CHRISTYONNA HYAMS - 9 Months (2010) - Killeen/Fort Hood TX

Central Texas Infant Shaken, Dropped On The Floor; Stepfather In Custody
A 21-year-old Fort Hood soldier whose infant stepdaughter was critically injured when she was shaken and dropped on the floor was in the Bell County Jail Tuesday night.



KILLEEN (July 6, 2010)—Fort Hood soldier Christopher Allen Hassler, 21, was in the Bell County Jail Tuesday night charged with injury to a child after his infant stepdaughter was shaken and then dropped on the floor early Sunday morning, Killeen police said.
Officers were dispatched to 1105 N. 18th St. Sunday in response to a 911 call about an unresponsive child.
They found the 9-month-old girl in her mother’s arms.
The infant was taken by ambulance to Metroplex Hospital and then flown by helicopter to Scott & White Hospital in Temple in critical condition.
Initial reports indicated the infant fell in the bathtub as she was being given a bath, police said Tuesday, but investigators later determined she had been shaken and dropped.
Hassler’s bond was set at $500,000.

07/08/2010 07:16 PM
Child died from injuries caused by stepfather, police say


A Fort Hood soldier is charged with injuring a child, who later died.

Killeen police arrested 21-year-old Christopher Allen Hassler last weekend for shaking a 9-month-old baby and then dropping her on the floor. The baby, Cristyonna Trynitie Hyams, was taken to the hospital in critical condition early Sunday morning.

She was taken off life support and died Thursday. An autopsy has been ordered.

Hassler is the infant’s stepfather. He remains in the Bell County Jail on a $500,000 bond.

Baby taken off life support dies
Nine-month-old Cristyonna Trynitie Hyams was taken off life support and pronounced dead at 1:16 p.m. Thursday. Her stepfather, Christopher Allen Hassler, 21, of Killeen, is accused of accused of shaking and dropping the infant Sunday.

Justice of the Peace Garland Potvin arraigned Christopher Allen Hassler, 21, of Killeen Monday on a charge of injury to a child. Potvin set Hassler's bond at $500,000, but he was not in Bell County Jail Thursday.

Killeen police officers responded to an unresponsive child call in the 1100 block of North 18th Street about 1:15 a.m. Sunday, an arrest affidavit stated.

Upon their arrival, they found the baby unresponsive in her mother's arms, a KPD news release stated.

The infant was transported by ambulance to Metroplex Hospital in Killeen and later airlifted to Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple in critical condition.

The first report stated that the baby fell while Hassler was giving her a bath. In a second statement, Hassler said that because she wouldn't stop crying, he shook her twice and then dropped her on the floor, according to an arrest affidavit. He noticed that the baby was still breathing but was unresponsive. Several hours later, he called 911.

Justice of the Peace G.W. Ivey ordered an autopsy to be performed at the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Science in Dallas.

Soldier accused of killing child missing Tuesday, Nov. 2 2010 11:12 PM
A Fort Hood soldier accused of killing a 9-month-old child has gone missing after he was released from Bell County Jail.
Christopher Allen Hassler, a 22-year-old in the 324th Signal Company, 41st Fires Brigade, was released on a public recognizance bond last week after the Bell County District Attorney's office failed to bring an indictment against Hassler.
Judge Fancy Jezek of the 426th District Court issued an order waving Hassler's bond last week.
Hassler was released Thursday on the condition that he remain confined to Fort Hood and not contact the victim's family.
Hassler has not reported to duty since, according to Fort Hood spokesman Tyler Broadway. He has not been officially labeled AWOL. However, the district attorney's office has reactivated Hassler's warrant on a charge of injury to a child.
"If he violated a condition (of the bond), which is what's happened here, the charge is reactivated," Assistant Bell County District Attorney Murff Bledsoe said.
Hassler's attorney Chris Wohleb said he has not been able to confirm that Hassler is missing.
The family of Dyana Hassler, the mother of the child who died, issued a statement Tuesday.
"We are very concerned with the whereabouts of Spc. Christopher Hessler," the statement reads. "We wish no harm to come to him. We urge you to turn yourself into authorities wherever you are."
Hassler's bond was initially set at $500,000. It was later reduced to $200,000, and he was released from Bell County Jail for no charge Thursday.
Texas state law guarantees that a person's bond must be reduced to a manageable amount or removed if the state cannot present evidence against a defendant within 90 days.
In Hassler's case, the 90-day period had expired, and he was released.
Bledsoe said the district attorney's office had been waiting on results from an autopsy before bringing Hassler's case before
the grand jury.
Hassler is charged with injury to a child in relation to a July 3 incident that led to the death of his 9-month-old step daughter, Chrisyonna Hyams.
According to an arrest report, Hassler gave police a written statement indicating he shook Chrisyonna and dropped her on the floor in order to stop her from crying.
Hassler initially denied shaking or dropping the child, telling police she fell and hit her head while taking a bath, the report states.
When police arrived at the scene, Chrisyonna was breathing but was unresponsive.
Chrisyonna was taken to Scott & White Hospital with suspected brain damage. She died after being taken off life support five days after the incident.
Court records indicated that Hassler may be a danger to himself.
A notification to the judge of possible mental illness stated Hassler had been having thoughts of hurting himself.
Another investigator reported he was unable to get information from Hassler because of his emotional state.
"This guy was crying so much, it was hard to get much info," the report states.
Hassler's attorney would not comment on his mental state, but did say he believes Hassler is not a danger to himself.
"I don't have any reason to believe that he is a danger to himself," Wohleb said.

