Charges Against Colorado Man Accused of Killing Girlfriend's 10-Month-Old Baby Have Been Dropped

charges Colorado Man Accused of Killing Girlfriend's 10-Month-Old Baby charges dropped

By Jackelyn Cornejo , Parent Herald Jun 03, 07:51 am

Photo: (Photo : Annice Lyn/Getty Images )

A man from Colorado who was indicted of murdering his girlfriend's 10-month-old baby had his charges dropped this week because a judge ruled that the lead prosecutor disregarded his right to a fair trial.

The prosecutor made prejudicial comments to a reporter, mentioning that the man only looked after the baby to go after sexual relations. The judge deemed these comments as not suitable government behavior, resulting in the release of the charges.

Murder Charges Against Colorado Man Have Been Dropped

William Jacobs, 22, was indicted for causing the death of baby Edward Hayes, who was discovered not responsive in a motel room in Cañon City.

Jacobs was the last person to care for Edward before his demise. However, due to the prosecutor's explanations, which included defamatory comments about Jacobs and revealing delicate data about his past, the judge marked that Jacobs's right to justice was disregarded.

The prosecutor's explanations, made in an interview with a local news outlet, also disclosed Jacobs's former legal concerns and personal history, which the judge found to be improper and prejudicial to Jacobs's case. Consequently, the liabilities against Jacobs were dismissed.

Jacobs had initially confessed to mistreating the baby on previous occasions, including biting and hitting him accidentally. However, expert testimony presented in court recommended that Edward's wounds were non-accidental, leading to Jacobs's imprisonment.

Despite the accusations, Jacobs was discharged on bail after his girlfriend submitted a letter to the court contending for his character and potential. Meanwhile, the prosecutor is facing retribution for her liability in the case, with a hearing scheduled for June.

Colorado Man Accused of Killing Girlfriend's 10-Month-Old Baby

The Cañon City man blamed for first-degree killing about the passing of his live-in girlfriend's baby in May has been discharged from jail on a personal recognizance bond.

Jacobs had been arrested on a $100,000 cash or surety bond after his imprisonment on May 21. Edward had died on May 23 at Children's Hospital in Colorado Springs, with the El Paso County Coroner's final diagnosis referring his death to blunt-force head trauma.

During a continued motion hearing, Jacobs' public defender requested a personal recognizance bond or an extremely low cash/surety bond, emphasizing his client's constitutional rights.

The defender stated that Jacobs lacked the means to post a cash bond but was willing to comply with non-monetary bond conditions and had support from reliable individuals, including Crawford.

Candy Kelly, Crawford's mother, addressed the court, expressing concerns about Jacobs being released due to potential threats to the community.

Despite objections, District Court Judge Kaitlin Turner converted the bond to personal recognizance with certain conditions, including GPS monitoring and compliance with a protection order. The hearing also addressed motions regarding alleged actions by the 11th Judicial District Attorney Linda Stanley, including outrageous governmental conduct and discovery violations.

Jacobs' defense argued that Stanley's comments in a televised interview were intended to sway public opinion and contended that she purposefully withheld raw video footage from the defense.

While the judge requested more time to review the evidence, Jacobs is scheduled for further hearings, and his trial is set to commence in July.

Additionally, motions to dismiss based on similar allegations have been filed for Brook Crawford, with concerns raised about potential ethical issues involving District Attorney Linda Stanley.