Two-year-old Ezekiel Harry of Houma, Louisiana, died on July 12, 2022, from severe blunt force trauma to the head, ruled a homicide. His mother, Maya Gwenlyn Jones, and her live-in boyfriend, Jermaine Michael Robinson, were arrested and charged with first-degree murder and obstruction of justice. On the day of the incident, Jones reported to police that Ezekiel had been abducted from a street by a person in a gray truck, prompting a large-scale search. However, surveillance footage revealed that Jones and Robinson had left their home overnight with a black duffel bag and returned without it around 5 a.m. During police questioning, one of the suspects provided information leading to the discovery of Ezekiel's body stuffed inside a trash can on Daspit Street, approximately 1.5 miles from the family home, about six hours after the fabricated abduction report. Both defendants face the death penalty in a capital murder prosecution.
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 FOIA document states the cause of death was "Blunt force trauma to the head" and manner was "Homicide." The kiro7 article states Ezekiel "died July 12 of severe blunt force trauma to the head." The fox8live article states he was "found beaten to death inside of a Houma trash can." The phrase "beaten to death" explicitly indicates inflicted physical injury.
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 died from "severe blunt force trauma to the head" ruled as homicide. While the specific clinical term "abusive head trauma" is not used, the combination of inflicted blunt force trauma to the head of a 2-year-old in a homicide context constitutes abusive head trauma by definition.
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 kiro7 article states: "His mother, Maya Gwenlyn Jones, 28, and her boyfriend, Jermaine Michael Robinson, 37, are charged with first-degree murder and obstruction of justice." The biological mother is directly charged with first-degree murder in her child's 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 kiro7 article identifies "her boyfriend, Jermaine Michael Robinson, 37" as co-charged with first-degree murder. The fox8live article describes him as "her live-in boyfriend, Jermaine Robinson." He is the mother's male paramour, not the child's biological father.
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?
The kiro7 article states: "His mother, Maya Gwenlyn Jones, 28, and her boyfriend, Jermaine Michael Robinson, 37, are charged with first-degree murder and obstruction of justice." Both adults were arrested and charged in connection with the child's death.
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?
The fox8live article includes a related story headline: "Boyfriend of the mother of Ezekiel Harry found guilty of drug, child abuse charges in the past." This explicitly indicates Jermaine Robinson had prior criminal convictions for drug and child abuse charges that predate the current fatal incident.
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The fox8live article includes a related story headline: "Boyfriend of the mother of Ezekiel Harry found guilty of drug, child abuse charges in the past." This references prior drug charges for Jermaine Robinson, the mother's live-in boyfriend and co-caregiver, implying substance-related criminal involvement.
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the sources. The mother fabricated a child abduction story, telling police a person in a gray truck grabbed Ezekiel while they were walking on Mahler Street. Surveillance footage was pivotal in unraveling the cover-up, showing Jones and Robinson leaving their Cadiere Street home overnight with a black duffel bag and returning without it around 5 a.m. The child's body was found stuffed in a trash can on Daspit Street, about a mile and a half from the family home. The kiro7 article reports the mother carried an empty infant carrier while walking with her three other children to stage the fake abduction. Additionally, the fox8live article notes that Robinson had prior convictions for drug and child abuse charges, raising questions about whether the child's safety could have been better protected. Both defendants face the death penalty, and as of July 2024, the trial had been repeatedly postponed due to the large number of motions filed, with a new date set for August 19, 2024.
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