Father Punched Baby To Death, Mother ‘Chose To Look Away’

A 20-year-old mother from Macon, Georgia, was arrested Tuesday for being complicit in the murder of her 1-year-old baby. The infant died after succumbing to internal head injuries, a result of repetitive punches from his father, who was arrested Jan. 25.

The woman, identified as Jaimie Lynn Howard, was accused of “acting in concert” with her 21-year-old husband, A’kym Malek Henderson. Henderson hit the baby, King, in the head several times, making him unresponsive. He was arrested and charged with felony murder. The reason why he was hitting the boy was not known.

An autopsy revealed the baby succumbed to “head trauma” and there “was no visible injury” at the time he was inspected by the hospital staff, the Telegraph reported, referring to a police release. The incident took place Jan. 24.

During the investigation, Howard said she was not aware of the incident and woke up to her son being unresponsive, and rushed him to a local hospital's emergency ward. She stuck to her story for a while, but later changed it, stating she saw Henderson punch their son in the head multiple times.

Howard “attempted to cover up this incident by initially stating... she was only woken up by the victim struggling to breathe,” according to another reported that cited the arrest warrant. Howard “chose to look away” when the baby was being hit, and did not bring King medical assistance until he became unconscious.

Howard’s half-brother Aaron Beaver said she and her husband were devoted parents and took good care of King. They even stopped going to parties at night to look after their baby, he said.

“They gave all that up when King was born,” Beaver said. “She and A’kym put that baby on a pedestal.”

Beaver added that his sister was completely shattered following the incident, and had become quite an introvert ever since.

“She’s been heartbroken since it happened. She’s into herself,” he said.

Denying Howard’s involvement in the crime, Beaver said she had been “the sweetest little girl since she was 10, and wouldn’t harm a butterfly.”

Howard wanted a private autopsy on King as she was not convinced about her husband's involvement in the death, Beaver said. She told his family and relatives she wanted the boy cremated, and keep his remains in an hourglass necklace she would wear around her neck.

Howard grew up in Thomaston, Connecticut, and moved to Macon with her husband to live with his mother after their child was born. Both husband and wife were being held at the Bibb Law Enforcement Center in Georgia.