On March 19, 2013, Dylan Schumaker was babysitting Austin Smith and his younger brother while the children’s mother—Schumaker’s girlfriend—was at work. According to court testimony, Schumaker became frustrated while trying to care for the children and inflicted serious head trauma to Austin. Tragically, the toddler passed away due to his injuries.
Medical experts testified that the child suffered blunt force trauma to the head, and prosecutors argued that the injuries were consistent with intentional harm, not an accident. The case was prosecuted as a violent felony under New York law.