Ashley Flowers

It is irrelevant to me if other kids died in similar chests.

A kid could not die in this chest.

There was no gasket or seal that would make it airtight.

And that is where the state lands.

They're not arguing that toy chest accidents have never happened.

They're arguing that this specific one does not explain the scene that they're presented with.

Because if the chest isn't airtight, if the mannequin barely fits in it, if there is moisture elsewhere and not in the chest, then the explanation changes.

After days of testimony...

After the timelines dissected, the CPR thing, the wetness, the toy chest testing, and amended autopsy are all laid out in that courtroom, it's time for the judge to rule.

And remember, this is not a murder trial.

This is the judge, yeah, isn't being asked to determine exactly how JoJo died.

He is being asked one thing.

Did Brandon Hale violate the terms of his probation from the 2019 injury to a child case by committing a new offense in February of 2020?

That's it.

And if he did, then his probation is revoked.

In December of 2023, the judge makes his decision and he finds that Brandon did violate the terms of his probation.

His deferred adjudication from the 2019 Belt incident is revoked, and he's formally found guilty in that original injury to a child case.

So he gets sentenced to 10 years in prison, not for murder, but for the 2019 abuse.

And that is the only conviction connected to JoJo's case.

Listen, our team reached out to both Brandon in prison and his attorney for comment.