BROWNSTOWN — A Jackson County woman will serve 30 years behind bars following the fatal criminal neglect of a 17-month-old child, local prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Kassandra L. Bracewell, of Brownstown, received a 33-year sentence with three years suspended from Jackson County Circuit Judge Richard W. Poynter on Tuesday, September 15. In August, Bracewell reached a plea agreement admitting to neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a Level 1 felony carrying a potential penalty of 20 to 40 years in prison.
Emergency responders were dispatched to an apartment on West Spring Street on May 16, 2024, after receiving reports of an unresponsive 17-month-old child, Jalen “JJ” Harding. Bracewell initially claimed the boy had suffered an accidental head injury after climbing out of his crib.
However, medical personnel determined the child’s severe head trauma was consistent with blunt force trauma or abusive head trauma rather than an accidental fall. JJ was transferred to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, where he was pronounced brain dead and succumbed to his injuries three days later.
Investigating officers arrested Bracewell on May 25, 2024, after audio from a 911 recording and statements from witnesses conflicted with her account of the incident.
In court statements, Jackson County Prosecutor Lynsey N. Fleetwood emphasized the tragic gravity of the case and the necessity of justice for the young victim.
Fleetwood told the jury JJ was innocent, defenseless, and entirely dependent upon the adults responsible for his care and protection. She said, “There is no sentence this Court could impose that would bring this beautiful child back… But there must be accountability, and Kassandra deserves every single day she will spend behind bars.”
During Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, family members delivered emotional victim impact statements reflecting on the loss of young JJ. The child’s father, Andrew Finley, and maternal grandmother, Stacey Robinette, addressed the court regarding the permanent impact on their family, stating that no prison sentence could compensate for the life cut short.
Bracewell will serve her 30-year executed sentence in the Indiana Department of Correction.
