Texas – A Texas woman was taken into custody on Dec. 8 and now faces capitaI murder charges of a person under 10 years old in the death of her 3‑year‑old chiId, Davson. Her partner, 30-year-old Cristopher, also now faces capitaI murder charges following the chiId’s death last week, after originally being charged earlier this year with injury to a chiId causing great bodiIy injury, staIking and tampering with physicaI evidence, according to the Sheriff’s Office and court documents.
The case began when the mom’s partner brought the child to the emergency room Hospital staff immediately noticed that the child was unresponsive and suffering from severe injuries inconsistent with the explanation the man provided, which was that he found the boy after hearing a loud noise from another room. Medical personnel observed severe brain trauma, including bIeeding, widespread bruising in various stages of healing across his body, wounds to his chest and stomach, and other serious physical trauma, leading staff to contact law enforcement.
Police treated the situation as a suspected child abuse case and began a full investigation. Detectives executed a search warrant at the apartment shared by the mother, her partner and the victim, collecting evidence that suggested efforts had been made to clean or conceal blood and other trace evidence tied to the child’s injuries. Officers also seized multiple cellphones and electronic devices for review.
During the investigation, detectives uncovered text messages exchanged between the mother and her partner over several weeks before the hospital visit that discussed the child’s injuries. In one message, the mother reportedly told her partner the child had a bruise on his eyebrow and cheek, called him reckIess, and said he was hurting the chiId. In another message later that month, she allegedly wrote that the child was injured every time her partner was alone with him. At times she suggested bruises on the child’s genitaIs could have occurred at daycare, and she indicated the child was staying home to recover from injuries.
Investigators interpreted these messages as evidence that the mother was aware of repeated injuries and that the child’s health was deteriorating over time while in her partner’s care. Detectives also concluded from the device data that both adults feared a Child Protective Services investigation if the victim was taken for medical treatment earlier, and that they omitted critical information about the child’s condition when he was eventually brought to the hospital in October.
The mother initially was arrested in October on a charge of injury to a child by omission, meaning prosecutors alleged she failed to act to protect the child from harm. At the same time, her partner was arrested on charges of injury to a child and tampering with evidence in connection with the scene and the child’s injuries. She was released on bond after posting $100,000, while her partner remained in custody.
While the child initially survived and remained in the hospital, his condition did not improve. Last week, the child died from his injuries, bringing an end to his struggle for life. His death prompted prosecutors to upgrade the charges against both defendants to capitaI murder, one of the most serious charges under Texas law and punishable by life in prison without parole or, in some cases, the death penalty.
The child was placed in a medically induced coma for over a month. When he awoke, his condition had not improved. He did not track movement, smile, cry, or make any noise, and his body showed severe rigidity, with his wrists curled into his chest and feet extended straight with no ankle movement, leaving him in a vegetative state. Despite medical interventions and multiple surgeries, his injuries were so severe that he ultimately died last week.
