An Arkansas couple has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder following the tragic drowning of a 2-year-old boy during an alleged attempt to teach him how to swim.
Annastacia Atkins, 24, and her husband, Dakota Shawn Hays, 29, were taken into custody on January 13, 2025... Continue reading here ▶
Authorities say the boy, Atkins’ son, drowned after being repeatedly thrown into a pool at Hays’ aunt’s house in June 2024. In addition to the murder charge, Atkins faces a charge of permitting the abuse of a minor, while Hays is charged with endangering the welfare of a minor.
According to court documents, the boy died on June 17, 2024, three days after 911 was called because he became unresponsive. An autopsy revealed the boy suffered from prolonged oxygen deprivation and had multiple traumatic injuries to his head, face, and torso, indicating ongoing abuse.
On the day of the incident, Hays reportedly told deputies he had spent the day teaching the 2-year-old and two other children, a 6-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy, how to swim. After dinner, Hays and the 2-year-old returned to the pool, while the others prepared for bed.
About 45 minutes later, Hays alerted Atkins that something was wrong with the boy. According to Atkins, the child’s body was cold, his eyes were unresponsive, and his arms were stiff when pulled from the pool. She said his heart had stopped, but after chest compressions, he coughed up water.
Hays told deputies he had been holding the children underwater as part of the swimming lesson, grabbing their noses and sinking with them to the bottom before resurfacing. Both he and Atkins claimed the drowning and the boy’s injuries were accidents.
However, further investigation revealed a troubling history of abuse. Deputies found evidence of past injuries and allegations that Hays and Atkins had physically abused the children.
The 4-year-old boy told investigators that Hays had thrown him into the pool, causing him to nearly drown. He also described being hit with a stick on his head, knees, and feet.
The 6-year-old girl stated that Hays repeatedly threw the 2-year-old into the pool, even though the toddler was terrified and did not want to swim. She said she had to retrieve him from the bottom of the pool several times.
Both Hays and Atkins are now in custody. Hays is being held on a $1 million bond, while Atkins’ bond is set at $750,000. It is unclear whether they have legal representation.
