A Bellingham woman accused of shaking a 3-year-old child to death is now charged with her murder.
Kamee Dixon, 27, made her first court appearance on Friday for the death of Hazel Homan. Hazel was the daughter of Dixon’s boyfriend.
Court documents claim the little girl suffered months of horrific abuse at the hands of Dixon leading up to her death.
Doctors say Hazel died of Shaken Baby Syndrome, according to the documents. Doctors also reportedly found bruising on her neck, chin, chest and groin area.
According to documents, Hazel had been living with her dad since June, and Dixon would take care of her while he was at work. After Hazel’s death, the medical examiner found multiple broken bones that took place within the last six months.
Her finger, wrist, knee and hip bones all showed signs of breaks and healing.
Court documents also detail a lengthy record of abuse in the last several months, including an incident Aug. 3 when a family member who was babysitting Hazel noticed and photographed suspicious bruising on the toddler’s chest and shoulders. The family member also noticed scarring from an apparent cigarette burn, according to the documents.
Later that month, a friend was at Dixon’s house when Hazel wet herself. Dixon reportedly got angry and placed her in a cold shower. Dixon’s friend told authorities Hazel was in the shower for a long period of time and “was in visible distress, shaking and clinched teeth,” until the friend stepped in to prevent further injury, according to the documents.
On Oct. 2, court documents detail that Hazel received a burn to her hand, but that she was not seen by doctors until about a week later. A Child Protective Services (CPS) referral was made due to mandatory reporting laws.
According to court documents, Hazel was again seen by medical professionals later that month for an alkaline chemical burn to her eye.
Based on medical records, CPS referrals and eyewitness accounts, police say there were obvious signs of physical abuse to Hazel, and Dixon was the primary caregiver to the toddler when her father was away.
However, Hazel’s father Brandon Homan said he does not believe his girlfriend did this. He showed up to court in her defense and spoke to Q13 News last week.
“This is a tragic situation,” he said. “I just, more than anyone, I am the father. It’s my baby girl, I want answers too. But don’t place blame.”
Dixon was charged Monday with second-degree murder and homicide by abuse. Her bail was set at $1 million.
This article was originally published by q13fox.com.
Scott Juceam is one of the leading advocates against Shaken Baby Syndrome. Scott’s life changed when his daughter Hannah was shaken to death by her nanny in 2006. Since then, Scott has dedicated his life to preventing Shaken Baby Syndrome and child abuse.
To learn more about me, please visit my website at www.ScottJuceam.com or you can click here.
Scott Juceam 