LOCAL NEWS

Utah woman arrested on suspicion of shaking, killing her infant boy

Oct 19, 2021, 5:13 PM
(FILE photo KSL TV)
(FILE photo KSL TV)

A Utah mother was arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder for the death of her 23-day-old baby.

Tawna Steed, 32, was booked into jail Monday in Beaver County after a police investigation found she allegedly shook her infant son on at least two occasions, causing his death. The baby’s father, Josh Downey, told police she was yelling “stupid baby to stop crying.”

Probable cause court documents state she was “shaking the baby vigorously and grabbing it tightly across the chest with her two hands.”

A 911 call on Sept. 19 reported the baby was not breathing and efforts to revive him were underway. Medical personnel responded to an apartment on Main Street in Beaver to try to save the child. He was transported to the Beaver Valley Hospital where he was later pronounced dead and an autopsy was ordered.

Police interviewed Downey and Steed who told officers they were the only ones who had been with the child since he was born, except for one or two brief times, including a 10-minute trip to a grocery story.

The results of an autopsy were reported to police on Oct. 12, declaring that the manner of death was by homicide. The pathologist told police the infant had multiple healing rib fractures from injuries on at least two difference occasions.

According to the pathologist, the baby boy also had two separate brain hemorrhages and that could have been caused by blunt force trauma or by someone shaking the infant, causing his death.

Separately, Downey and Steed agreed to talk to police after they were informed of their Miranda rights. Downey told police he had not hurt his child and had not witnessed anybody else hurt him, including Steed.

“Josh was very emotional at times, crying and putting his head into his hands,” according to the documents. Police told Steed about the findings of the autopsy and she denied hurting or killing the child. She said the baby and his father had a wonderful relationship and said the Downey would never hurt or kill the baby.

Police told the mother that either she or Downey had not only hurt their child but one or both of them had killed him.

“Tawna never cried or became upset during the interview,” police wrote in the court documents. “Eventually Tawna asked for an attorney and was placed under arrest.”

After her arrest police spoke with Downey again and told him in detail the injuries his son suffered.

“Josh again became very emotional, crying and leaning over putting his head into his hands.”

Downey told police he saw the baby’s mother shake him on two separate occasions. The first time he said he walked into the apartment and saw her sitting on the bed holding the child out in front of her, facing away from her, shaking the baby vigorously.

He said the child seemed stunned but got better when he carried him outside and comforted him. He said on both occasions, he took the baby and went to his parents’ house.

Steed will be held without bail by order of the judge in Utah’s Fifth District Court in Beaver County.

KSL 5 TV Live

Top Stories

Local News

Exibit shows Utah's air was a concern as far back as the 1880s....
Jed Boal

Exhibit: Concerns about Utah’s air quality go back to Brigham Young

An online exhibit details Utah’s unique air pollution problem going back to the 1880s when Utahns referred to the winter pollution as “smoke evil” or the “smoke nuisance”. 
20 hours ago
An empty donation table with the American Red Cross logo. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images)...
Katija Stjepovic

Red Cross warns Utahns to be prepared for flooding, spring runoff. Here’s how.

The American Red Cross has a warning for Utahns this spring – prepare for the possibility of flooding in the coming months.
20 hours ago
Bags of small pills are lined up....
Mike Anderson

Fentanyl use on the rise in Box Elder County

Police in Box Elder County say fentanyl is hitting their community hard as overdoses and deaths have gone up in recent months.
20 hours ago
Driver killed...
Eliza Pace

Four injured in yurt explosion

Four people have been transported to the hospital following a yurt explosion in Deer Valley Wednesday afternoon.
20 hours ago
FILE (Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images for UNITAS)...
Eliza Pace

Man in custody, accused of filming children in the bathroom of his business

A man is in custody after being accused of filming people, including children, from a secret camera in the bathroom of his business, identified as Adam Richard Jacobs.
20 hours ago
A DPS helicopter near a hanger....
Dan Rascon

Dozens of life-saving rescues in one week by Department of Public Safety

A record number of life saving rescues in one week for two chopper crews with the Utah Department of Public Safety.
20 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Happy diverse college or university students are having fun on their graduation day...
BYU MBA at the Marriott School of Business

How to Choose What MBA Program is Right for You: Take this Quiz Before You Apply!

Wondering what MBA program is right for you? Take this quiz before you apply to see if it will help you meet your goals.
Close up of an offset printing machine during production...
Les Olson IT

Top 7 Reasons to Add a Production Printer to Your Business

Learn about the different digital production printers and how they can help your company save time and money.
vintage photo of lighting showroom featuring chandeliers, lamps, wall lights and mirrors...
Lighting Design

History of Lighting Design | Over 25 Years of Providing Utah With the Latest Trends and Styles

Read about the history of Lighting Design, a family-owned and operated business that paved the way for the lighting industry in Utah.
Fiber Optical cables connected to an optic ports and Network cables connected to ethernet ports...
Brian Huston, CE and Anthony Perkins, BICSI

Why Every Business Needs a Structured Cabling System

A structured cabling system benefits businesses by giving you faster processing speeds and making your network more efficient and reliable.
notebook with password notes highlighted...
PC Laptops

How to Create Strong Passwords You Can Actually Remember

Learn how you can create strong passwords that are actually easy to remember! In a short time you can create new ones in seconds.
house with for rent sign posted...
Chase Harrington, president and COO of Entrata

Top 5 Reasons You May Want to Consider Apartment Life Over Owning a Home

There are many benefits of renting that can be overshadowed by the allure of buying a home. Here are five reasons why renting might be right for you.
Utah woman arrested on suspicion of shaking, killing her infant boy