Jaxson Sonny Swain
June 7, 2017
Grand jury indicts Winston-Salem man on murder charge in connection with toddler's death
By John Hinton
Winston-Salem Journal
A Forsyth County grand jury indicted a man Monday on charges of first-degree murder and other offenses in connection with the death of a toddler in August 2015.
Charles Thomas Stacks, 31, is accused of killing Jaxson Sonny Swain, a 2-year-old boy, who died of head injuries on Aug. 19, 2015 at Brenner Children’s Hospital.
Prosecutors have filed for a Rule 24 hearing, which determines whether they can pursue the death penalty against Stacks, if he is convicted.
Jaxson was found unresponsive Aug. 16 in a bathtub at a home in the 5400 block of Grubbs Street, Winston-Salem police said.
Charles Stacks lived in the home with Megin Elizabeth Stacks. At the time, police didn’t describe their relationship.
Police described Jaxson’s death as a case of child abuse. Charles Stacks was a friend of Jaxson’s mother, Candace Swain.
The grand jury also indicted Charles Stacks on charges of intentional child abuse; inflicting serious bodily injury; possession of a firearm — a .45-caliber handgun — and altering or destorying its serial number; and felony possession of cocaine, according to the indictment.
He is accused of biting Jaxson on various parts of his body, a court record shows. The man was caring for Jaxson the day the child’s injuries were reported, police said.
Jaxson died three days after he was found in the bathtub, the result of bleeding between the surface of his brain and its outer covering, which was caused by a blunt force head injury, according to the autopsy report by Dr. Donald Jason, a Forsyth County medical examiner.
The autopsy showed that the boy had bruises on his head, face and torso, as well as bleeding and bruising in his genital area.
The warrant alleges that the abuse occurred between Aug. 11 and Aug. 19.
Charles Stacks was being held without bond Tuesday in the Forsyth County jail, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said. He is scheduled to appear in court July 3 to answer the charges in the indictment.
Megin Stacks has been charged with misdemeanor obstructing justice in connection with Jaxson’s death. She is accused of telling her four children not to cooperate with police or Forsyth County Child Protective Services, according to an arrest warrant.
She is free on a $1,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court June 27.
http://www.journalnow.com/news/crime...2998ab96b.html
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