'Potty training' led to Ezekiel Harry's murder, prosecutors allege in court documents
A Houma toddler was beaten to death because of "accidents" during potty training, prosecutors allege.
"The evidence establishes that the victim was being physically abused by [Maya] Jones and/or [Jermaine] Robinson for a period of time prior to July 12, 2022, and that the abuse was the result of the victim having 'accidents while undergoing potty training,'" the motions argue.
The 2-year-old's body was found inside a duffel bag, discarded in a garbage can a block from the Houma Police Department July 12, 2022. The department alleges that Maya Gwenlyn Jones, 28, and Jermaine Michael Robinson, 37, had carried the child’s body for hours on Houma streets in a black duffel bag, then dumped the bag in a trash bin on Daspit Street. The Terrebonne Parish Coroner's Office determined Ezekiel Harry had died of head injuries.
The two were indicted Aug. 12 on first-degree murder and obstruction of justice charges in the death of Ezekiel Harry. Both have pleaded not guilty.
Jones is represented by Christine Lehmann, a senior attorney at the Louisiana Capital Assistance Center. Robinson is represented by Kerry Cuccia, director of the Capital Defense Project of Southeast Louisiana.
The case is being heard in Judge Jason Dagate's, Division B, Houma Courtroom, and the two will now face trial separately.
The prosecutors, Terrebonne Parish Assistant District Attorneys Herbert "Bud" Barnes and Jason Lyons, were responding to motions by Lehmann's team to keep Jones's other children's medical records from being used in the case.
Detective Lawrence Arceneaux obtained search warrants, signed by Judge Timothy Ellender, to gather medical records from five hospitals, as well as all evidence of communication between Jones and others from the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services, and from The Haven.
Jones's attorneys argued the warrants were too broad, lacked probable cause and asked for the documents to be returned or destroyed. Robinson's attorneys want the documents to be allowed in the case. They are seeking the documents because they claim it would help Robinson's case.
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Prosecutors argue that evidence from the investigations led detectives to look into potential child abuse of her other children.
"Based on information obtained during interviews with Jones's other children (the victim's siblings), it is believed that the abuse did not start with the victim," prosecutors argued. "Obviously indicating that some or all of the children had given statements of previous abuse suffered by the victim or one or more of the children."
Dagate allowed the records to be part of the case. Jones's attorneys filed into evidence three Children's Advocacy Center video recordings of her other children.
This article originally appeared on The Courier: Potty training led to Ezekiel Harry's murder, prosecutors allege
