Man accused of death of owl-headed child questions cause of death

The attorney for a man charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of a toddler last year in Thomaston says the child may actually have died due to improper life-saving measures.

Aziayh Scott, 23, attends a bail hearing in his involuntary manslaughter case via Zoom at the Two Bridges Regional Jail in July 2024. Screenshot from the Zoom hearing

Prosecutors have argued for months that 23-year-old Aziayh Scott killed his girlfriend's 22-month-old son, Quayshawn.

Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Ackerman has previously said that Quayshawn died of a “severely injured liver” and internal bleeding that may have resulted from someone stepping on the boy.

But Scott's attorney, Christopher MacLean, said Thursday in Knox County Superior Court that he had “significant concerns” about two people who provided assistance to Quayshawn before police arrived. He said they did not do so properly based on the video and witness statements he reviewed.

“I believe there is substantial evidence from witnesses, not including my client, that cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed incorrectly on this baby and an inappropriate amount of force was used,” MacLean said.

If the information is true, it could contradict a police affidavit used to arrest Scott, which said an off-duty nurse resuscitated the young child using a two-finger technique, according to retired active judge Jeffrey Hjelm.

Ackerman said she believes Scott did something to Quayshawn earlier in the day when the boy's mother was at work that led to his death.

“Quayshawn had no pulse and was not breathing when he was taken from the car,” Ackerman said. “So the idea that CPR caused the injuries that ultimately led to his death is a very hard sell.”

That affidavit is still hidden from public view, but lawyers and a judge discussed many details during a hearing to review Scott's bail on Thursday.

His bail was set at $150,000 as of July 31. MacLean argued that this amount exceeds the $13,000 raised by Scott's family and that it reflects racial disparities in bail decisions (Scott is black). Hjelm has not yet made a decision about Scott's request.

Scott was charged with manslaughter on Oct. 8, more than four months after he was charged and arrested in June. He is scheduled to be arraigned on November 14th and must then enter a plea.

Scott's family flew from Louisiana on Thursday to protest his innocence in court. His mother, Eddie Scottsaid her son has no criminal record and comes from a close-knit religious family outside New Orleans.

“He’s a straight shooter. He’s easy going,” she said in court. “He has two children who miss him. It’s just hard for us as a family to have to endure that.”

She said Quayshawn's mother, Shaneka Washington, was with them in court to confirm Scott's innocence.

Scott, who is from a suburb outside New Orleans, was dating Washington and moving to Maine when she came to the state for a job as a traveling nurse.

PAINTING A PICTURE

Scott, Washington and Quayshawn were at the Walmart in Thomaston the night of May 29 when they noticed Quayshawn unresponsive in the back seat of her car, Ackerman said.

They called for help. A nearby nurse attempted life-saving measures before first responders arrived and Quayshawn was taken to the hospital.

Quayshawn's death was later ruled a homicide. Deputy Chief Medical Examiner Liam Funte concluded he died from blunt force trauma.

Scott was arrested five days later in Louisiana, where he was held in jail until police could transport him to Two Bridges Regional Jail in Knox County.

Ackerman said Scott would be at risk of absconding if released on a lower bond.

Scott's mother disputed this, saying it was unfair to call her son a fugitive and that he left Maine with the permission of a Maine State Police detective so they could bury Quayshawn.

Prosecutors also fear he will continue to contact Washington, who is a witness in the case.

Citing several calls Scott made from prison to Washington and his mother, Ackerman said, “Shaneka needs to talk to the detectives and get a picture.”

“He clearly has a desire to influence her interviews with investigators,” Ackerman said, asking the court to maintain the bail amount. “There is real concern about the integrity of the process.”

MacLean, the defense attorney, disagreed. He said Scott's calls “strike him as someone who is innocent and wants his story told.”

MacLean suggested that Ackerman may have misinterpreted Scott's passion to clear his name and “black American dialect” as aggression. He said that based on the “hundreds of hours of recordings” he heard, Scott showed “a great deal of humility and decency, love and respect for his family.”

Ackerman also pointed to texts police obtained through a search warrant for Washington's phone that she said “point to potential violence” that occurred in the relationship between Scott and Washington and led to Quayshawn's death.

The texts Ackerman read suggested that Washington had asked Scott to leave Maine, that he had “anger issues” and that in one incident you “could have literally killed us.”

Ackerman acknowledged that the state's case against Scott was based largely on circumstantial evidence. “But…that’s almost always the case,” she said. “Children are not usually killed in front of witnesses or a video camera.”

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