On April 25, 2022, in the early morning hours, Marshawn Giles, the mother's boyfriend, attacked both the 20-month-old girl and her mother in their apartment in the 5600 block of Schroeder Road in Madison, Wisconsin. According to the criminal complaint, Giles began exhibiting erratic behavior (described as "tweaking") that evening, then entered the toddler's room where he beat the mother and the child. He allegedly threw the toddler into a bathroom toward a bathtub, punched her, and threw her into an open toilet. He also sexually assaulted the child. The mother escaped the apartment and screamed for help. Officers arrived to find blood on the walls and the toddler lying naked with a pillow over her face, with bruises, cuts, and blue-tinged lips. She was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. An autopsy revealed skull fractures and blunt force injuries consistent with sexual assault. Giles, who had an extensive criminal history and an active Department of Corrections warrant, was taken into custody at the scene and charged with 18 counts including first-degree intentional homicide and first-degree child sexual assault.
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?
The Channel 3000 article states that Giles is accused of "pointing a gun at a five-year-old child on April 18, 2022" and that the mother "claimed Giles had pointed a gun at her and threatened to kill her the night before." While the firearm was not the cause of the toddler's death, firearm incidents are explicitly mentioned as part of the broader set of violent incidents in this case.
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 Channel 3000 article describes multiple inflicted injuries: Giles "slapped her and punched her in the face before hitting the toddler," "threw the toddler into a bathroom toward a bathtub, then punched her and the mother again," and "threw the toddler into an open toilet." The autopsy found "skull fractures and blunt force 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?
The Channel 3000 article states Giles faces charges including "first-degree child sexual assault" and "second-degree sexual assault." Additionally, the article reports that "an autopsy found that the toddler suffered skull fractures and blunt force injuries consistent with sexual assault."
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
While the specific terms "shaken baby syndrome" or "abusive head trauma" are not used, the Channel 3000 article reports that "an autopsy found that the toddler suffered skull fractures" resulting from being thrown and punched. Skull fractures from being thrown and struck constitute abusive head trauma, even though the clinical term is not explicitly stated.
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?
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)?
The WMTV article identifies Marshawn Giles as "a 23-year-old man at the scene who was reportedly in a relationship with the child's mother." He is not described as the child's biological father but as the mother's boyfriend/paramour, making him a male paramour involved in the child's death.
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)?
The WMTV article states that prior to the fatal incident, "officers were dispatched to the same unit for the abuse of the baby girl's older sibling" and that police had "been working with Child Protective Services to determine what happened in that case." The Channel 3000 article details prior incidents on April 18, 2022 (hitting a 7-year-old and pointing a gun at a 5-year-old) and April 22, 2022 (grandparent reported assault on the mother). These demonstrate a history of child protection-related reports prior to the toddler's death.
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 WMTV article states that "someone has been taken into custody" and "Madison police officers detained a 23-year-old man at the scene." The Channel 3000 article reports that Giles faces 18 charges including "first-degree intentional homicide" and was given "a $1 million cash bond following the toddler's death." A trial began for these charges.
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Both articles describe domestic violence by Giles against the children's mother. The Channel 3000 article states that "On April 22, 2022, the children's grandparent reported that he assaulted the children's mother, pushing her into a bathroom door." The same article describes Giles beating the mother during the fatal incident: "she had facial injuries and said Giles had beaten her," and he "tried to rape the children's mother, slapped her and punched her in the face." The WMTV article also notes "the woman, who was the baby's mother, had also been attacked."
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?
Both articles describe Giles' prior criminal history. The WMTV article states he was "someone with a long criminal history" and notes "a recent Dept. of Corrections warrant warned authorities to consider him 'armed and dangerous.'" The Channel 3000 article details prior history: "Giles was arrested multiple times in 2019. He allegedly fled police multiple times that year and was involved in a drive-by shooting in Janesville. He was sentenced to six months in jail with Huber privileges for one of the police chases and a year-long jail sentence with Huber privileges was withheld in the other chase. He was given a one-year prison sentence with two years of parole stemming from his involvement in the drive-by shooting."
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The Channel 3000 article states that Giles "allegedly began 'tweaking' and said there was someone in one of the bedrooms when there was nobody in the room." "Tweaking" is colloquial slang for being under the influence of stimulant drugs, typically methamphetamine. This implies substance use by the caregiver, though no specific substance is named outright.
Notable Details
Several systemic issues are evident. The WMTV article notes that prior to the fatal incident, police had responded to the same apartment for child assault involving Giles and the toddler's older sibling, and were "working with Child Protective Services." However, "Giles was not taken into custody at that time because he could not be located." While the older siblings were moved to stay with grandparents, the 20-month-old victim apparently remained in the home. The Channel 3000 article reveals that despite multiple prior arrests in 2019 including police chases and a drive-by shooting, Giles received relatively lenient sentences (six months jail, one-year sentence withheld, one-year prison with two years parole). A Department of Corrections warrant described him as "armed and dangerous," yet he remained at large and had access to the children's home.
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