Joseph Heard is a killer from Mississippi who was sentenced to death for the murder of two year old Hayden Lee Bataille
According to court documents Joseph Heard would fatally beat his two year old stepson Hayden Lee Bataille. The little boy would be discovered dead by his mother Hailey Leann Heard who would call 911. The child’s mother would tell the operator that she believed her son had drowned in a bath tub
However when Hayden Lee Bataille was rushed to the hospital where he would die a further examination of the child would reveal multiple bruises and broken bones
Joseph Heard and Hayden Lee Bataille would be arrested and charged with murder
Joseph Heard would be found guilty and sentenced to death
Hayden Lee Bataille would plead guilty and sentenced to life in prison
Hailey Leann Heard Photos
Joseph Heard Case
Charges have been upgraded against the parents of a 2-year-old who died last month at a Mississippi hospital, authorities said.
Joseph David Heard, 38, and Hailey Leann Heard, 21, of Biloxi, the child’s stepfather and mother, were arrested Wednesday on felony child abuse charges. The charges were upgraded Thursday to capital murder.
“The upgraded charges are the result of a collaborative investigation conducted by several local and state agencies,” police said in a press release.
The case stems from a Dec. 27 incident. Investigators said the woman called for help around 6 a.m. after she found her son unresponsive. First responders arrived and took the boy to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, news outlets reported.
The parents said the child stopped breathing and Joseph Heard conducted CPR. However, a police arrest report detailed the child had multiple bruises on his body and a broken bone consistent with abuse, which makes the death capital murder, WLOX-TV reported.
Both suspects are being held at the Harrison County Jail. Bond has not been set. It was unknown if either of them had an attorney who could speak for them.
Harrison County Coroner Brian Switzer said an autopsy will be conducted.
https://www.wjtv.com/news/state/biloxi-parents-face-upgraded-charges-in-toddlers-death
Joseph Heard Sentencing
Just one day after being found guilty for the capital murder of his 2-year-old stepson Hayden Lee Bataille, 41-year-old Joseph David Heard has been sentenced to death.
Joseph and his wife Hailey Leann Heard, 24, were first taken into custody in January 2022 after Hayden was found dead on December 27, 2021, in Biloxi. Officials were first made aware of the case when Hailey placed a 911 call at 6 a.m. that morning after finding her son unresponsive and claiming he might have drowned in the bathtub. The toddler was taken to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
While the couple was initially arrested and charged with felony child abuse, police records state the child had multiple bruises covering the body as well as a broken bone consistent with abuse, leading to the upgraded charge of capital murder.
During a testimony by an investigator in court on Thursday, it was recalled that Hailey admitted to investigators that Joseph held the boy by his arms in one hand while repeatedly punching him. Hailey herself also confessed to telling police she covered the boy’s mouth afterward to muffle his cries.
A Harrison County jury deliberated for just 45 minutes before reaching a guilty verdict.
Hailey’s testimony in court on Friday revealed more details. She explained that in the hours before placing her 911 call, Hayden soiled his diaper and then took too long to get a juice box from the kitchen. Joseph, who admitted to having a temper during the trial, became enraged and began to beat the child in the head and chest repeatedly.
“He was a two-year-old punished for soiling a diaper and crying,” said Assistant District Attorney George Huffman. “He was beaten for being a child.
However, Joseph’s abuse of Hayden was persistent. During his time as Hayden’s primary caretaker in the months leading up to the murder, Joseph would force the toddler to sit on a potty-training seat for hours, pop open blisters from a second-degree burn on his hand with a spatula and regularly brag about beating the child in text messages to Hailey.
“A child should be loved and supported by his parents,” stated District Attorney W. Crosby Parker. “Two-year-old Hayden Bataille was beaten and killed for doing what two-year-olds do. The brutal and heinous killing of Hayden called for the maximum punishment under Mississippi law. We commend the Harrison County jury for agreeing with us.”
Hailey pled guilty to a reduced charge of first-degree murder after agreeing to testify against Joseph. She is serving life in prison at the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
https://www.wlox.com/2024/05/10/update-gulfport-man-handed-death-sentence-murder-2-year-old-stepson
