According to the court documents, the defendant, 37-year-old Jessica, was sentenced to 47 years in prison last year. On November 8, 2023, the mother reportedly appealed her prison sentence, court records say. Prosecutors said the 37-year-old mother was convicted of depraved indifference murder for killing her 3-year-old son Maddex. The DA’s office said the mother reportedly rejected her child for resembling his father and at one point threw him out of a bathroom. An autopsy revealed that the 3-year-old boy had old and new injuries.
According to the court documents, the mother was taken into custody after she reportedly brought her 3-year-old son to the hospital. The doctors told investigators that the child suffered severe injuries, including: fractured spine and bleeding in his brain. The boy also had bruises on his head, stomach, arms, and legs. The woman left the hospital and was nowhere to be found after her son was pronounced dead. Authorities later found the woman at her mom’s home.
During an interview with investigators, the woman reportedly said that she had no idea how the boy suffered the severe injuries. The mother’s lawyer, Rory, reportedly said that there was no evidence that the mother was present when the 3-year-old boy suffered the injuries. The lawyer reportedly said: “The problem here is there is no proof that mom was with the decedent when the fatal injuries were inflicted. We have another adult on the property who was known to play with children and had the most acrimonious relationship with the children.”
According to the court documents, the mother’s attorney also said that the trial court should have granted her motion for judgment of acquittal because the State failed to present adequate evidence that she caused the child’s fatal injuries. In the appeal, the attorney also noted that the court made a mistake in admitting evidence that she had previously thrown the child to the floor.