An Arkansas man and his wife have been arrested and charged in connection with the death of the man’s two-year-old stepson. Dakota Shawn Hays, 20, and Annastacia Atkins, 24, of Van Buren, are facing first-degree murder charges following the child’s death due to oxygen deprivation to the brain.
Hays is also facing charges of child endangerment, while Atkins is accused of allowing the abuse of a minor, according to records from the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office. The charges stem from an incident in which Hays allegedly threw the toddler into a pool multiple times in an attempt to teach him how to swim.
The child passed away on June 17, 2024, three days after Atkins and Hays dialed 911 when the boy became unresponsive following a swimming session at his aunt’s house. This information was revealed in an arrest warrant affidavit filed on January 2.
Upon arrival at the family residence on June 14, deputies found the child’s body cold, and according to Atkins, his “eyes were stuck.” She reported that his heart and breathing had ceased, and he coughed up water when she attempted chest compressions.
Hays informed the officers that he had been teaching the toddler and two other children, aged four and six, how to swim. He described a method where the children would cling to his chest, and he would submerge them, holding their noses, before resurfacing.
However, the four-year-old child told investigators that he had nearly drowned due to Hays throwing him into the pool. He also alleged that Hays and Atkins would physically punish him by striking him with a stick on his head, knees, and feet.
The six-year-old girl corroborated the four-year-old’s account, stating that Hays would force his stepson underwater, despite the child’s reluctance to swim. She also claimed that Hays would repeatedly throw the toddler into the pool, and she often had to “retrieve him from the bottom.”
An autopsy of the boy revealed “multiple traumatic injuries” to his head, face, and torso, suggesting long-term abuse. Atkins had previously expressed concerns to deputies about Hays’ alleged aggressive behavior towards her son.
Hays is currently being held in the Crawford County Jail on a $1 million bond, while Atkins’ bond is set at $750,000. It remains unclear whether they have legal representation.