A six-week-old infant boy died on March 2, 2023, in Faulkner County, Arkansas, while in the care of his biological father, 41-year-old David Dickens. Deputies were dispatched to a home for a report that the child had been dropped on his head. The infant was taken to a Conway hospital and then airlifted to Arkansas Children's Hospital, where he later died. Dickens claimed the baby was accidentally dropped, but after a months-long investigation by the criminal investigation division, he was arrested on July 17, 2023, and charged with one count of capital murder. Dickens entered a not guilty plea at his arraignment on August 14, 2023.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
Document 1 (thv11.com) states that Dickens claimed "he accidentally dropped the baby on his head," yet he was charged with capital murder, which strongly implies authorities believe the injury was inflicted rather than accidental. The capital murder charge, combined with the fatal head injury, implies inflicted injury, though the text does not explicitly describe the mechanism beyond the suspect's own claim of an accidental drop.
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
The child suffered fatal head injuries after allegedly being "dropped on their head" (Document 1, thv11.com), and David Dickens was charged with capital murder. The combination of a 6-week-old infant dying from head trauma while in the care of an adult charged with capital murder strongly implies abusive head trauma, although the term "shaken baby" or "abusive head trauma" is never explicitly used.
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Document 2 (thecabin.net) describes the case as "Dickens pleads not guilty in infant son's death" and refers to the victim as "his child." This explicitly identifies David Dickens as the biological father. He was charged with capital murder in connection to the infant's death.
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
All three documents confirm that 41-year-old David Dickens was arrested and charged with capital murder in connection with the infant's death. Document 3 (katv.com) states: "41-year-old David Dickens was arrested by law enforcement on July 17 after a long investigation. Dickens was charged with one count of capital murder."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
These fields were populated by an AI model and may contain inaccuracies. Review the links and PDFs provided for verification before citing. Contact [email protected] to report any inaccuracies where corrections are needed.