On January 7-8, 2022, one-year-old Kayson Keeton was found unresponsive at his home in Fort Mohave, Arizona, while in the care of his mother, Angelina Hayden, and her boyfriend, Nikko McLachlan. McLachlan and a neighbor were performing CPR when deputies arrived. The child was transported to Valley View Medical Center in Fort Mohave and then flown by helicopter to UMC Children's Hospital in Las Vegas, where he was pronounced dead on January 9, 2022. The Clark County Medical Examiner determined the child died from bilateral subdural hematomas (bleeding between the brain and skull) due to non-accidental head trauma. McLachlan was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and child abuse, all per domestic violence. However, the charges were dismissed without prejudice in October 2022 after a judge questioned whether a crime had been committed, with the defense arguing the indictment relied on false statements and pointing to the child's other medical conditions while disputing shaken baby allegations. Neither child welfare agencies in Nevada nor Arizona had any prior history with the family.
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 Arizona DCS fatality summary report states Kayson "passed away due to non-accidental head trauma" and that the Riverside County court determined he "sustained severe inflicted injuries which ultimately led to his death." The fox10phoenix.com news article reports the Clark County Medical Examiner determined the damage was "non-accidental." The news3lv.com article states "the coroner indicated the injuries were non-accidental."
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 8newsnow.com article states that McLachlan's attorney "disputed 'shaken baby' allegations in the case," directly referencing shaken baby allegations that had been made. The child's cause of death was bilateral subdural hematomas (per news3lv.com) and non-accidental head trauma (per the DCS fatality report), both consistent with 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?
The Arizona DCS fatality summary report states the child was found unresponsive "while in the care of his mother, Angelina Hayden, and her significant other" and that the Riverside County Superior Court "determined that while under the care and custody of his mother, Angelina Hayden, Kayson Keeton sustained severe inflicted injuries which ultimately led to his death." While the mother was not charged with the crime (the boyfriend was), the court determination that injuries occurred under her care and custody implies a level of involvement or responsibility.
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)?
Multiple sources identify Nikko McLachlan as the boyfriend of the child's mother. The fox10phoenix.com article identifies him as the mother's boyfriend. The news3lv.com article states "The sheriff's office identified McLachlan as the boyfriend of the child's mother." He was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and child abuse in connection with the child's death. The Arizona DCS report refers to him as the mother's "significant other."
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 news articles confirm that Nikko McLachlan was arrested and charged. The fox10phoenix.com article states "detectives arrested McLachlan for homicide." He was charged with "first-degree murder per domestic violence, second-degree murder per domestic violence, and child abuse per domestic violence." The 8newsnow.com article notes that charges were later "dismissed 'without prejudice'" but the arrest and charges did occur.
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The charges against Nikko McLachlan are described as "first-degree murder per domestic violence, second-degree murder per domestic violence, and child abuse per domestic violence" (fox10phoenix.com, news3lv.com, 8newsnow.com). While the "per domestic violence" designation in Arizona law refers to the domestic relationship between perpetrator and victim (including children in the household) rather than necessarily indicating intimate partner violence between adults, the term "domestic violence" is explicitly referenced in the legal charges.
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
The 8newsnow.com article reports that all charges against Nikko McLachlan were dismissed "without prejudice" on October 6 after Arizona Superior Court Judge Billy K. Sipe, Jr. "questioned whether a crime had even been committed." McLachlan's attorney, Shannon Peters, stated the indictment, which came just two weeks after the boy's death in what she called a "rush to indict," relied on "false statements from the lead investigator in the case, who got information from a nurse that no one can identify now." The attorney also "pointed to the child's other medical conditions and disputed 'shaken baby' allegations in the case." This dismissal and the contested nature of the evidence—including the unidentifiable nurse and the child's unspecified other medical conditions—are substantive details that could materially affect a researcher's understanding of this case, as they raise significant questions about the underlying cause and manner of death.
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.