Mother charged with first-degree murder in death of 4-month-old had 58 missing texts

CHEYENNE — The mother of a 4-month-old boy who died from severe brain injuries that doctors determined were caused by abuse made multiple internet searches on her phone relating to “shaken baby syndrome,” and 58 text messages are missing from her phone in the hours before the infant suffered a debilitating seizure. That’s according to an affidavit of probable cause filed in Laramie County Circuit Court Thursday in the first-degree murder case of Juliette Martinez, 23, and Joseph Hanson, 24, the boy’s parents.

Both were arrested Wednesday after a monthslong investigation into the death of their 4-month-old son, who was hospitalized on Aug. 8, 2025, and died a month later on Sept. 8 when he was taken off life support. They made their first court appearances before Circuit Court Judge Timothy Forwood on Thursday afternoon via closed-circuit video from the Laramie County Detention Center. Each faces a first-degree murder charge, which carries a sentence of life in prison or the death penalty. Forwood set each of their bonds at $500,000 cash.

The condition of the infant was brought to the attention of police at about 5:43 p.m. Aug. 8 by personnel at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center. They were concerned because the boy had serious injuries that required more advanced medical care, but Martinez and Hanson weren’t responding to staff who needed their consent to life-flight the infant to Children’s Hospital Colorado. Police also were told that Hanson allegedly had earlier told a nurse that Martinez had “twin resentment,” and that the boy has a twin and also an 18-month-old sister.

When an officer went to their home, Martinez appeared to have just woken up and reported that prior to taking the boy to the hospital, she observed him having fast breathing. She called for Hanson, and they both agreed his breathing was off. They picked him up and noticed the boy was shaking, but weren’t sure it was a seizure. That was about 11:30 to 11:35 a.m., but they didn’t take the 4-month-old to the hospital for about 45 minutes.

After the infant was flown to Children’s Hospital Colorado, doctors documented a long list of serious injuries, including multiple fractures in both legs and a broken arm, along with what would prove fatal head injuries. On Sept. 2, 2025, a brain death test was performed, and the results were consistent with brain death. Days later, on Sept. 8, he was taken off life support and died.

Dr. Denise Abdoo, who is on the hospital’s Child Protection Team, told police that “TH’s injuries are consistent with child abuse. Diagnosis is abusive head injury and child physical abuse. If TH expires, this will be fatal child physical abuse.” Another neurosurgeon advised that the boy’s imaging and clinical picture were consistent with a nonsurvivable diffuse hypoxic injury and severe cerebral edema—extensive brain damage caused by lack of oxygen and severe swelling of the brain.

Both parents were interviewed multiple times. Martinez said she slept from 5 to about 11:20 a.m. on Aug. 8, then noticed Hanson was home in the bathroom. She went to the kitchen to grab her breast pump and went back to the bedroom, where she noticed the boy’s breathing was odd. Hanson came into the bedroom and acknowledged the breathing was odd. They picked the boy up, and Martinez attempted to open his eyes. He started shaking, and they put him down in the bassinet. Martinez recorded a video of the infant and sent it to Hanson’s mother, who told them to take him to the hospital.

Hanson said he was awake the night before with the boy in the living room. After sleeping for about two hours, he woke up around 4 a.m. and gave the boy a bottle, which he drank. Hanson said he left the house at about 7:30 a.m. to go to work, and that the boy was in Martinez’s care while he was at work with no other caretakers around.

After interviewing both parents, their cellphones were seized. An examination of Martinez’s phone revealed that her phone was active on TikTok and Snapchat between 8:03 and 9:29 a.m., while Martinez had previously told police she was asleep at that time. Web searches made with her phone after the boy showed signs of seizures include “Shaken baby syndrome symptoms,” “Shaken baby syndromes symptoms go away,” “Signs father gave baby shaken baby syndrome,” “Seizures in 5 month old baby,” and others. Additionally, Martinez’s phone had 58 missing text messages between 6:42 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. The phone was at her home all day the day before and didn’t leave until 11:59 a.m. Aug. 8, “which was just after the seizures occurred.” Both Martinez and Hanson were set for preliminary hearings on April 17.