Two-month-old Carter Hamilton died on May 25, 2022, in Texarkana, Arkansas, from blunt force trauma to his chest while in the care of Jeffrey Allen McPherson. McPherson was the child's primary caregiver while the baby's mother was incarcerated in the Bowie County jail. McPherson told police he was performing "bicycle" movements with the infant's legs to help with bowel problems and heard a "pop" from the child's chest, after which he left the baby alone for approximately 30 minutes before finding him discolored and unresponsive. Investigators found that interior surveillance cameras at McPherson's home appeared to be actively recording, but footage from the time of the injury was missing. McPherson was convicted of first-degree murder and evidence tampering, and was sentenced to life in prison plus 12 years and a $10,000 fine.
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)
The txktoday.com article states: "An autopsy revealed that the baby died of blunt force trauma to his chest." This, combined with the first-degree murder conviction, constitutes clear evidence of inflicted injury to the child.
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?
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?
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)?
The txktoday.com article states McPherson "was allegedly the primary caregiver for the child while the baby's mother was in the Bowie County jail." McPherson's last name differs from the child's (Hamilton), and the incident occurred at "McPherson's home in the 200 block of Senator Street," suggesting the child was staying at his residence. This implies McPherson was the mother's male paramour or boyfriend rather than the biological father or a formal babysitter.
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?
Multiple sources confirm McPherson was arrested and charged. The txktoday.com article states: "McPherson remains in the Miller County jail where he has been since his arrest May 31 on charges of first-degree murder and tampering with evidence by the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department." The texarkanagazette.com article confirms his conviction and sentencing: "Jeffrey Allen McPherson, 40, was also sentenced to 12 years for evidence tampering and fined $10,000."
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?
Notable Details
Several substantive details are worth noting. First, the baby's mother was incarcerated in the Bowie County jail at the time of the child's death, leaving McPherson as the primary caregiver. Second, the txktoday.com article reports that investigators found interior cameras at McPherson's home "which appeared to be actively recording" but "footage from the time period during which the baby likely became injured was allegedly missing," leading to the evidence tampering charge. McPherson was ultimately sentenced to life in prison for murder plus 12 years for evidence tampering and fined $10,000, per the texarkanagazette.com article.
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