CLARION – An Ashtabula, Ohio, man pleaded guilty last week to third-degree murder in the 2013 death of an 6-month-old boy in Clarion County.
Chad Arthur Chadwick entered the room expressionless while being escorted by a Clarion County deputy sheriff and two defense attorneys.
Chadwick faces between 12 to 40 years in state prison and a $50,000 fine. He will be formally sentenced July 20 by Clarion County Judge James Arner, who presided at the plea hearing.
The remaining charges against Chadwick – criminal conspiracy to commit homicide, aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person – were dropped in exchange for Chadwick’s guilty plea.
Chadwick last week pleaded guilty to the homicide charge, agreeing he assaulted 6-month-old Zeke Hamilton, causing a “catastrophic head injury” on Aug. 31, 2013, at a camp in Washington Township.
Chadwick was visiting the area with his girlfriend, Kelly Ann Hemminger, then 23, also of Ashtabula, Ohio. Hemminger was Zeke Hamilton’s aunt and was caring for the boy over the Labor Day weekend.
Hemminger was originally charged with criminal conspiracy to commit homicide, criminal conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, conspiracy to commit simple assault and recklessly endangering another person. Her charges have been reduced to two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
Zeke died Nov. 15, 2013, while in hospice care. He remained in a coma the entire span between the attack and his death.
Arner addressed the court and attendees by saying, “The attorneys have come to an agreement and indicate Chadwick is going to accept the plea bargain.”
District attorney Mark T. Aaron had filed motions to try the case against Chadwick as a death penalty case.
Among those in attendance at the afternoon hearing was the family of Hamilton.
After Arner reviewed Chadwick’s rights, Chadwick pleaded guilty to the charge of third-degree murder.
Background
“Zeke” Hamilton suffered a “catastrophic head injury” Aug. 13, 2013, in Washington Township, and “would never be the same.”
That was part of the testimony offered at a March 10, 2014, preliminary hearing.
State police alleged the couple was responsible for the death of “Zeke” Hamilton. Zeke was the son of Hemminger’s half-sister Jennifer Hemminger.
Hemminger and Chadwick were on a vacation for Labor Day weekend caring for Hemminger’s sister’s three boys.
At the preliminary hearing more than two years ago, Hemminger testified about Chadwick being in a bad mood due to a family disagreement earlier in the day.
Hemminger then told of several separate times when Chadwick was alone in the tent with Zeke.
Hemminger said she was on her way into the house when Chadwick called her to the tent and said Zeke had vomited and appeared to be having a seizure.
Hemminger’s testimony then followed her father’s version of the telephone call to Jennifer Hemminger and the decision to take Zeke to UPMC Seneca.
The alleged attack on the infant occurred at a camp along Marble-Strobleton Road in Washington Township.
Medical professionals from UPMC Seneca spoke at the preliminary hearing explaining the extensive amounts of damage Zeke’s body and brain encountered from the incident.
Dr. Jennifer Wolford, attending physician at the Child Advocacy Center at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh said Zeke had already been through surgery during which half of his skull had been removed to relieve swelling of his brain.
Wolford said Zeke was suffering from several broken ribs.
Wolford said it is very unlikely the injuries were the result of an accident of fall, adding the infant’s injuries involved significant force. Wolford said the “totality” of Zeke’s injuries indicated a physical attack similar to shaken baby syndrome.
“Short of a high-speed car crash, there is no other reasonable medical explanation,” said Wolford. “Some great force had to have come down on his ribs.”
Wolford said there was little chance Zeke would have ever recovered from the injuries.
“After this occurred, he was not neurologically normal,” said Wolford. “It was extremely violent. It was a catastrophic head injury. He would have never been normal again.”
David Hemminger, father of Kelly and Jennifer Hemminger, recalled the Labor Day weekend gathering as a pig roast and said Zeke appeared to be in good health but fussy when he arrived at the camp with his two brothers, Kelly Hemminger and Chadwick.
David Hemminger recalled the Saturday morning breakfast during which one of Zeke’s brothers did not want to eat and started to leave the outdoor picnic table.
David Hemminger said Chadwick “sat the boy back down” and ordered him to eat his breakfast.
David Hemminger said he told the boy to go ahead and play, which appeared to anger Chadwick. David Hemminger said Chadwick reached across the table and stuck a fork in the table top.
“I guess he got mad because I overruled him,” said David Hemminger.
David Hemminger said the numerous children at the family gathering were later taken for a walk in the woods and one of Zeke’s brother was late getting ready so he took the boy to catch up with the group.
When he returned, he said Kelly Hemminger and Chadwick said Zeke had vomited and appeared to have a seizure.
David Hemminger said he and several other people looked at Zeke, who now appeared to be sleeping, and went back to normal activities.
David Hemminger said Kelly Hemminger and Chadwick went to a nearby hill top to make a cell phone call to Jennifer Hemminger about Zeke’s condition.
When they returned, Zeke appeared to be sleeping but had become rigid.
David Hemminger said it was at that time he and Kelly Hemminger, along with Chadwick, took Zeke to UPMC Seneca.
The last person to testify was Kelly Hemminger who said Chadwick had a marijuana pipe and marijuana in the vehicle when they left Ohio.
“I told him I didn’t want it in there, but I wasn’t going to fight about it,” said Kelly Hemminger.
She said after the Saturday morning breakfast, she and Chadwick, along with Zeke, went back to their tent.
Kelly Hemminger said Chadwick was upset about her father overruling him.
“He asked me why he (her father) had to be so rude to him (Chadwick),” said Kelly Hemminger. “He was still pretty upset about it.”
Kelly Hemminger then told of several separate times when Chadwick was alone in the tent with Zeke.
Kelly Hemminger said she was on her way into the house when Chadwick called her to the tent and said Zeke had vomited and appeared to be having a seizure.
Kelly Hemminger’s testimony then followed her father’s version of the telephone call to Jennifer Hemminger and the decision to take Zeke to UPMC Seneca.