Man Walks, Charges Dropped After Infant Death Because DA Told Press He Only Babysat to 'Get Laid'

Instead, William Jacobs, 22, has seen the charge dropped because of a shocking and inflammatory interview Fremount County District Attorney Linda Stanley gave to a reporter ahead of his trial. In it, she trashed the defendant relentlessly, per the Canon City Daily Record.

Jacobs was accused of shaking Edward Hayes to death while he was babysitting in a "filthy" Motel 6 room he shared with his girlfriend of just a few days in Cañon City, south of Colorado Springs in May 2023, per Law&Crime. The girlfriend, Brook Crawford, 21, was reportedly working the front desk during the killing.

The coroner report states that Edward was killed by blunt-force trauma to the head. Jacobs was formally arrested and charged with first-degree murder on May 21. He was also charged with child abuse causing death. Crawford was charged with child abuse causing injury and child abuse causing serious bodily injury.

During an interview with police, Jacobs first said he was changing the baby's diaper when he "went stiff and began making gargling noises. He did admit to biting the baby on the arm "while playing with him" and hitting his head on a door frame while taking him to the bathroom to throw up.

At a preliminary hearing, expert testimony declared that Edward's death was non-accidental based on the severity and pattern of injuries. Jacobs was released on a personal recognizance bond April 9, as Crawford declared he could stay with her.

It all fell apart when Stanley agreed to to talk about the case with Colorado Spring's ABC affiliate, KRDO.

In the wild and inflammatory interview, Stanley told the station, "I'm going to be very blunt here. He has zero investment in this child. Zero. He's watching that baby so he can get laid. That's it. And have a place to sleep."

"I'm sorry to be blunt, but honest to God, that's what's going on," she added. The DA also had a theory about Crawford, suggesting that she moved in so quickly with Jacobs for a "live-in babysitter."

"I think she saw a live-in babysitter. Now she can just really pound out the hours, right? She's got a live-in now. She doesn't have to worry about anything," she told the station.

She went on to suggest about the couple's attitude toward Edward, "Without the caring factor, without the love factor, the baby is a pain in the a--."

And Stanley didn't stop there. Shortly before her interview, Jacobs' attorney was in court trying to get him "un-registered" as a sex offender, stemming back to an unknown offense from 2017 when he was a minor (his juvenile case file is not public).

The judge in that case did mention Jacobs' mother was the named victim, but there were no further details about the case offered. His removal from the list was approved. His mother also did not object.

According to the New York Post, Stanley said to that reporter that Jacobs "has a pretty awful post, including fondling his mom ... It's not good ... It's kinda weird ... What kid fondles their mom, right?" She disclosed that Jacobs had previously been charged with a sex crime and spent time in a juvenile detention.

In her order regarding this case, Fremont County District Court Judge Kaitlin Turner said that she ultimately dropped the charges against Jacobs because of the "knowing and intentional outrageous government conduct" of Stanley. The charges against Crawford had been previously dropped.

In responding to the motion to dismiss the case against Jacobs, Turner wrote of Stanley's interview, "This conduct violated Mr. Jacobs' right to due process." She also stated that Stanley tainted the jury pool, hurting his chance at a fair trail, adding, "As a result, dismissal of the charges is an appropriate remedy."

Stanley is facing a possible disbarment, as well as an ethics complaint. Her hearing is set for June 10. She has denied the complaints against her.