Crime Fix with Angenette Levy - Ohio Man Killed Brother By Forcing Ice Baths and Exercise: Prosecutor

Episode Date: July 10, 2025

Anthony McCants, 23, is charged with murder and eight counts of child endangering for the March 2025 death of his 12-year-old step brother, Jadako Taylor. Akron Police went to the home after medics found Jadako unconscious following a 911 call. McCants describes on body camera video how he had Jadako taking ice baths and doing 50 push-ups and the boy became violently ill and later died. Law&Crime's Angenette Levy goes through the disturbing case in this episode of Crime Fix — a daily show covering the biggest stories in crime.PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code CRIMEFIX at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: http://incogni.com/crimefixHost:Angenette Levy  https://twitter.com/Angenette5Guest:James Bogen https://x.com/attorneybogenProducer:Jordan ChaconCRIME FIX PRODUCTION:Head of Social Media, YouTube - Bobby SzokeSocial Media Management - Vanessa BeinVideo Editing - Daniel CamachoGuest Booking - Alyssa Fisher & Diane KayeSTAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LAW&CRIME NETWORK:Watch Law&Crime Network on YouTubeTV: https://bit.ly/3td2e3yWhere To Watch Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3akxLK5Sign Up For Law&Crime's Daily Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LawandCrimeNewsletterRead Fascinating Articles From Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3td2IqoLAW&CRIME NETWORK SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawandcrime/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawandcrimeTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lawandcrimenetworkTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lawandcrimeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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A man in Ohio is charged with murdering his younger brother by making him take ice baths and do push-ups, and he openly admits to it on body camera video. But we did last night, we'd get in the ice bath for a minute, jump out, we'd do do push-ups, and he openly admits to it on body camera video. We did last night, we get in the ice bath for a minute, jump out, we do 50 push-ups. I go through the sad case of the death of Judaco Taylor and what his stepbrother told police and where he is now. I'm Ann Janette Levy and you're watching Crime Fix. Before I get into this awful case, I want to tell you about something for all of our viewers who love body camera videos and police content. Highlights from On Patrol Live are coming to YouTube.

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and subscribe to make sure you don't miss a beat starting Monday, July 14th. You can find the channel link in the description. Now let's get back to this really terrible case out of Akron, Ohio. Anthony McCants is charged with murder and eight counts of endangering children for the death of his younger stepbrother, Judaco Taylor.

McCants is a 23-year-old man who was accused of forcing Judaco, who was just 12 years old, to take ice baths and then do pushups. The treatment, according to prosecutors in Ohio, killed Judaco. The the the

the the the the the the the the the the It was March 22nd of this year when police in Akron, Ohio raced to the house after receiving

a 911 call. Judaco was not breathing and several officers went into the house. The officers went inside and found Right there, you saw Anthony McCants with medics You guys got one already? Yeah. Got O2? Good. Yeah. All right. Great job. Thanks, man. That's it. Right there, you saw Anthony McCants with medics and police. The EMTs tried to get some information. Hey. Can you give me his name?

Herb Day. And we're going to give him the kids. Children's hospital. And if he has any medical conditions or takes any medications for any reason, okay? No trauma related to this, right? He didn fall and hit his head a day or two ago playing basketball fall down anything like that cause a head injury? No. Okay. You were The Anthony McCants to disclose any relevant information. His mouth has a little bit of water in his nose. Do you know what that might be? That's from that bottom of his ear.

OK. OK. So I'm going to put some water in his eyes. How long was he in that ice bath for? 20 minutes? Yeah. 20 minutes over the time limit. 20 minutes now.

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After signing up, I get virtually no spam now, so I highly recommend giving Incogni a try. Right now, anyone who uses the code CRIMEPHIX at incogni.com slash crime fix gets 60% off. That's code CRIMEPHIX at incogni.com slash crime fix for 60% off an annual incognito plan. Now during CPR, the officers, they move Anthony from the kitchen into the living room. There are times when the audio drops out of the body camera video, but then it comes back on and McCants mentions an ice bath. This is how you know this side always act like anytime we've got ice bath we were going to ice bath for like a week. So this isn't the first time.

But this time I was like, yeah, he's taking us too far. Let me just get professional help because I can do chest compressions and threw it up. Do you have moms involved in this? No, I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. first time, but this time I was like, yeah, he's taking us too far, let me just get professional help, because I can do chest compressions, he threw it up. Do you have mom's info?

Yeah, I'm about to contact them now. Alright, hold on, let me pull it up. Jerego's going to the hospital, mama. He threw up in there and he was very not responsive, so I just called him. Hey, who do you think he is more responsive? He's like, he has a pulse. Hold on, hold on, hold on. What? Where's she at? I don't know, I don't know. She's at, um, a drop-in center.

