AR - 2-year old boy drowns after stepdad repeatedly throws him into pool to teach him how to swim - Crawford County, January 16, 2025

[Clearsky]

Stepdad Accused of Repeatedly Throwing Boy, 2, into Pool to Teach Swimming Charged with Murder After Drowning

A 6-year-old girl allegedly told police Dakota Hays would throw the 2-year-old into the water and that “she would have to go retrieve him from the bottom of the pool."

people.com

Annastacia Atkins, 24, and Dakota Shawn Hays, 29, of Van Buren, were arrested on Monday, Jan. 13, and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the June 2024 death of the boy, according to an arrest warrant obtained by PEOPLE.

 

[Lgreen]

This makes my blood boil!

 

[mickey2942]

Sad. Why?!

 

[airportwoman]

Who teaches a child to swim outdoors in January, anyway?

 

[iamshadow21]

Who teaches a child to swim outdoors in January, anyway?

Someone who drowned their kid on purpose and is looking for a story to explain it.

MOO

 

[Tower]

Who teaches a child to swim outdoors in January, anyway?

It happened in June 2024.

 

[tlcya]

her FB
his 2019 FB
his 2024 FB

The boy’s autopsy found he also suffered from “multiple traumatic injuries” to the head, face and torso, which had evidently happened over a long period.
Stepdad charged with murder of boy, 2, after repeatedly throwing tot into pool to teach him how to swim

Hays was issued a bond of $1 million and Atkins was issued a bond of $750,000.
Two arrested in Crawford County after 2-year-old boy drowns

 

[SMK777]

2 years old is too young for swimming.
It's obvious that this stepfather resented and didn't love this boy.
This was violent abuse and torture.
And the mother turned a blind eye.
Unfortunately there were no public warnings that would have removed this poor child from the home.

 

[iamshadow21]

2 years old is too young for swimming.
It's obvious that this stepfather resented and didn't love this boy.
This was violent abuse and torture.
And the mother turned a blind eye.
Unfortunately there were no public warnings that would have removed this poor child from the home.

Water safety and confidence can begin at any age. My mother had me in the water from a month or two of age. Of course, I wasn't swimming that young, but with appropriate support and supervision, there is no reason a two year old can't be in a pool. They just can't be in a pool and be expected to swim like an older child or adult. They need one on one, in the water supervision and floaties.

To just throw a kid in the pool over and over again is nothing about swimming. It's using water as a weapon of torture.

I'm reminded of little Chloe, who was forced to ride and crash a motorbike again and again. She was four. And it was nothing about teaching her to ride.

Child, 4, died after being forced to ride motorbike by mother, court told

A four-year-old girl was forced to repeatedly ride a motorbike alone while her mother filmed her and later died from injuries sustained when she crashed into objects, a South Australian court has heard.

www.abc.net.au

MOO

 

[SMK777]

Water safety and confidence can begin at any age. My mother had me in the water from a month or two of age. Of course, I wasn't swimming that young, but with appropriate support and supervision, there is no reason a two year old can't be in a pool. They just can't be in a pool and be expected to swim like an older child or adult. They need one on one, in the water supervision and floaties.

To just throw a kid in the pool over and over again is nothing about swimming. It's using water as a weapon of torture.

I'm reminded of little Chloe, who was forced to ride and crash a motorbike again and again. She was four. And it was nothing about teaching her to ride.

Child, 4, died after being forced to ride motorbike by mother, court told

A four-year-old girl was forced to repeatedly ride a motorbike alone while her mother filmed her and later died from injuries sustained when she crashed into objects, a South Australian court has heard.

www.abc.net.au

MOO

That's a truly chilling story. I can't believe what sinister contempt some people feel for their children. Its obvious the girl was terrified to open that present on Christmas because she already knew what was in store for her. A real life horror film.

 

[Knox]

I just can't with these women who fail to protect their child!! Happy to see she is facing the same first degree murder charge as the other monster.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Inmate Detail - Hays, Dakota Shawn

Annastacia told police that afterward, Hays “kept apologizing” and saying he was going to accidentally get her son “taken” from her.

“Dakota advised he thought it was a freak accident and that he was scared because he had not been in trouble his whole life,” the affidavit says. “Dakota advised in the interview he would never hurt a child after being asked about the bruising on [the toddler].”

'Harsh' stepdad drowns wife's son by repeatedly throwing him into pool to teach him to swim

A stepfather in Arkansas allegedly drowned his wife's 2-year-old son by repeatedly throwing him into a pool to teach him to swim, according to prosecutors, while his mom allegedly gave the OK.

lawandcrime.com

 

[SMK777]

Inmate Detail - Hays, Dakota Shawn

Annastacia told police that afterward, Hays “kept apologizing” and saying he was going to accidentally get her son “taken” from her.

“Dakota advised he thought it was a freak accident and that he was scared because he had not been in trouble his whole life,” the affidavit says. “Dakota advised in the interview he would never hurt a child after being asked about the bruising on [the toddler].”

'Harsh' stepdad drowns wife's son by repeatedly throwing him into pool to teach him to swim

A stepfather in Arkansas allegedly drowned his wife's 2-year-old son by repeatedly throwing him into a pool to teach him to swim, according to prosecutors, while his mom allegedly gave the OK.

lawandcrime.com

He just seems not to understand the seriousness of what he was doing. Wonder if he had any drug problem. Horrific.

 

[Maat99]

IMO the expressions on their faces in those mugshots say it all. Defiant, remorseless. That poor child.

 

[pebige]

2 years old is too young for swimming.
It's obvious that this stepfather resented and didn't love this boy.
This was violent abuse and torture.
And the mother turned a blind eye.
Unfortunately there were no public warnings that would have removed this poor child from the home.

I have 30 years experience as a baby and toddler swimming teacher and 2 years is the perfect age to start swimming and pool safety lessons. But definitely not with the accused techniques.

 

[iamshadow21]

He just seems not to understand the seriousness of what he was doing. Wonder if he had any drug problem. Horrific.

Except his injuries happened over a long period of time, according to a post above. This wasn't one day of cruelty and thoughtlessness, it was a sustained campaign of child abuse that culminated in a child's death.

I don't care how many drugs someone is on, they know that they're harming a child to the point of death in these circumstances.

MOO

 

[SMK777]

Except his injuries happened over a long period of time, according to a post above. This wasn't one day of cruelty and thoughtlessness, it was a sustained campaign of child abuse that culminated in a child's death.

I don't care how many drugs someone is on, they know that they're harming a child to the point of death in these circumstances.

MOO

Oh, that's horrible

 

[Lilibet]

Years ago our daughter and a friend were at a public pool and saw a dad they vaguely knew throwing his young daughter (age 3 or 4) into the pool and angrily telling her to swim. They reported him to the pool manager and he got kicked out permanently. I wish the manager had called the police. The daughter grew up to be a mess. People like that are sadistic and should never be around kids.
JMO

 

[OneLove]

Some egg and sperms donors actually think up ways they can kill a child and have it be called an "accident". Many years back, I had a neighbor across the street repetitively send their small child out to play in the street unattended, chasing balls in and out of cars parked alongside. Word was they wanted kid legit dead and to "get rich" by suing someone for it afterwards.