Thursday, Dec. 30 2010 09:57 AM

Suspected killer back in custody

Accused child killer Christopher Allen Hassler, 22, attempted to flee
authorities in November after he walked out of Bell County Jail on
conditions that he remain on post under the supervision of his
commander. Hassler was found in Kansas and has since been extradited to
Bell County. He is accused of killing 9-month-old Christyanna Hyams.
Hyams died after being taken off life support at a local hospital.
Authorities believe Hassler dropped her to stop her from crying and
smothered or strangled the child.

Grand jury indicts soldier accused of killing stepdaughter


Updated Aug 16, 2012

By Philip Jankowski

Killeen Daily Herald

A missing soldier accused of killing his 9-month-old stepdaughter was arrested Tuesday night.

Authorities in Leavenworth, Kan., detained Christopher Allen Hassler after receiving an anonymous tip, according to Assistant Bell County District Attorney Murff Bledsoe.

On Wednesday, prosecutors presented the case against Hassler to a grand jury. The jury returned an indictment against Hassler on a charge of murder in connection to the death of his stepdaughter, 9-month-old Christyanna Hyams.

Hassler, a 22-year-old in the 324th Signal Company, 41st Fires Brigade, had not reported to duty for several days at Fort Hood after he was released from Bell County Jail on Oct. 28 under the condition that he would remain confined to Fort Hood.

Authorities are now in the process of extraditing Hassler to Bell County, Bledsoe said.

Hassler was ordered released from jail because the Bell County District Attorney's office did not present its case against Hassler within the state-mandated 90-day allotted time from the original charge.

Hassler's bond was reduced and then eliminated, and he was permitted to leave the jail for no charge under several conditions imposed by 426th District Court Judge Fancy Jezek.

Those conditions included being confined to Fort Hood except to come to the court for hearings or to meet with lawyers.

Hassler had originally been charged with injury to a child in connection to a July 3 incident at Hassler's apartment in the 1100 block of North 18th Street in Killeen.

The night of the incident, Christyanna was taken to a hospital with injuries to her head and brain damage. She died five days later after being taken off life support.

According to an arrest affidavit, Hassler originally told police Christyanna had fallen in the bathroom and hit her head on a tub.

He told police visible bruises to her face resulted from Christyanna learning to crawl and when he would "caress" her under the chin.

He later gave a written statement to police stating he shook Christyanna and dropped her on the floor because she would not stop crying. The child hit her head and stopped moving, the report states.

Hassler told police the child was still breathing, but was unresponsive. After waiting several hours, he called 911.

Hassler's indictment states he strangled Christyanna and smothered her with his hands or an unknown object.



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Man get 25 years for killing 9-month-old stepdaughter

Posted Sep 7, 2011


By Philip Jankowski


Killeen Daily Herald

BELTON - A Killeen man pleaded guilty Tuesday to killing his 9-month-old stepdaughter in 2010. He received a 25-year sentence.

Christopher Allen Hassler, 22, could have faced life in prison if he chose to go to trial. Hassler made a plea agreement, entering a voluntary confession in exchange for the 25-year sentence.

Hassler's stepdaughter, Chrisyonna Hymes, died as a result of injuries sustained July 3, 2010. Hymes was hospitalized for five days before being taken off life support.

Killeen police first learned of the child's injuries in the early morning hours of July 4, 2010. At first, Hassler told police the baby hit her head by falling into the tub as he drew her a bath, according to an arrest affidavit.

Hassler went with police to the hospital, where he changed his story.

He told police additional bruises to the infant's face and neck resulted from "caresses" he made under the child's chin as the child was learning to crawl. Hassler said he stopped the caresses when the bruises appeared.

Later in the morning, Hassler told police he took the baby into the bathroom and stood her up in the tub. The girl fell and hit her head and started to cry.

When the child would not stop crying, Hassler said he shook the child twice and dropped her on the floor, the affidavit states.

The child lost consciousness, but continued breathing. After the child remained unresponsive for several hours, Hassler called 911.

During the hearing, Hassler quietly answered questions from Judge Fancy Jezek.

Hassler's grandmother was in the court, crying and attempting to speak to Hassler during the hearing.

When his sentence was read, Hassler's grandmother asked the judge if she could visit with her grandson.

"Ma'am, could I give him a hug?" she said to Jezek.

Jezek replied it was not her choice to make. Bailiffs told her no, and Hassler was taken to Bell County Jail.

Hassler will be eligible for parole in about 12 years. The mother of the child and her remaining family no longer live in the state, according to Hassler's attorney, Chris Wohleb.

As a part of the plea agreement, Hassler will not face any further charges. When he was released from Bell County Jail in October, Hassler disappeared for several days. He was arrested in Leavenworth, Kan.

Hassler, a former Fort Hood soldier, was assigned to the 324th Signal Company, 41st Fires Brigade, at the time of the child's death.



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