On December 21, 2023, in Roy, Utah, 2-year-old Aleister died from blunt force trauma injuries inflicted by Jonathan Dunn, 36, a family friend who was babysitting the boy and his twin sister. Dunn called 911 to report the child was not breathing and was performing CPR when officers arrived. Officers found the boy on the front porch with several visible injuries to his face and body, and his twin sister was found inside with bruises on her face. During a police interview, Dunn admitted to punching both children repeatedly in the back, sides, and chest the night before, throwing them on the bed while they cried, and pinching both children's genitals. Both twins showed signs of sexual abuse. The boy was transported to the hospital where he died, and the girl was hospitalized. Dunn, who had a prior 2017 conviction for child abuse, was charged with aggravated murder, two counts of aggravated child abuse, and two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child. Nine children total were present in the residence and were being evaluated by child protective services.
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 Fox 13 article reports that during a police interview, Dunn admitted "he began to punch the male and female child repeatedly in the back and sides and chest" and "picked up the children and began throwing them on the bed while they cried." The Gephardt Daily article notes the twins were sent to a hospital with "blunt force trauma injuries."
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?
Both documents explicitly reference sexual abuse. The Gephardt Daily article states detectives determined there were "indications of sexual abuse" of the twin toddlers. The Fox 13 article reports that Dunn told detectives "he had pinched the genitals of both children." Dunn was also charged with two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child.
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?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
The Gephardt Daily article explicitly states: "At the time, Dunn was babysitting the twins, who did not reside at his address." Dunn was functioning as a babysitter when the fatal injuries were inflicted.
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)?
Jonathan Dunn is explicitly identified as a male friend of the family. The Gephardt Daily article states: "Roy police said Dunn was actually a friend of the victim's family." The Fox 13 article describes him as "A male family friend" and an "adopted uncle." He was directly responsible for the child's death through the inflicted injuries.
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?
Both articles confirm Jonathan Dunn was arrested and charged. The Gephardt Daily article states he was "arrested and booked into the Weber County Jail" and faces charges including "one count of aggravated murder." The Fox 13 article states he "is in custody for murder, aggravated child abuse and sexual abuse."
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 Fox 13 article states: "In 2017, Dunn was convicted and sentenced to prison for child abuse." This is a prior criminal conviction predating the current fatal incident.
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
A notable systemic detail is that Jonathan Dunn had a prior 2017 conviction for child abuse, as stated in the Fox 13 article: "In 2017, Dunn was convicted and sentenced to prison for child abuse." Despite this prior conviction, he was still entrusted with babysitting young children. Additionally, there were a total of nine children in the home at the time, and all were "being evaluated by detectives and staff from the state Division of Child and Family Services, as to injuries or abuse" per the Gephardt Daily article, suggesting potential wider harm. The Fox 13 article also notes that Dunn "had previously been convicted of child abuse" and was described as an "adopted uncle" who "had custody of the children," raising questions about how a person with a child abuse conviction came to be entrusted with children in a caregiving role.
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