Brian R. Morrow (Berrien County Jail)
A 42-year-old man in Michigan will spend several decades behind bars for killing his 8-year-0ld son last year, who was severely emaciated and weighed just over 30 pounds when he was pronounced dead.
Berrien County Judge Charles LaSata on Monday ordered Brian R. Morrow to serve a sentence of 22 to 50 years in a state penitentiary after he pleaded no contest in February to one count of second-degree murder for his role in the tragic death of Jaxson Morrow, prosecutors confirmed to Law&Crime.
Morrow and his wife, Mia A. Morrow, were both arrested in June 2022 and charged with one count each of first-degree murder, possession of a controlled substance – methamphetamine, and possession of a controlled substance – dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in connection with Jaxson’s death. The primary charge against Morrow was reduced to second-degree murder with the remaining counts dismissed as part of a plea deal with the Berrien County Prosecutor’s Office in which he agreed to serve a minimum of 22 years in prison.
Judge LaSata in March sentenced Mia Morrow to similar 25 to 50 years prison sentence after she pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder in Jaxon’s death.
Mia A. Morrow (Berrien County Jail)
Police responding to a 911 call at the Morrows’ home in the 700 block of Columbia Avenue on May 3, 2022, reported finding Jaxson lying dead on a couch in the living room. Authorities said he looked extremely thin and appeared to have been dead for some time.
An autopsy subsequently determined that Jaxson death was a homicide caused by neglect, South Bend ABC affiliate WBND-LD reported.
Mia Morrow told police that she noticed her son was suffering from breathing problems just prior to his death and even admitted that she and her husband should have taken him to the emergency room the previous day, according to a report from Kalamazoo CBS affiliate WWMT-TV.
Even more disturbingly, the parents reportedly confirmed their son had actually died the previous day, but they chose not to call authorities or tell anyone else about his death. It was the boy’s grandmother who reportedly came to the house where she discovered the child dead on the living room couch and called 911.
Asked why they did not contact authorities sooner, Mia Morrow told investigators that she did not want to “let go” of her son, WWMT reported. Brian Morrow reportedly said that he wanted to allow his wife some time with the boy before the police came and took him away.
Later that day, Brian and Mia Morrow both reportedly tested positive for meth.
Investigators also learned that Child Protective Services (CPS) had previously investigated the couple multiple times over their treatment of their son, WWMT reported.
Morrow and her husband reportedly pulled Jaxson Morrow out of the LOGAN Autism Learning Center because they were “sick of them calling CPS” to report them for mistreating the child.
Additionally, investigators spoke to Brian Morrow’s daughter, who reportedly used to live with the Morrows. The girl, whose name and age were not disclosed, reportedly told police that the couple didn’t like to deal with their son “because he smelled like urine” and would often lock the 8-year-old boy in his bedroom. She reportedly described the child as “so skinny you could put your finger around his arms.”
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