Paxton Judd Stokes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On November 27, 2012 three month old Paxton Stokes was left in the care of Joshua Harding by his mother Brianna Brown. Harding told officers he had been in bed with Paxton and when he started crying when he changed his diaper. After he laid him down in the bassinet but he eventually stopped crying. After Paxton's mother returned home, Harding asked her to get him and she discovered that her son was unresponsive. Paxton was found not breathing he was transported to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

 

Brown and Harding were the only adults who were with Paxton during the time frame that he sustained the injuries that killed him. Brown told police she never hurt her baby and didn't see or hear anyone else abuse him, despite the numerous bruises and other obvious indications that Paxton was being abused. Brown said the bruising and abrasions to Paxton's neck occurred when he was being cleaned under the chin with a washcloth, but Paxton’s injuries were inconsistent with a cleaning. Investigators believe Brown either injured the baby or allowed someone else to. Harding denied shaking Paxton but said the baby "was crying and very angry" and had soiled his blanket and clothing. 

 

A medical examiner determined that Paxton had suffered "non-accidental injuries consistent with child abuse,” In addition to head and brain injuries, Paxton also had a bruise on his forehead, bruises and abrasions on his lower face and neck, red spots in his eye, bruises on his leg and hip and abnormalities "suggestive of resolving fractures.” The injuries to Paxton's head were caused by "an extreme amount of force" from being hit or objects hitting him.

 

Harding was charged with child abuse homicide, a first degree felony, but prosecutors asked a judge to drop that charge the next day, they decided they did not have enough information to proceed. Paxton’s mother, Brianna Brown, was sentenced to probation and jail time for drug related child endangerment. Brown pleaded guilty to three felony counts of reckless endangerment of a child. While she admitted to facts regarding her exposing three different children to marijuana, she did not admit to any facts regarding abuse to Paxton. Brown’s sentence includes a potential 15 year prison term if she fails to comply with the terms of her three year probation. She will serve 210 days in Utah County Jail, 120 of which will be ankle monitored. Brown must also complete substance abuse treatment, mental health evaluations and comply with requirements of the Division of Child and Family Services.

 

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