No Justice for Maxyn: Edwards pleads guilty to lesser charge

No Justice for Maxyn

Edwards pleads guilty to lesser charge

By Logan Watson

After waiting for almost seven years, the family of five-month-old Maxyn Killingsworth finally had their day in court, but the verdict left the boy’s family unsatisfied.

Braxton Prather Edwards, the man responsible for the death of young Maxyn, was indicted on May 1 by the Gibson County Grand Jury, charged with one count each of Murder in Perpetration of a Felony – Aggravated Child Abuse and Murder in Perpetration of a Felony – Aggravated Child Neglect, as well as charges of Aggravated Child Abuse and Aggravated Child Neglect.
Edwards could have faced life in prison for his crime, but rather than pursue the full sentence, the state, represented by Assistant District Attorney Jeffrey George of Nashville, accepted a deal that would see Edwards plead guilty to Aggravated Child Neglect and receive only 15 years in prison at 85 percent.
Edwards will also receive credit for his time already served, reducing the sentence to just over 11 years.

According to Edwards’ arrest warrant, on July 27, 2016, Maxyn’s mother, Destiny Quick, who was dating Edwards at the time, left her children with Edwards while she went to work. At approximately 6:45 p.m., Edwards called 911 stating that the child was unresponsive.
Edwards told investigators that he was walking into the living room with Maxyn when he was tripped by a dog, causing him to fall on the baby and Maxyn to hit his head on the floor.
Edwards then reportedly picked Maxyn up and placed him on the couch to change his diaper when the he had a seizure.
He told investigators that after Maxyn stopped seizing, he was unresponsive, but still breathing. He then shook the baby “three to four times,” but Maxyn did not respond.
Maxyn was taken to Union City Baptist Hospital, then transported to LeBonheur Children’s Hospital, where he ultimately died from a subdural hemorrhage with mass effect and traumatic compression fractures of the T11 and T12 vertebrae.
According to court documents, doctors stated that the Maxyn’s head trauma was considered non-accidental. The baby suffered from bleeding on the brain and brain swelling for more than two days before succumbing to his injuries.

“They proposed this several years ago and asked us how we felt about it,” Maxyn’s mother, Destiny Quick, told the Tri-City Reporter after the hearing last Tuesday. “We told them that it was not sufficient. Then they called us a couple of months ago and said, ‘This is what we’re doing. I know you don’t like it, but that’s basically how it is.’”
“My son is eight years old. He’s so angry about the situation that he told me Braxton is lucky that he’s not old enough to go to court,” said Maxyn’s father, Dexter Killingsworth. “He didn’t hesitate.”
“There are a lot of things about the situation that have affected our children,” Quick added. “They sentenced him today, but it’s still not over. It doesn’t feel like there has been any closure. It doesn’t feel like anything has been done. The justice system failed my son. My eight year old understands the magnitude of the situation and it’s pretty sad that the court system didn’t seem to be able to understand that.”
During the hearing, Quick and Siara Killingsworth, the wife Dexter Killingsworth, read prepared statements following Edwards’ plea, detailing their struggles in the years since Maxyn’s death and the impact the ordeal has had on their families.
“The weight of sorrow and grief is immeasurable,” Quick told the court. “The pain of losing a child is an indescribable anguish that no parent should have to endure. The murder of my son Maxyn has left an everlasting void in our lives. A void that cannot be filled or healed. My son, who was present when the crime was committed has also been through therapy, diagnosed with PTSD and talks about his brother often. My children have not been in anyone’s care besides my parents, Dexter and Siara since the crime occurred. I battle with myself to even allow my children to play outside. Four young boys have to grow up without their brother.”
“Maxyn wasn’t my biological son, but he was my baby,” Killingsworth said. “Since losing him, many of his family members, including myself, have had no choice but to deal with PTSD. I have tried medications, counseling and other ways to help deal with the grief and trauma that came from this tragedy. I have heard too many times that it gets easier, but that’s not true. It never gets easier, we just learn to live around it.”
More than 15 friends and family members wept as the two mothers addressed the court. Quick shot daggers at Edwards as she informed the court that he was supposed to have dropped the children off with Killingsworth when they awoke from their naps.
Edwards, who is now married with a child of his own, wiped tears from his eyes as Quick spoke.
“I was a 20-year-old, newly-single mother trying to make a living for my children and myself, and I let the wrong person in,” she said. “While I respect the legal process and the considerations involved, I am appalled at the court’s inability to weigh the magnitude of the crime and the damage inflicted upon my family.”
ADA George told the Tri-City Reporter that he could not comment on the factors that led to Edwards’ plea deal.

More than 15 friends and family members wept as the two mothers addressed the court. Quick shot daggers at Edwards as she informed the court that he was supposed to have dropped the children off with Killingsworth when they awoke from their naps.

Edwards, who is now married with a child of his own, wiped tears from his eyes as Quick spoke.

“I was a 20-year-old, newly-single mother trying to make a living for my children and myself, and I let the wrong person in,” she said. “While I respect the legal process and the considerations involved, I am appalled at the court’s inability to weigh the magnitude of the crome and the damage inflicted upon my family.”

ADA George told the Tri-City Reporter that he could not comment on the details of Edwards’ plea deal.