Do you know who murdered Antione Dixon Jr? In November of 2009, a heart-wrenching story began to unfold in Louisville, Kentucky, with the death of 17-month-old Antione Dixon Jr. The young boy was at his daycare on November 25, 2009, when a worker found him unresponsive in his cot. He had vomit on his bedding and white foam in his mouth. He was immediately rushed to a local children's hospital for medical attention.
Tragically, Antione passed away a few days later, on Sunday, November 29, 2009.
An autopsy would later reveal the horrific extent of his injuries, which were the cause of his untimely death. The medical examiner determined that the child had suffered a skull fracture, multiple brain bleeds, swelling of the brain, and lacerations to his liver. The examination also uncovered a series of older, non-fatal injuries that suggested a pattern of abuse. These included a healing pelvic fracture, as well as both healing and fresh rib fractures, along with numerous other internal injuries of varying ages. The cause of death was officially ruled a homicide resulting from blunt force trauma.
For nearly nine years, the case remained without an arrest, though the boy's mother, Alicia Daley, and her boyfriend at the time, Jamaine Rhodes, were considered suspects for a significant portion of that period. Investigators believed the fatal injuries occurred while Antione was in the care of both individuals. The daycare where he was found was cleared of any wrongdoing. Finally, in June 2018, a breakthrough in the case came, which police credited to advancements in medical technology.
On June 6, 2018, both Alicia Daley, then 33, and Jamaine Rhodes, then 35, were arrested in connection with Antione's death. Rhodes was charged with murder, assault, and first-degree criminal abuse of a child 12 or under. Daley faced a charge of complicity to murder. According to the arrest report, Daley had failed to prevent the offense that led to her son's fatal injuries. Both pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them. Rhodes' bond was set at $1 million, and Daley's was set at $500,000.
