Reynoldsburg baby suffered 'very violent shaking' at day care before death, prosecutor says

Jordan Laird, Columbus Dispatch
Updated ·2 min read
Jontue Chatman and Stacia Crawford hold up photos of their infant son, Kashan Roman Crawford-Chatman, in Franklin County Common Pleas Court after the arraignment Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, of Tammra Straughter, a Reynoldsburg home day care operator who is accused of shaking the baby to death in October 2023.
Jontue Chatman and Stacia Crawford hold up photos of their infant son, Kashan Roman Crawford-Chatman, in Franklin County Common Pleas Court after the arraignment Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, of Tammra Straughter, a Reynoldsburg home day care operator who is accused of shaking the baby to death in October 2023.

Stacia Crawford, Jontue Chatman and their supporters wore T-shirts emblazoned with #JusticeforKash at the arraignment Wednesday of a Reynoldsburg home day care operator charged in their 5-month-old child's October death.

Tammra Straughter, 51, is accused of shaking the baby to death, according to the prosecutor's office.

Chatman held up pictures of Kashan Roman Crawford-Chatman while Crawford spoke through tears to Franklin County Common Pleas Court Magistrate Mark Petrucci.

"(We're) struggling to comprehend how someone could commit such a monstrous act against an innocent and defenseless infant," Crawford said.

Petrucci set a bond of $300,000 cash surety or $20,000 recognizance. He said his job is not to punish Straughter, but to ensure she shows up for trial.

Straughter's attorney, Sam Shamansky, said during the hearing that Straughter has known about possible charges since October and has not fled.

Shamansky also said Kashan and his brother were born prematurely. He told The Dispatch after the hearing, "These cases are always gutwrenching."

A few new details came out at Straughter's first appearance in the court, during which Shamansky entered a not-guilty plea on her behalf to charges of murder and endangering children.

Jontue Chatman holds up photos of his infant son, Kashan Roman Crawford-Chatman, on Wednesday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court at the arraignment of Tammra Straughter, a Reynoldsburg home daycare operator whom the prosecutor's office has accused of shaking 5-month-old Kashan, causing his death in October 2023.
Jontue Chatman holds up photos of his infant son, Kashan Roman Crawford-Chatman, on Wednesday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court at the arraignment of Tammra Straughter, a Reynoldsburg home daycare operator whom the prosecutor's office has accused of shaking 5-month-old Kashan, causing his death in October 2023.

Scott Sugarman, a prosecuting attorney, said in court that the deputy coroner who conducted the autopsy stated, "Kash’s brain was one of the most swollen he had ever seen and strongly suggested abusive head trauma from very violent shaking."

Straughter was caring for Kashan, Kashan's twin brother and six other children alone on Oct. 9, 2023, at her home on White Butterfly Lane when Kashan began exhibiting symptoms in the afternoon, Sugarman said.

Emergency medics were called to the home on a report of a baby not breathing, but Crawford took her son to an urgent care, according to Sugarman.

At the urgent care, Kashan went limp. He had to be intubated and underwent CPR for 45 minutes, Sugarman said.

Kashan was transferred to Nationwide Children's Hospital, where they discovered the baby was suffering from the severe effects of head trauma, including seizures, Sugarman said.

"Despite lifesaving attempts, Kashan progressed to brain death and passed away on Oct. 13, 2023," Sugarman said.

Sugarman said Straughter lied to authorities about not having a camera recording in her home, but a search warrant found footage showing Kashan throughout Oct. 9 appearing fine until the afternoon.

jlaird@dispatch.com

@LairdWrites

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Reynoldsburg day care operator accused of shaking baby at arraignment