Hayden Rose "Little Bit" Hiatt, a five-month-old infant, tragically lost her life on November 13, 2015, in Jacksonville, Florida. Hayden, along with her twin sister Kayden Reese Hiatt and their grandfather Travis James Hiatt, was a victim of a horrific murder-suicide orchestrated by Gawain Rushane Wilson, the father of the twins. The incident occurred in the Oceanway neighborhood of Jacksonville, where Wilson, 28, carried out the brutal act before taking his own life.
The lone survivor
of this tragic event was Megan Hiatt, the 22-year-old mother of the twins. Megan was forced to endure unimaginable horror as Wilson made her hold her babies while he shot and killed them. Megan herself was shot multiple times but managed to survive and was rushed to UF Health Jacksonville for treatment. Her mother, Melissa Bateh, later recounted the harrowing details of the incident, emphasizing the strength and resilience Megan displayed in the face of such trauma.
The relationship between Megan Hiatt and Gawain Wilson had been fraught with tension and warning signs. Despite never physically striking her, Wilson exhibited controlling and abusive behavior, including verbal abuse and property destruction. He had a history of violence, with previous injunctions for protection filed against him by other women. This pattern of behavior culminated in the tragic events of November 13, 2015, leaving a lasting impact on the surviving family members and the community.
In the aftermath of the murder-suicide, there were no arrests or further suspects, as the perpetrator, Gawain Wilson, had taken his own life. The case did not proceed to litigation or trial due to the nature of the incident. However, the tragedy highlighted the critical issue of domestic violence and the need for greater awareness and intervention to prevent such devastating outcomes in the future.
