A Colorado man charged with murdering his girlfriend's 10-month-old baby had his charges dismissed this week after a judge ruled that the lead prosecutor violated his right to due process by telling a reporter he only babysat the infant in order to "get laid."
William Jacobs, 22, was accused of shaking baby Edward Hayes to death after the infant was found unresponsive in a motel room in Cañon City, located around 40 miles south of Colorado Springs, in May 2023, according to local reports.
Strange Reason for Acquittal
Fremont County District Court Judge Kaitlin Turner filed an order granting the motion to dismiss on Wednesday after the district attorney prosecuting the case gave a controversial interview disparaging the suspect, as reported by The Cañon City Daily Record.
Jacobs was the last person to care for Edward after the baby's mother and his girlfriend, 21-year-old Brook Crawford, left them alone while she went to work.
A coroner determined that the baby died from blunt-force trauma to the head. Jacobs was arrested on May 21 and charged with first-degree murder.
However, the charges were ultimately dropped due to comments made by 11th Judicial District Attorney Linda Stanley during an interview with a local news outlet. The judge ruled that Stanley's comments amounted to "outrageous government conduct."
"I'm going to be very blunt here. He [referring to Mr. Jacobs] has zero investment in this child. Zero," the DA told KRDO in August. "He's watching that baby so he can get laid. That's it. And have a place to sleep."
"I'm sorry to be that blunt, but honest to God, that's what's going on," she added.
Stanley told the reporter in the interview that Jacobs "has a pretty awful past, including fondling his mom ... It's not good ... It's kinda weird ... What kid fondles their mom, right?"
The prosecutor also revealed that Jacobs had been previously charged with a sex crime, spent time in a juvenile detention center, and had a "violent past."
"This conduct violated Mr. Jacobs' right to due process. As a result, dismissal of the charges is an appropriate remedy," Turner wrote.
Weird Reason
Jacobs was staying at Motel 6 where Crawford lived and worked at the front desk. According to local reports, he moved into her room shortly after they met. After the baby was found unresponsive, Jacobs initially told police that he was changing the baby's diaper when Edward "went stiff and began making gargling noises," according to an arrest affidavit obtained by the paper.
Jacobs confessed to allegedly abusing the baby before — by biting him on the arm while playing with him too hard and hitting the infant's head on the bathroom door frame while he was trying to make him vomit in the toilet.
He also said that the baby had been bitten by a dog before.
At a preliminary hearing, the court heard expert testimony stating that Edward's head trauma was non-accidental, based on the severity and pattern of the injuries, according to the Cañon City Daily Record.
Jacobs was released on a personal recognizance bond on April 9 after Crawford submitted a letter to the court stating that he could stay with her.
"William is a good person," Crawford wrote. "He just needs the opportunity to show you and the community and he has so much potential that is being thrown away in jail. ... I feel if you just give him the time and chance to show you, you would understand how great of a person he is and will be."
Stanley is facing an ethics complaint and potential disbarment.
