Edgewood Father Pleads Guilty to Second-Degree Murder in Death of 14-Month-Old Daughter

From the Office of the Harford County State’s Attorney:

On May 12, 2011, in the Circuit Court for Harford County, Keaton Boyd Irons, 26, of Edgewood, Maryland, entered a plea of guilty to Second Degree Murder in connection with the death of his 14 month old daughter.

Judge Emory A. Plitt, Jr. presided over the entry of Irons’ guilty plea. The charges arose from an incident that occurred on June 1, 2010, at 1733-B Fountain Rock Way, in Edgewood, Maryland, the home of the defendant and the victim, while the victim was under the sole custody and care of her father, Keaton Boyd Irons. Also residing at the home on Fountain Rock at that time was Ashley Rosette, the mother of the victim and the victim’s 2 year old brother.

A Statement of Facts delivered in court by Assistant State’s Attorney, Diane Adkins-Tobin, at the time of the guilty plea indicated that the defendant was the only adult in the home with the victim and her 2 year old brother, on June 1, 2010, between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 11:57 a.m. At 11:57 a.m., Emergency Medical Technicians from Joppa Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department responded to a call at the Fountain Rock address and found the victim breathing, yet unresponsive.

The victim was rushed to Upper Chesapeake Medical Center for emergency treatment and within 24 hours flown to Johns Hopkins Hospital Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, where she died on June 2, 2010.

Dr. Allen Walker, MD, a Board Certified Pediatrician at Johns Hopkins Hospital Pediatric Intensive Care Unit treated the victim for blunt force trauma to her head and massive injuries with internal cranial bleeding and would have testified that in his opinion the injury to the victim occurred during the mid-morning on June 1, 2010. Assistant Medical Examiner Russell Alexander, MD. performed an autopsy on the victim and declared the death to be a homicide, caused by blunt force trauma to the head.

In the days leading up to his arrest on June 3, 2010, the defendant gave two voluntary interviews to detectives from the Office of the Sheriff of Harford County. The defendant denied any knowledge of how the child was injured while under his sole custody and care. The defendant denied any other circumstances that may have caused the injuries sustained by the toddler.

Judge Plitt sentenced Irons to 30 years for the charge of Second Degree Murder. The defendant is required to serve the first 25 years of his sentence at the Maryland Division of Corrections and upon release he will be required to serve a period of five years supervised probation.

At the time of the sentencing, the victim’s mother, Ashley Rosette, was asked if she wished to make a Victim Impact Statement and tell the Court how this crime may have impacted her life. Ms. Rosette stated to the Court “I know Keaton is a good father and would never do anything to hurt the children.”