Gray man charged with murder after tests reveal 21-month-old did not choke on a cookie

A Gray man has been charged with felony murder and aggravated battery in the death of a 21-month-old boy.

Willie Earl Sanders Jr., 27, whom authorities identified as the boyfriend of the baby’s mother, appeared Thursday in Jones County Superior Court for a hearing.

A judge denied bond on the grounds that Sanders had the potential to commit another crime and may be a danger to himself and the community, said Gray police Maj. Chris Williams, who investigated the case.

Preliminary autopsy findings indicate that Preston James Nelson died from subdural hemorrhages of the brain which is a result of shaken baby syndrome, Williams said. Shaken baby syndrome is a severe form of child abuse that results in brain injury.

Sanders had told the boy’s mother and others that the baby had choked on a cookie, Williams said.

The baby was pronounced dead Oct. 16 at the Medical Center, Navicient Health, said Mathew Jarrett, a deputy coroner for Jones County.

The child was taken to the hospital Oct. 14 after an afternoon incident in the parking lot of Harveys Supermarket at the Gray Station Shopping Center on Clinton Street in Gray.

Sanders greeted the mother as she was coming out of the store with the child in his arms, saying the baby was choking on a cookie, Williams said.

The mother, off-duty medical personnel and arriving emergency medical responders rendered care based on Sanders’ statements that the baby was choking. But medical personnel at the hospital where the baby was rushed by ambulance found that the boy suffered brain damage from blunt force trauma, Williams said.

“The mom was told the baby was choking. In fact, everybody was told there by Mr. Sanders that the baby was choking,” Williams said. “So everybody took that position that the child was choking on a cookie as (Sanders) had reported to everyone.

“So they started administering first aid for choking. When the child reached the hospital and further testing was done, it was revealed that there was no choking and that the child had received brain damage as a result of blunt force trauma,” Williams said.

Sanders and the baby had been waiting in the car while the boy’s mother was in the store.

“I’m very confident in charging him with murder given the injuries that the child had,” Williams said.

Born in Covington, the baby enjoyed going for rides and loved animals, according to his obituary.

This story was originally published November 1, 2018 at 4:07 PM.