Former soldier pleads guilty to lesser charge of Murder, sentenced to 30 years in prison

Adam Keith Jackson, the former Fort Bliss soldier on trial for the death of his 11-month-old son, reached a plea deal with prosecutors.

Jackson, originally charged with Capital Murder, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of First Degree Murder. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison and given credit for time served. Jackson was not fined.

The investigation began February 8, 2014when paramedics responded to the apartment after the baby was unresponsive. Baby Aiden was taken to the El Paso Children’s Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead, police said.

As they examined him, police said doctors found the baby’s skull was fractured and he had injuries to his throat and ankle.

Detectives believe the injuries occurred the previous day, when Aiden’s mother left him in the care of his father.

El Paso County’s medical examiner testified in court Wednesday. He described Aiden’s external injuries: scrapes on the head, bruising on back of the head and stomach area.

The medical examiner also described the infant’s internal injuries: multiple skull fractures, soft tissue hemorrhage, blood vessel leakage, and internal bleeding between the skull and scalp.

The baby’s injuries appeared to be recent and “caused by a significant amount of force,” he said.

When the prosecution showed a picture of the baby’s scalp during autopsy, the medical examiner said the amount of blood on the scalp was “alarming.”

Aiden’s head and neck injuries could have been fatal, the medical examiner said, adding the neck injury was consistent with strangulation.