"Infant Jane Doe" - 23 Months (3/2011) Accused: Sean Alexander - Jackson MS

A Jackson man faces a capital murder charge in connection with the death of his girlfriend's 23-month-old daughter.Sean
Arlandis Alexander, 35, of Jackson initially was charged with felony
child abuse, but the charge was upgraded Wednesday after the child died.Ridgeland
police Lt. Brian Myers said Alexander is being held without bond at the
Madison County Detention Center pending his initial appearance in
Ridgeland Municipal Court.Authorities allege the baby was injured around 12:30 p.m. Sunday at the OakBrook Apartments.Officers
responded to a call at the University of Mississippi Medical Center
after the child was brought in for treatment, Ridgeland Police Chief
Jimmy Houston said."We
sent an officer down there to begin the investigation and found out
that the child was fine until her mother and mother's boyfriend got back
to the apartment, and the child began to have what they thought were
seizures," Houston said."As we got to the hospital, the doctors and emergency room personnel reported that it was a case of child abuse," he said."The child had bruising on the rib cage and there was bleeding from the brain."Houston said statements were taken from the mother and Alexander, who was her boyfriend.That information led to his arrest Monday morning."We are doing an autopsy first thing in the morning, and we will know more," Houston said.He
said police have not released the child or mother's name because they
have additional interviews to conduct. He said the investigation into
exactly what happened to the child continues.Myers
said the child's injuries seem consistent with shaken baby syndrome,
but authorities will wait for autopsy results to determine the cause of
death.Alexander didn't comment about what happened to the child, but said he was alone with the child, Myers said.He
said the mother said she had stepped out of the apartment to remove
another of her children from the car with a disability, leaving the girl
alone with Alexander.Madison County Coroner Alex Breeland said it can be difficult to determine if a child's death resulted from abuse."I don't believe it's going to be difficult in this case to determine the cause of death," he said.

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3/30/2011 6:00:00 PM

Jackson man could face death penalty for killing 23-month-old girl

By MATT STUART

Staff Writer

RIDGELAND - The death penalty will be considered for a man accused of killing a 23-month-old girl, according to officials with the district attorney's office.

Ridgeland police upgraded an aggravated child abuse charge against Sean Arlandis Alexander, 35, of Jackson, to capital murder after the victim, Janilah Banks, died earlier this month.

Alexander was arrested on Monday, March 14, a day after the incident and charged with aggravated child abuse.

The child later died at the Pediatric Emergency Department at University of Mississippi Medical Center and the charges were upgraded.

Ridgeland Municipal Court Judge Bob Camp denied bond and Alexander is currently in the Madison County Detention Center awaiting a ruling by the Madison County Grand Jury.

An investigation continues into the incident, but Madison County District Attorney Michael Guest said they hope to wrap things up in a couple of weeks and hope to take it before a grand jury by the end of April.

"At this stage, I do expect the charges to be presented as capital murder to the grand jury," Guest said. "If they return an indictment, then the death penalty will be on the table."

According to Detective Scott Young's testimony at a preliminary hearing, Banks' 5-year-old brother told child protective services that Alexander threw the girl in the air where she struck her head on the ceiling.

After investigating further, Ridgeland police learned that the child had been in the care of Alexander at the time of the injury.

Initial examination of the body shows bruising consistent with the brother's description of the incident, including thumb-sized bruises on her chest near her armpits where officials say it looks like someone grabbed the child as if to throw them.

Alexander is reportedly a friend of the child's mother, Jennifer Banks, and has faced serious child abuse charges in North Carolina as well.

Those charges were dismissed after the victim moved, but involved a girl the same age as Banks who suffered a fractured skull, bruising over the eyes and cigarette burns to her fingers, the authorities said.