John Jefferson
Left to right: Dakota Shawn Hays, Annastacia Atkins (Crawford County Sheriff’s Department).
A stepfather in Arkansas allegedly murdered his wife’s 2-year-old son by repeatedly throwing him into a pool and pushing him underwater while his mom gave the OK, ultimately drowning the toddler in what the couple said was attempt to teach the boy how to swim, prosecutors say.
Dakota Shawn Hays, 29, and Annastacia Atkins, 24, of Van Buren, were arrested and charged this week with first-degree murder and other offenses in connection to the June 2024 death of Atkins’ son and for previous allegations of abuse that were uncovered during the death investigation, according to the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office and Crawford County Prosecuting Attorney. The couple was named in an arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime on Thursday that outlines how Atkins allegedly let Hays abuse her 2-year-old.
During his autopsy, the local medical examiner reported finding injuries on the boy that were “indicative” of being “inflicted, as opposed to accidental,” and supportive of abusive trauma, according to the affidavit. Hays was purportedly teaching the boy how to swim on June 17, 2024, when he allegedly killed him.
“Annastacia stated [during police interviews] Dakota told her he was sorry and did not mean to,” the affidavit alleges.
Two other kids, a 6-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy, were also being taught how to swim by Hays that day at a pool located at the victim’s aunt’s house. They both told investigators that Hays was “throwing” his stepson into the pool repeatedly and was pushing him underwater in an attempt to get him to retrieve items at the bottom.
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The children said the 2-year-old tried telling Hays he didn’t want to swim anymore, but he allegedly refused to let up. The two of them took a break for dinner and then went right back out to the pool for more “swimming” lessons.
Hays finally stopped once the boy began “spitting up water” and shaking, according to prosecutors, with Hays allegedly telling police he thought the youth was having a seizure.
“Dakota came back into the house stating that something was wrong,” the affidavit says. Atkins told cops Hays claimed her son was “not acting right” after getting him out of the pool.
The couple called police and while on the phone with dispatch the boy’s heart stopped, along with his breathing.
“Annastacia started pushing on [the victim’s] chest and he choked up water,” the affidavit says. “Annastacia voiced concern, stating she should not have let [the victim] go back outside and that Dakota has been aggressive with [the victim] in the past, but not severe, and had never hit [the victim].”
Annastacia told police that afterward, Hays “kept apologizing” and saying he was going to accidentally get her son “taken” from her.
“Dakota advised he thought it was a freak accident and that he was scared because he had not been in trouble his whole life,” the affidavit says. “Dakota advised in the interview he would never hurt a child after being asked about the bruising on [the toddler].”
The medical examiner ruled the boy’s death as being the result of a prolonged lack of oxygen to his brain. Atkins claimed she was lying down inside when her son drowned, according to prosecutors.
The other children who were present that day told investigators that Hays was “particularly harsh” on the 2-year-old, and that he was known to hit him “with a wooden stick on his head, knees, feet, and toes,” per the affidavit.
In addition to murder, Hays has been charged with endangering the welfare of a minor; he remains behind bars on a $1 million bond. Atkins is being held on a permitting abuse of a minor charge, in addition to murder. Her bond is set at $750,000
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