Braylon Alexander

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lekedrin Smith had been dating Dolis Alexander for about a year when after leaving him to baby sit while she went to work. On June 30, 2008 two year old Braylon Alexander seamed fine and appeared in good health when his mother woke up for work. She left her son with Smith who later called her reporting that Braylon had fallen and thrown up. She went home and found Smith holding her son who was unresponsive. She took him to the emergency room at that point. Braylon was transported to Arkansas Children’s Hospital where he died later from multiple head injuries. Emergency room personnel at North Metro were told that the Braylon had fallen twice outside from a standing position and that he had vomited between 8 and 9 p.m. Braylon had noticeable bruising on his forehead. According to police Braylon's injuries included a handprint on his buttocks, multiple bruises on the forehead and a noticeable knot on the back of his head.

 

Humphries and Lt. Martin Cass met Alexander and Smith at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and advised them of their Miranda rights. Smith told the officers that Braylon had fallen twice and that he hadn’t seen him fall the first time. He said he picked him up and put him on the porch and the child fell backwards off the porch and went limp. Smith said he picked the child up and shook him as the child was in and out of consciousness. He said he shook him several more times and Braylon vomited. He called the Alexander at that point. Smith changed his story several times and also said he left the residence to go to the store. He said that he didn’t call 911 because he didn’t think it was an emergency but Alexander said it was obvious that her son’s condition was an emergency. Alexasnder was  insistent that her boyfriend would never do anything to hurt her son, saying that he loved him and that her son was so fragile that anything could hurt him. Dolis Yvonne Alexander says that her boyfriend did not hurt her son:

"My son is very fragile he has severe medical problems and past medical problems.  He is fragile to anything," Stating that her son was a miracle baby, she said that she was not going to allow someone her son loved to go go jail for something he didn't do: "My son has a bruise on his forehead and a scrap on his nose  and his lip like he fell, you c an see it. "I'm going to stick beside my boyfriend and I'm Braylon's mother and there is no way. I know he didn't do it." As a mother being somewhat in her situation I know that you don’t want to believe that the person you entrusted with you child can hurt them. But when the doctors say the injuries are inconsistent with their version of what happened PLEASE ladies don’t stick up for the monster who took your child’s life.

 

The Arkansas Children’s Hospital physician’s report said the child suffered a closed head injury with subdural hematomas of both front lobes, skull fracture of the parietal and occipital bones, hemorrhages in both eyes and bruising on the buttocks, abrasions on the lower back, and bruises on the upper back (scapula), groin and abdomen. The examining physician determined that the injuries that Braylon had sustained would not be consistent with a fall from a standing position or the height of a step, if there had been more than one fall, which is what was claimed. One injury in particular indicated a high force injury to the head.  The physician reported that “in the absence of a major accidental injury such as a crush injury, these findings were indicative of an inflicted head injury, which could occur by shaking when a caregiver gets frustrated with a child. There was evidence of impact injury to the head as well.”

 

About an hour after turning himself in, Lekedrin was on his way to the Pulaski Country Jail, charged with capital murder. With capital murder, prosecutors are able to seek the death penalty. Lekedrin will be spending about 30 years in prison.