Dad charged with homicide in death of 3-year-old son; boy was in "exclusive care and custody of father" (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)

FINALLY, dad STEPHEN DIXON has been charged with homicide in the murder of his 3-year-old son.

See our previous post about this case here:

http://dastardlydads.blogspot.com/2010/09/dad-refuses-to-return-3-year-old-son.html

And this is what I had to say about this case back in September:

This is what happens when an unmarried sperm donor's "rights" are respected more than the rights of a child or a mother. This is what happens when the testimony of mothers and grandmothers is ignored by judges and others in authority.

Dad STEPHEN S. DIXON apparently took no interest in his 3-year-old son till last January. Given all the pressure these days on moms ("Children NEEEED a father, and you are failing them if you don't provide one!"), Mom was "nice" and allowed weekend visitation. Then Daddy decided he didn't feel like returning the child. Guess daddies are under no social obligation to be "nice" in return. Mom contacted the police and they said "there was nothing they could do." Dad then filed a bogus child abuse charge against Mom, that was unfounded. Dad blocked all phone calls from Mom and Grandma. Other family members reported abuse allegations to CYS regarding DAD, and it seems that all the charges were pretty much ignored (which is typical in my experience). Eventually CYS told the grandmother to stop bothering them with "unfounded allegations."Finally, Mom filed a petition for emergency custody. JUDGE ANDREW DOWLING TURNED HER DOWN. Eleven days later, the little boy was hospitalized. And then he was dead. Murdered, the coroner now says.

When are the child protection people, the judges, and the police going to be held accountable for their role in these crimes?

http://www.abc27.com/Global/story.asp?S=14233778


Harrisburg area man charged with homicide in death of son, 3
Posted: Mar 11, 2011 10:51 AM CST
Updated: Mar 11, 2011 11:02 AM CST

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) - Police have arrested a Dauphin County man in the death of his three-year-old son.

Stephen Dixon was taken into custody Thursday night and charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, and child endangerment, according to Swatara Township police.

The charges stem from death of Jayahn Cox-Phoenix, who had been rushed to Penn State Hershey Medical Center on May 21 after Dixon reported that the boy had accidentally drowned in the bathtub of a home in the 3600 block of Chambers Hill Road, authorities said.

The boy died four days later on his third birthday.

District Attorney Ed Marsico said an autopsy later showed that Cox-Phoenix had suffered several non-accidental injuries and that his death was caused by both drowning and a traumatic brain injury.

Marsico said the child suffered a severe injury to his brain that was "immediately debilitating" and was not the result of an accidental fall into the bathtub.

He said the brain injury was caused while the boy was in the exclusive care and custody of his father.

Dixon was sent to Dauphin County Prison without bail.