A 25-year-old Indiana man is facing the possibility of spending decades in prison for allegedly murdering his girlfriend’s young daughter by violently shaking the 21-month-old toddler. According to a report by Law and Crime on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, this resulted in a severe brain injury that caused cerebral fluid to leak from her ears, according to medical professionals.
Jesse A. Sartin was arrested on Friday and charged with murder and aggravated battery in connection with the death of the 21-month-old girl, according to official announcements. On July 24, 2024, the Lawrenceburg Police Department received a call from St. Elizabeth Hospital Dearborn regarding a 21-month-old girl who had been admitted with a head injury. The hospital staff considered the injury suspicious and potentially indicative of foul play, prompting a law enforcement response.
Initially, it was claimed that the 21-month-old girl’s head injury was the result of an accident when she was first admitted to the medical facility. According to WKRC, Jesse Sartin initially told medical staff that the toddler’s injury occurred when she fell to the ground after being knocked off an ottoman by the family dog at their home. Given the seriousness of the toddler’s condition, she was transferred to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, approximately 30 miles away, to receive more advanced and specialized medical care.
In a bid to alleviate the intense pressure caused by severe brain swelling, surgeons performed an emergency operation on the toddler, which involved removing a part of her skull to help relieve the pressure and allow her brain to expand. The toddler’s brain swelling was so severe that it herniated, causing brain tissue to protrude through her ears, according to medical professionals. Tragically, the child’s injuries proved fatal, and she passed away on Thursday, August 1.
“The 21-month-old child was under the care of Sartin while the child’s mother was at work,” prosecutors said. “Following an investigation, it was determined that Sartin allegedly shook the little girl for about twenty (20) seconds.”
Jesse Sartin confessed to police that he lost his temper while bathing the toddler, who was resisting getting out of the bathtub and flailing her arms. In a moment of frustration, Sartin admitted to shaking the child vigorously for approximately 20 seconds, according to a report by WLWT. On Monday afternoon, Jesse Sartin appeared for the first time in Dearborn County Circuit Court before Judge F. Aaron Negangard, marking the beginning of his judicial proceedings.
During Monday’s hearing, Dearborn County Detective Jeremy Shepherd presented evidence, including a letter allegedly written by Jesse Sartin to his girlfriend after the toddler’s death, as seen in courtroom footage shared by Fox19. The letter’s contents were read aloud by Detective Shepherd. “Once the bubbles were gone, I drained the water and put her toys away,” the letter allegedly states. “I tried to pull her out but she didn’t want to get out. Screaming and swinging her arms. I tried to pull her out but she kept pulling away and I was getting upset. Baby, I’m so upset. I shook her trying to get her to calm down.”
An autopsy reportedly confirmed that the victim’s manner of death was a homicide and the cause of death was “brain swelling, considerable bleeding in both eyes, and bleeding in the spinal cord,” which aligned with being forcefully shaken for an extended duration. Jesse Sartin is currently in custody at the Dearborn County Jail, being held without the option for release on bail.