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Jordan Ellan Harmon, a 28-year-old mother from Alabama, has pleaded not guilty to killing her 15-month-old infant son, Emery Michael Knox Wilson. Jordan Ellan Harmon has been charged with murder, aggravated child abuse, and chemical endangerment of a child. The infant died after sustaining blunt force trauma to the head, as per Law&Crime.
Jordan Ellan Harmon's boyfriend at the time, 30-year-old Travius Sebastian Coleman, has been slapped with similar charges along with an additional count of aggravated child abuse.
Jordan Ellan Harmon vehemently denied the charges against her and maintained her innocence. Meanwhile, her lawyer has argued that she is being falsely accused and that there is no evidence linking her to the killing. Coleman has also pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The duo was arrested on January 26, 2022, and charged with murder for the April 2021 killing of the child. However, a grand jury charged them with felony murder in March 2023.
Trigger Warning: This article contains graphic details about child abuse
Jordan Ellan Harmon was accused of "shaking, hitting, striking, or otherwise inflicting serious injury" on her 15-month-old
On April 11, 2021, deputies from the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office responded to a call at the intersection of Highway 24 and County Road 214. Upon arrival, they found a toddler receiving CPR on the floorboard of a minivan.
The child was transported to Decatur-Morgan Hospital and then to the Children's of Alabama Hospital in Birmingham for specialized treatment due to the severe injuries he sustained.
Police then arrested and charged the Alabama mother with one count of aggravated child abuse the next day. She was sent to the Lawrence County Jail on a $60,000 bond.
The infant died the day after Jordan Ellan Harmon was arrested.
As per court documents, Jordan Ellan Harmon and Coleman were accused of "shaking, hitting, striking, or otherwise inflicting serious injury" on Wilson "on more than one occasion." It is possible they "tortured, willfully abused, cruelly beat or otherwise willfully maltreated" the child.
Jordan Ellan Harmon was also charged with refusing to seek medical attention for a child who had sustained "serious injuries that required medical attention and treatment, including, but not excluding injuries to his head, arm, and groin area on at least three separate occasions," according to WHNT.
Harmon was soon released on bond in September 2021, but was taken into custody again in January 2022 after certain details came to light in the autopsy report. Detectives made it clear that they were treating Wilson's death as a homicide.
According to the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office, an autopsy report revealed that Wilson died from blunt force trauma to the head. It also mentioned that the child suffered several other injuries including abrasions, contusions, lacerations to the scalp, a depressed skull fracture, and a fractured left forearm.
Additionally, toxicology tests revealed the presence of marijuana in the baby's system, a report by WAAY-TV stated.
Alabama couple could face 10 years to life imprisonment upon conviction
Lawrence County District Attorney Errek Jett told News 19 about the possibility of Harmon and Coleman being tried together even though they were indicted separately.
He said:
"It is early in the process, but the State reserves the right to ask that the cases be consolidated under Rule 13.3 of the Alabama Rules of Criminal Procedure. If the State makes such a request and Court grants it, the defendants still have a right to ask them to be [tried separately]."
If convicted, Jordan Ellan Harmon and Coleman could face a minimum of 10 years or life in prison. Both are currently in jail with bonds set at $1,680,000 each.
