose of the interview was to sway public opinion and prejudice the jury.
Crawford’s lawyer, Tom LeDoux, also argued that Stanley’s interview was “deeply biased.”
Last week, Fremont County District Court Judge Caitlin Turner dismissed the murder charge against Jacobs, citing “reprehensible government action.”
“This conduct violated Mr. Jacobs’ right to due process. Accordingly, dismissal of the charges is the appropriate remedy,” Judge Turner wrote in his decision.
Stanley claimed he thought the interview was private.
But Turner disagreed, saying, “Mr. Stanley knew or reasonably should have known that comments he made publicly to reporter Rice about Ms. Jacobs and co-defendant Mr. Crawford would be disseminated publicly and would likely have a material adverse effect on the criminal proceedings.”
Stanley now faces ethics complaints and possible disbarment.
A hearing on her conduct is scheduled for June.
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