BURLINGTON — In what has become a too familiar sequence of events, prosecutors Friday morning arraigned a Shelburne man they say killed his girlfriend’s 2-year-old son.
This marks the third child homicide since February in Vermont, and the Department for Children and Families faces criticism that it does not effectively prevent such situations before they become deadly.
Joshua M. Blow, 26, pleaded not guilty to one count of second-degree murder in the death of Aiden Haskins, who turned 2 on Feb. 15. He is also ordered not to contact Ashley Stewart, Aiden’s mother.
DCF Friday confirmed it had an open case with Haskins when Aiden was born but the child was never in DCF custody and DCF had not been involved with the family for the past 22 months. DCF did not give the reason for the initial case.
Aiden died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head, Chittenden County head prosecutor T.J. Donovan told reporters Friday after Blow’s arraignment.
Aiden’s skull was fractured and three vertebrae were broken, according to police. He also appeared to have had old injuries.
Blow admitted he was responsible for Aiden’s death and was the only person at home with him Tuesday morning when he died but told police it was an accident. Doctors, however, told police Blow’s five conflicting accounts of how Aiden died don’t match his injuries.
“This was not an accident, this was intentional and we’ve charged him with murder,” Donovan said.
Aiden’s death comes after the homicides of Poultney 2-year-old Dezirae Sheldon in February and Winooski 14-month-old Peighton Geraw in April. DCF had taken custody of both of those babies then returned them to their mothers.
Dezirae’s stepfather, Dennis Duby, is charged with her death and Peighton’s mother, Nytosha Laforce, is charged with his.
Without criticizing DCF directly, Donovan said the litany of child deaths is unacceptable and the state should do a better job preventing dangerous situations for children. The increase in drug use in Vermont is putting children at especially high risk, he said.
“We have to get to people who are at risk – frankly pregnant mothers who may be addicted to drugs – and make sure they’re getting the right prenatal care,” as well as parenting classes and addiction treatment, Donovan said.
Donovan said he could not comment on whether Stewart is or had been using drugs.
Donovan lauded the Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations, a special police team that investigates child deaths and conducted this investigation and that of Peighton’s death.
Aiden’s death comes at the end of a week during which DCF officials assured state lawmakers they are reforming practices and adding more staff.
DCF plans to hire 10 new social workers and convert seven temporary workers to full time as part of a larger plan to improve child protection services.
DCF Commissioner Dave Yacovone, however, told lawmakers more staff is just a “tourniquet” for the problems at DCF. Preventing child abuse and neglect in the first place is the long-term solution, he said.
“The common thread between these three tragic cases is substance abuse. It feels to me we are in the middle of a substance abuse epidemic,” Yacovone wrote in an email.
Blow, who had been with Haskins six months, has a history with drugs and two minor charges that were dismissed, court records show. He also has an outstanding warrant in Hillsborough County, Florida, for violation of probation. He was arrested in Florida in 2013 for obtaining a controlled substance by fraud, according to police.
He was arrested in Richmond in 2003 for marijuana possession and in Burlington in 2008 for uttering a forged instrument but never charged in either case. In 2007 he was arrested in Essex County, New York, for possession of a controlled substance and marijuana and a speeding violation, according to the affidavit.
Stewart has no criminal record in Chittenden County Superior Court but was involved in three past family court cases, including one seeking child support from Aiden’s father, Noah Haskins.
Aiden’s death happened at Stewart’s home at 67 Hunter’s Way in Shelburne. Stewart’s father, Jay Stewart Sr., lives next door and called 911 after Blow brought the child there.
When police first arrived at 53 Hunter’s Way, Aiden’s grandparent’s house, Blow was performing CPR on Aiden, who was lying in a porch swing and wearing only a pair of blue shorts with both legs in one leg hole, according to the police affidavit, written by CUSI Detective Morgan Lawton.
Aiden was pronounced dead four hours later at the hospital after a CT scan and several hours in a pediatric intensive care unit where he received “a large dose of drugs.”
His injuries were: multiple skull fractures, compression fractures of three vertebrae, kidney laceration, bruising on his left shoulder, under his left jaw and older bruising over the right eye, according to the affidavit.
The final cause and manner of death will not be released by the medical examiner’s office until the results of toxicology and other tests are completed.
Police also spoke to Haskins, who said Aiden was a “typical 2-year-old” who loved tractors, boats, the outdoors and “papa,” his maternal grandfather.
She said Blow loved Aiden and took him on errands, to the park, snuggled and watched movies with him. He also used narcotics and could “snap” when he was using, she said.
Blow told police he had a good relationship with Aiden, who called him “daddy.”
During his interview with police, Blow made sobbing noises and took rapid, heavy breaths, but no tears flowed, according to the affidavit. He recanted one story about tripping over a cat, saying he did not want Ashley to blame him or think he did something “stupid.”
He also told police he fell down the stairs while carrying Aiden as he attempted to fetch his marijuana pipe from the basement to take it to work with him.
