Brianna Kichelle Hester

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brianna was the daughter of Kim Hester and was considered to be a miracle child, since her mother suffered with Endometriosis and with many complications and at one point, the possibility of a hysterectomy, it was thought that Kim would never be able to get pregnant.About a year after giving birth, Kim met a man named Daryl who seemed to be everything anyone could want in a man. Brianna was not even a year old when Kim made the decision that she and her daughter were going to move in with Daryl. Kim wanted the best for Brianna so she decided to enroll in school to become a nurse. In April of 2009, Kim's family had called in at least five more complaints to DEFACS when family and friends started noticing that Brianna had more and more bruising. Kim was distancing herself more and more because she felt her family was being overly concerned about Brianna.

 

On April 30, 2009 Hester was attending nursing school and left Jones  to babysit Brianna and his three daughters ages three and five and ten year old Alijah. Daryl had called Kim at school to say that Brianna had fallen and hit her head and was not breathing. Jonathan Currier was first at the scene for a 911 call that a baby had fallen and was not breathing. Upon arrival Jones' three children were outside the second floor apartment and Daryl Jones was found inside kneeling with his hands on his knees beside Brianna, who was lying on her back with her head about a foot from a window seat. She was not breathing but had a pulse. Currier, was also a neighbor of the Jones family. "I noticed bruises of varying age on the child's jaw. They were small, round like the tips of fingers." Brianna was taken to the hospital, but there was nothing hospital staff could do for Brianna and she was life flighted to another hospital. Brianna was brain dead by the time she reached the hospital and was placed on life support. Kim had to make the decision to take her daughter off of life support and Brianna died on May 1, 2009. The autopsy showed Brianna died of blunt force trauma consistent with shaken baby syndrome. The medical examiner found 36 separate injuries of varying degrees of severity and that Brianna suffered fatal brain damage.

 

Ten year old Alijah was a crucial witness against his father. Alijah told and showed police how his father repeatedly slammed crying Brianna face first onto the floor of their home. Jones’ was arrested and charged with felony murder. Police Sgt. Bill Daras testified as to what Alijah had told him:"Alijah told me he witnessed his father pick Brianna up by the throat and heslammed her forehead into the ground nine or ten times. He showed me how his father did it, with his hand on the back of Brianna's neck" Alijah testified against his father but unfortunately his testimony was not enough. Jones’ was acquitted and was able to return home because he was suffering from kidney disease and needed medical treatments and jailing him would cause financial as well as transportation problems.

 

In August of 2012 a jury convicted Jones’ on the murder and cruelty to children charges. Alijah had testified in this trial as well and Jones’ testified that maybe Alijah was the one to cause the injuries that lead to the death of Brianna. Jones’ was taken back to jail and sentenced to life in prison.