Colorado Man's Murder Charges Dismissed After Prosecutor's Misconduct

Murder charges have been dropped against 22-year-old William Jacobs, who was accused of killing a 10-month-old baby.

A Colorado man charged with murdering his girlfriend’s 10-month-old baby had his charges dismissed this week after a judge ruled the lead prosecutor violated his right to due process by making inflammatory comments to the media.

William Jacobs, 22, was accused of shaking baby Edward Hayes to death after the infant was found unresponsive in a motel room in Cañon City in May 2023. An order to dismiss the charges was filed Wednesday by Fremont County District Court Judge Kaitlin Turner, following comments made by 11th Judicial District Attorney Linda Stanley during a media interview.

Jacobs was the last person to care for Edward after the baby's mother, 21-year-old Brook Crawford, left him alone with Jacobs while she went to work. A coroner ruled the baby died of blunt-force trauma to the head. Jacobs was arrested on May 21 and charged with first-degree murder. However, the charges were dropped due to Stanley's comments, which the judge deemed "outrageous government conduct."

In an interview with KRDO in August, Stanley stated, “He [Jacobs] 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.” She also claimed Jacobs had a "pretty awful past" including alleged incidents of fondling his mother and other violent behavior. Stanley further disclosed that Jacobs had previously been charged with a sex crime and had a history of juvenile detention.

“This conduct violated Mr. Jacobs’ right to due process. As a result, dismissal of the charges is an appropriate remedy,” Judge Turner wrote.

Jacobs had been staying at the Motel 6 where Crawford lived and worked at the front desk. He moved into her room shortly after they met. After the baby was found unresponsive, Jacobs initially told police he was changing the baby’s diaper when Edward "went stiff and began making gargling noises." He later confessed to allegedly abusing the baby previously, including biting him on the arm and accidentally hitting his head on a door frame.

Expert testimony during a preliminary hearing suggested that Edward’s head trauma was non-accidental based on the severity and pattern of the injuries.

Jacobs was released on a personal recognizance bond on April 9 after Crawford submitted a letter to the court expressing her belief in his good character. Stanley is now facing an ethics complaint and potential disbarment, with a hearing scheduled for June.