Seven-month-old Jackson Thadius Hazell died on April 8, 2022, in Fort Fairfield, Maine, after ingesting fentanyl that his father, Stanley Hazell, dropped into his crib or pack'n play. The infant died within minutes of swallowing the drug. Stanley Hazell had been using fentanyl and had experienced an overdose scare approximately six weeks before Jackson's death. After the baby's mother, Julia Maguire, gave Hazell an ultimatum to choose between fentanyl and his family, Hazell and his mother convinced Maguire that he was clean; she allowed him back into the apartment, and Jackson was dead the following day. The Maine State Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide. Following a year-long investigation, Stanley Hazell was arrested in November 2023 and ultimately pleaded guilty to manslaughter, receiving a sentence of 12 years with all but four years suspended and six years of probation.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Document 3 states: "Hazell dropped fentanyl into Jackson's crib or pack'n play" and "the infant had died within minutes of swallowing the drug." Additionally, Assistant Attorney General Leanne Robbin stated that "Hazell exposed Jackson to lethal amounts of illegal fentanyl."
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)
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?
Stanley Hazell is identified as Jackson Hazell's biological father across all three documents. Document 1 states he "is accused of killing his 7-month-old son, Jackson Hazell." Document 3 describes him as the one who "dropped fentanyl into Jackson's crib or pack'n play" and was sentenced for manslaughter.
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?
Document 1 states: "Stanley Hazell, 24, was arrested Nov. 13 in Caribou on a manslaughter charge." Document 3 confirms he "pleaded guilty on Nov. 25 to manslaughter" and was sentenced to "12 years, all but four suspended with six years probation."
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?
Document 3 states: "He continued to use fentanyl even after he had an overdose scare about six weeks before Jackson's death." Additionally, the prosecutor stated that "Stanley Hazell is the person who should have protected his son but he intentionally brought this poison into the home that he shared with his wife and son." The mother also gave Stanley an ultimatum to "choose between fentanyl and living with them."
Notable Details
Document 3 contains several notable details: (1) Stanley Hazell had an overdose scare approximately six weeks before Jackson's death but continued using fentanyl. (2) The baby's mother, Julia Maguire, gave Hazell an ultimatum to choose between fentanyl and his family; "When Stanley and his mother convinced her [Maguire] that Stanley was now clean, she let him back into the apartment in Fort Fairfield, the next day Jackson was dead." (3) The prosecution drew a direct parallel to the Mariah Dobbins case, in which Dobbins pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2022 death of her 14-month-old son Jaden Raymond, also from the toxic effects of fentanyl, in the same court. The joint sentencing recommendation mirrored the Dobbins sentence due to the similar facts and circumstances, suggesting a pattern of fentanyl-related infant deaths in the jurisdiction.
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