Indiana Woman Gets 33 Years After Boyfriend’s 17-Month-Old Son Dies in Shocking Crib Incident

Brownstown, IN — A 17-month-old boy died after suffering catastrophic brain injuries at a home on West Spring Street, and more than two years later, the woman responsible for his care has been sentenced to decades behind bars.

Kassandra L. Bracewell, 31, was ordered to serve 33 years in an Indiana state correctional facility, with three years suspended, for her role in the death of her boyfriend’s young son, Jalen Patrick Harding.

Jackson County Circuit Judge Richard W. Poynter handed down the sentence Tuesday after Bracewell pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in death.

The case began on May 16, 2024, when Brownstown police officers and firefighters were called to a home in the 200 block of W. Spring St. after receiving a report of an unresponsive toddler.

When first responders arrived, they immediately began lifesaving efforts on the child, who was reportedly described by one officer as “red-faced and almost lifeless.”

The boy was transported to Schneck Medical Center before being transferred to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis because of the severity of his injuries. He was later declared brain-dead.

Bracewell initially described the injury as an accident

When questioned by police, Bracewell initially claimed the toddler had been injured in an accidental fall. According to the account she gave investigators, JJ had climbed out of his Pack ’N Play and struck his head against a dresser.

But doctors treating the child reportedly found injuries that did not fit a simple accidental fall.

Medical professionals said the injuries were consistent with shaken baby syndrome or blunt-force trauma to the head, raising serious questions about what had happened inside the home.

A subsequent autopsy reportedly found devastating damage to the child’s brain. The investigation then took a different turn when Bracewell’s mother, Marjie S. Bracewell-Cook, provided investigators with another account of the incident.

Mother gives investigators a different account

Bracewell-Cook reportedly told authorities that her daughter had become frustrated because JJ would not stop crying.

According to that account, Bracewell pushed the toddler into the Pack ’N Play, causing him to fall backward. Investigators also learned that another child in the home had allegedly been instructed to lie to police about what happened.

The emergency call made after the toddler was injured later became another significant part of the investigation. On May 25, 2024, police confronted Bracewell with a recording in which she allegedly said, “he’s dead, I think I hurt him.”

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Bracewell denied making the statement and disputed that she was the person heard on the recording.

Family members speak about the toddler’s death

At Tuesday’s sentencing, prosecutors emphasized that JJ was only 17 months old and depended entirely on the adults around him for protection.

Jackson County Prosecutor Lynsey N. Fleetwood said there was no sentence that could restore the child’s life, but argued that accountability was necessary.

Bracewell also addressed the court, expressing remorse for what happened.

“I’m sorry don’t begin to scratch the surface of how I feel,” she reportedly told the judge.

Several people testified about positive changes Bracewell had made while incarcerated, but family members also spoke about the devastating impact of JJ’s death.

The toddler’s father, Andrew Finley, reportedly described milestones his son would never get to experience and said there was no excuse for Bracewell’s actions.

JJ’s mother, Kayla Harding, had lost custody of him shortly after his birth because of substance use but had been working toward regaining partial custody.

“I struggled to get him back just to lose him,” Harding reportedly said.

Judge tells Bracewell she can change her future

Judge Poynter acknowledged the changes Bracewell had made while behind bars but made clear that personal growth could not erase the consequences of JJ’s death.

Bracewell will now serve the sentence imposed for the child’s death, with 30 years to be served in a state correctional facility and three years suspended, according to the sentence announced by authorities.

The judge told her that although the past could not be changed, her actions going forward remained within her control.

“You can’t change your yesterday, Ms. Bracewell, but you can change your tomorrow,” Poynter said.

The sentence closes a case that began with an emergency call involving an unresponsive toddler and ended with a prison term measured in decades.

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