Six-month-old Legacy was allowed by her mother to go with her biological father, Collie Dee Dawkins, to his home in the Upstate area of South Carolina. Shortly after picking up the child, Dawkins called the mother and began arguing with her, making threats to harm the child's life and demanding she meet him at a nearby hotel. Deputies responded to a 911 domestic dispute call from the mother just after midnight on October 24, 2022. After a BOLO was issued, Dawkins was located at a gas station off Highway 34 near I-26 in Newberry County. He was described as very agitated and aggressive. Legacy was found unresponsive and unrestrained in the back seat of his white Toyota Prius, which showed evidence of an unreported traffic accident. Alcohol bottles were present in the vehicle and the scent of alcohol was on Dawkins' breath. EMS transported Legacy to Newberry County Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. No visible marks of physical harm were found on her body. An investigation by SLED, the Newberry County Sheriff's Office, the Newberry County Coroner, and the 8th Judicial Circuit Solicitor's Office resulted in Dawkins' charges being upgraded from unlawful conduct to a child to homicide by 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 six-month-old infant was found "unrestrained and appeared to be unresponsive in a child seat" (Document 1). Document 2 states "6-month-old Legacy was found unresponsive in the back seat with no car restraints." The father also had alcohol bottles in the car and "a scent of alcohol on his breath" (Document 2), and the vehicle showed evidence of an unreported traffic accident. The father was charged for "Not having the infant in proper child restraints" (Document 1). The combination of an unrestrained infant in a car with an intoxicated, agitated driver after an apparent traffic accident constitutes inappropriate supervision.
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?
Document 1 (wltx.com) explicitly states: "There was also evidence the vehicle had been involved in an unreported traffic accident." This constitutes a clear mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident, although its direct connection to the child's death is not fully established.
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?
Both documents explicitly identify the suspect as the child's biological father. Document 1 states "deputies learned the father of a six-month-old child, Collie Dee Dawkins, of Lyman, had returned to the area after being allowed to take the child to his home." Document 2 states "38-year-old Colie Dawkins was arrested earlier this morning" and refers to him as "the father" and "the biological father." He was charged with homicide by child abuse.
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 (wltx.com) explicitly states: "evidence was discovered that upgraded the charge against Dawkins to homicide by child abuse. ... Dawkins was located and taken into custody just after noon Wednesday, November 9, and is being detained at the Newberry County Detention Center pending due course of law." He was charged with homicide by child abuse for the child's death.
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Document 1 (wltx.com) states Dawkins is "presently out on a $18,684.00 cash/surety bond for Domestic Violence 2nd Degree" among other charges. Document 2 (wistv.com) reports that deputies received "a call around midnight from the mother of the six-month-old about a domestic dispute with the father" and that Dawkins "began to threaten the child's life" during an argument with the mother. Both documents reference domestic violence by the caregiver.
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?
Document 1 (wltx.com) notes charges for "violation of the habitual offender act" and lists "Habitual Traffic Offender" and "Driving Under Suspension" among the charges from this incident. The designation of "Habitual Traffic Offender" legally requires multiple prior traffic convictions or suspensions, and "Driving Under Suspension" implies his license had been previously suspended. These charges, while filed in connection with this incident, inherently reference and depend upon a prior criminal driving history that predates the fatal incident.
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Document 2 (wistv.com) states: "Sheriff Foster says when deputies arrested the father there were alcohol bottles in the car and a scent of alcohol on his breath but according to the police report, it is unknown whether Dawkins was under the influence at the time." Document 1 also lists "Open Container" among the charges from the arrest. This constitutes a clear reference to substance (alcohol) use by the parent/caregiver.
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the text. First, Document 1 (wltx.com) states "There was also evidence the vehicle had been involved in an unreported traffic accident," which may be a critical factor in the child's death but is not fully explained. Second, Document 2 (wistv.com) reports the sheriff saying Legacy "had no marks on her that showed she had been physically harmed," which is significant given the subsequent homicide by child abuse charge — suggesting the fatal mechanism may have been related to the traffic accident, omission, or another non-visible cause rather than direct physical violence. Third, the charge definition provided in Document 1 — "an act or omission by any person who causes harm to the child's physical health or welfare, which could consist of failing to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, or medical care" — suggests that the homicide charge may rest on an act of omission or the consequences of the unreported traffic accident rather than direct physical abuse.
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