On April 21, 2023, in Great Falls, Montana, 2-month-old Ezekiel was beaten to death by his mother, Whisper Rayne Hawkbear, age 20. Hawkbear called 911 at approximately 2:30 a.m. because her two children would not stop crying and she wanted to sleep; she stated she had PTSD and anxiety. She then canceled the call. She subsequently threw Ezekiel against a wall, hit him with a play pen, and stomped on his head. She also slammed her toddler daughter into a mirror repeatedly, nearly severing the child's nose. After the children stopped crying, Hawkbear went to sleep. She woke around 4:15 a.m. and called 911 after seeing the infant's condition. Ezekiel was pronounced dead at the hospital at 5:17 a.m. Drug paraphernalia was found in the home, and the children's father, who lived out of state, had requested a welfare check two days prior due to concerns about drug abuse. Hawkbear pleaded guilty to deliberate homicide.
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)
Both documents describe multiple inflicted injuries. Document 1 (montanarightnow.com) states Hawkbear "threw Ezekiel into a wall, hit him with a play pen and stomped on his head." Document 2 (krtv.com) corroborates: "she threw the infant against a wall and stomped on his head." Officers found the baby with "multiple blunt force injuries" (Document 1) and "blood on his face" (Document 2).
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 text explicitly describes abusive head trauma. Document 1 (montanarightnow.com) states Hawkbear "stomped on his head." Document 2 (krtv.com) confirms: "she threw the infant against a wall and stomped on his head." Stomping on a 2-month-old's head constitutes 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?
Whisper Rayne Hawkbear is identified as the biological mother who killed her son Ezekiel. Document 1 (montanarightnow.com) states she "pleaded guilty of beating her 2-month-old baby to death." Document 2 (krtv.com) identifies her as the mother: "Hawkbear has been charged with killing her two-month old son."
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)?
Document 1 (montanarightnow.com) states: "the father who lived in another state had asked for a welfare check two days prior due to alleged drug abuse." Document 2 (krtv.com) elaborates: "the alleged birth father of the children, who is out of state, had requested a welfare check of the children on April 19, claiming that Whisper was using drugs and he was concerned about her ability to care for the kids. At this point, we do not know if a welfare check was conducted." This welfare check request, prompted by concerns about drug abuse and the children's safety, constitutes a prior report of concern regarding child welfare, though it is unclear whether it was formally processed or acted upon.
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 2 (krtv.com) states: "Hawkbear has been charged with deliberate homicide and assault on a minor." Document 1 (montanarightnow.com) further confirms she "pleaded guilty of beating her 2-month-old baby to death." She was arrested on April 21, 2023.
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?
Document 2 (krtv.com) states that Hawkbear told police she "initially called at about 2:30 a.m. because she has PTSD and anxiety, and her children would not stop crying and she wanted to sleep." This directly references the caregiver's mental health conditions.
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Both documents reference drug use by the mother. Document 1 (montanarightnow.com) states: "the father who lived in another state had asked for a welfare check two days prior due to alleged drug abuse. Charging documents say drug paraphernalia was found in the home." Document 2 (krtv.com) states: "claiming that Whisper was using drugs" and officers "also [saw] what appeared to be drug paraphernalia."
Notable Details
Document 2 (krtv.com) reveals a potentially significant systemic issue: the biological father requested a welfare check two days before the fatal incident (April 19), "claiming that Whisper was using drugs and he was concerned about her ability to care for the kids," but the article notes: "At this point, we do not know if a welfare check was conducted." This raises questions about whether a timely welfare check could have prevented Ezekiel's death. Additionally, after beating the children, Hawkbear went to sleep and did not call 911 until she woke hours later; Document 2 states: "Hawkbear told police the children stopped crying and she was able to go to sleep. When she woke up at about 4:15 a.m., she saw the infant and called 911." The charge of assault on a minor (for the toddler) was later dismissed as part of the plea, per Document 1.
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