On December 15, 2022, 18-month-old Jacob Flowers was being babysat by Brandon Sullivan and his girlfriend at their Portage, Michigan apartment while Jacob's mother, Jennifer Lawson, was at work. Sullivan's girlfriend, who was supposed to be the primary caregiver, left the apartment to run errands, leaving Jacob alone with Sullivan for approximately two hours. Emergency responders were called at 5:50 p.m. after the child was found unresponsive. Sullivan initially claimed the child had vomited and he was performing CPR, but the child's injuries were catastrophic — including blunt force head trauma, detached retinas, numerous retinal hemorrhages, massive brain bleeding, and strokes. Jacob was transported to Bronson Methodist Hospital, where he died the following evening on December 16, 2022. An autopsy ruled the death a homicide caused by blunt force head trauma. Sullivan was arrested approximately 14 weeks later and charged with felony murder and first-degree child abuse.
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)?
The MLive article (Document 2) states: "Sullivan was the boyfriend of the woman babysitting Jacob at a Portage apartment, but the woman left Jacob and Sullivan alone." The WWMT article (Document 4) further clarifies: "Sullivan's girlfriend was supposed to be the primary caregiver, not Sullivan" and "The couple later admitted Sullivan was alone with the toddler for roughly two hours while the girlfriend ran errands with their two children." The child's care was delegated to someone who was not the designated caregiver, representing an inappropriate supervision arrangement.
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The WWMT article quotes Judge Santoni: "The injuries to Jacob were horrific. These are not the kinds of things that are caused by a normal child falling down." The autopsy determined the cause of death was "blunt force head trauma" ruled as homicide. The child had "detached retinas in his eyes and massive bleeding in the brain which caused him to experience strokes." This clearly establishes inflicted 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?
While the exact terms "shaken baby syndrome" or "abusive head trauma" are not used, the WWMT article describes injuries that are hallmarks of abusive head trauma: "Flowers had detached retinas in his eyes and massive bleeding in the brain which caused him to experience strokes" and "severe traumatic brain injury along with numerous retinal hemorrhages." The cause of death was "blunt force head trauma" ruled as homicide. Retinal hemorrhages, detached retinas, and subdural hemorrhaging in an infant are classic indicators of 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?
Multiple documents confirm that Sullivan and his girlfriend were babysitting the child. The Fox17 article states: "Sullivan and his girlfriend had been babysitting the child in their apartment at the time of his injuries." The WWMT article states: "The couple watched the toddler routinely each week while his mother was working." Sullivan was the babysitter who caused the child's fatal injuries.
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?
The Fox17 article states: "police announced that they had arrested Brandon Bryce Sullivan, 29, of Portage on charges of felony murder and first-degree child abuse in the boy's death." The MLive article (Document 2) confirms: "Brandon Sullivan, 29, of Portage, was arraigned Monday, March 27, charged with first-degree child abuse and felony murder in Jacob'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?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the sources. First, there was a significant 14-week delay between the child's death and Sullivan's arrest. The MLive article (Document 2) states: "Sullivan was arrested 14 weeks and two days after Jacob's death." Second, Sullivan initially lied to police about the circumstances. The WWMT article states: "Sullivan originally claimed he was home with his girlfriend when the toddler 'got sick'" but "The couple later admitted Sullivan was alone with the toddler for roughly two hours while the girlfriend ran errands with their two children." Third, the judge highlighted the implausibility of Sullivan's account: "You have to use common sense... I raised three kids who have thrown up multiple times in their lives, it makes no sense that he was giving the child CPR if he was throwing up." These details regarding the delay in arrest, the deceptive statements by Sullivan, and the judge's critique of the narrative are substantive to a researcher's understanding of how this case was investigated and prosecuted.
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