Arkansas — A stepfather in Arkansas allegedly murdered his wife’s 2-year-old son by repeatedly throwing him into a pool and pushing him underwater while his mother gave the go-ahead, eventually drowning the toddler in what the couple claimed was an attempt to teach the boy how to swim, prosecutors say.
Dakota Shawn Hays, 29, and Annastacia Atkins, 24, of Van Buren, were arrested and charged with first-degree murder and other offenses this week in connection with Atkins’ son’s death in June 2024.
As well as previous allegations of abuse discovered during the death investigation, according to the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office and Crawford County Prosecuting Attorney.
The couple was named in an arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime on Thursday, which details how Atkins allegedly allowed Hays to abuse her 2-year-old child.
According to the affidavit, during the boy’s autopsy, the local medical examiner discovered injuries that were “indicative” of being “inflicted, as opposed to accidental,” and supportive of abusive trauma. On June 17, 2024, Hays allegedly killed the boy while teaching him how to swim.
“Annastacia stated [during police interviews] Dakota told her he was sorry and did not mean to,” according to the complaint.
Hays was also teaching two other children to swim that day, a 6-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy, in a pool at the victim’s aunt’s house. They both told investigators that Hays was “throwing” his stepson into the pool repeatedly and pushing him underwater in an attempt to get him to retrieve items from the bottom.
According to the children, the 2-year-old tried to tell Hays that he no longer wanted to swim, but he refused to give up. After dinner, the two of them returned to the pool for more “swimming” lessons.
Hays eventually stopped when the boy began “spitting up water” and shaking, according to prosecutors, and Hays allegedly told police he thought the youth was having a seizure.
“Dakota came back into the house stating that something was wrong,” the affidavit reads. Atkins informed cops. Hays claimed her son was “not acting right” after she got him out of the pool.
The couple called police, and while on the phone with dispatch, the boy’s heart and breathing stopped.
“Annastacia started pushing on [the victim’s] chest, and he choked up water,” according to the affidavit. “Annastacia voiced concern, stating she should not have let [the victim] go back outside and that Dakota has been aggressive with [the victim] in the past, but not severe, and had never hit [the victim].”
Annastacia told police that Hays “kept apologizing” and saying he was going to get her son “taken” from her.
“Dakota advised he thought it was a freak accident and that he was scared because he had not been in trouble his whole life,” according to the waiver. “Dakota advised in the interview he would never hurt a child after being asked about the bruising on [the toddler].”
The medical examiner ruled that the boy’s death was caused by a prolonged lack of oxygen to his brain. Prosecutors say Atkins claimed she was lying down inside when her son drowned.
The other children present that day told investigators that Hays was “particularly harsh” on the 2-year-old and was known to hit him “with a wooden stick on his head, knees, feet, and toes,” according to the affidavit.
Hays has been charged with murder and endangering the welfare of a minor; he is currently being held on a $1 million bond. In addition to murder, Atkins is being held on a charge of permitting the abuse of a minor. Her bond was set at $750,000.