Sheriff probes infants death

Following the death of a 3-month-old Clinton infant Sept. 15, the Island County Sheriff’s Office announced this week the baby did not die of natural or accidental causes.

Mike Hawley, Island County Sheriff, said emergency dispatchers were called to a Lakeshore Drive, Clinton, home at 8 a.m. Sept. 15. The father of the baby, 24-year-old Tony Douglas Reeves, had called 911 to report his infant Sean Douglas Reeves-Hudson was not breathing.

Island County Coroner Dr. Robert Bishop confirmed Tuesday that the infant’s death had not been natural, nor had it been consistent with some type of an accident.

“In this case there was no accident to explain this,” Bishop said.

In his autopsy, Bishop said he listed the cause of death as a skull fracture due to blunt force trauma. He said he determined the trauma had occurred approximately one day before the infant’s death.

Bishop said because of the manner in which the baby died, he has determined the death to be a homicide — which means it died at the hands of another with the intent to cause the blow.

In the 10 years he has been Island County Coroner, this is only the second homicide of an infant Bishop has seen. He said typically about three or four infants die a year in Island County due to natural or accidental causes, but did not believe baby Reeves-Hudson’s death was intentional.

“I don’t think anyone planned to kill a baby,” Bishop said.

The baby is also the son of Ashley Diane Hudson, 20, who resides on San Juan Avenue, Clinton. According to Hawley, the father Reeves was staying at the home of his mother Susan Laverne Reeves where the death occurred.

Hawley said emergency personnel had attempted CPR on the infant to try and revive him when they arrived. Reeves-Hudson was then transported to Whidbey General Hospital where an autopsy was performed.

Hawley said the sheriff’s office is investigating the death as a criminal investigation. He said they are waiting official laboratory toxicology results to pinpoint the exact time and cause of the infant’s death. As part of the investigation, Hawley said they will closely examine the last 72 hours of the infant’s life.

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