She's gonna, you're gonna need to head to Children's. Giudico's mother is on the phone with Anthony McCants, and she is clearly shocked. You can hear her talking to McCants on the officer's body-worn camera. You guys are on your way to the hospital? Yes. Yes, it's the OP. Yes, he's not fully moving, but he's very much breathing and throwing up.

I took him to the side, he just kept throwing up, and I laid him back on the side, and did it again. Then McCants talks about what happened to Judeco. He said the boy hit his head. Oh, yeah, like right before I got here, that's when he hit his head. That's when I was like, okay, I've been here before. I know what a concussion is like. So his eyes were dilated. I was looking at his eyes.

So I picked his feet up, got blood to his head, tapped him up, and he I'm like, okay, so I got you. And then I could see he wanted to like throw up. So I laid him on the side, he threw up, laid him back on the side. Did I? Threw up, laid him on, like laid down on the side, threw up, laid him back on the side, threw up. Then I'm like, come on, bro, let's get you upstairs

so we can clean you up, man. I can't have you laying on the floor. So when he hit his head though, did he just pop right back up? No, he just laid there, looked at him, eyes down, and he was like, he got a ****. That was hard. Like, it was... Okay. What did he hit his head on?

Just his mouth there, at the bathroom floor. Okay. Is the bathroom floor tile or something? Yeah. Like, this kind of tile? Yeah, the exact tile. Okay. McCants then goes into more detail with the officers about the ice baths and the exercises

that he says he had Judaco doing. Then we made him down and threw him in the shower. Once he came off, I saw his eyes, you know, blitz back because he had warm water. He was like, okay, then threw up again. Oh my gosh, just keep throwing up. So then we got him up and then he was still acting like, you know, so I go, okay, let me make sure. So I put my head to his chest to hear his heart and it was just too fake for me. So I was like, okay, let me get him out. Immediately, I do chest compressions. His heart came back. So I already could throw up a gear, went back out.

God damn. Anthony McCants describes Judaco becoming seriously ill and vomiting. And then he describes for the officer how Judaco would get into an ice bath and then get out and do 50 pushups. 50 after being in an ice bath. Every single time we do an ice bath. But we, last night, we'd being in an ice bath. Every single time we do ice bath. Last night we get in the ice bath for a minute, jump

out, we do 50 pushups. Jump back in, jump back out, another picture. Jump back out, jump back in, another pushup. So this one was out of nowhere. He participated in the pushups. So we all was doing it. It wasn't a lie okay we always doing it. So this time when we did it I was just like okay all right you calm down back then I was like all right bro you're taking it too far so that's why I'm taking it seriously. Okay. But that's legit what happened and then you act like oh I don't remember, so I'm like, Jennifer, you know exactly what you did. So, where's the bathroom at, upstairs then?

No, the bathroom's right here. We were downstairs in the basement. Okay, so he made it up the stairs? No, I picked him up and carried him up the stairs, because he would just lay there stiff. Like, when he tried to get him up the tub, he was just so stiff and up. I'm like, come on, man, all right? This, this, come on, get up. So I stood him up, when I got him out,

laid him there, covered him, covers. Listening to this is absolutely unreal. Then McCants shows the officers a video of Judaco. Remember the video is blurred in parts. Yeah, I'm about to show you the video. So this is how you act. You can see it. He would get out.

He would just, you like, bam him. And it would just make him so far. I'm like, come on, bro. Like, I recorded it, so I'm like, dude, if you ever try to blame me for how you're acting, they gonna look and be like, okay, well you're voluntarily doing it. And then he would admit, okay, yeah,

I'll be tricking out, because I just want attention. That's what I'm brother, man. I'm not gonna lie. But this is how you act, if you fall, he would, then when I asked him about it, he would, oh, I forgot. But this is how you act if you fall or you... Then when I ask somebody, he'll go, oh, I forgot. Last time we got out that same ice bath, he stands up. He's just standing there and there's peas on himself.

So I'm like, really? I think he's appearing and stuff and he's like, yeah. I said, why would you do that, son? Does he always have that type of behavior? When he gets in his ice bath? Absolutely. Just like that, every single time. Meanwhile, in the living room, Anthony relays the whole situation to police.

This portion is heavily redacted due to Ohio privacy laws. That's why it's blurred. I know you're... No, no, you're good. Listen, I... Was he like sick before? He was all sick. He was all sick.

We've been doing ice baths for like two weeks like this isn't this isn't new right this this right here is new normally he'll get up he had this episode and then he'll just be cool this time I'm like okay let me get upstairs to wake him up because he's thrown up and I want to clean him up I wouldn't let his own throw up they come up here yeah we just all took guys back no Jelani didn't get a ticket guys back here he was about to take it right after what do you have to do after that? Chill? I mean like today today he was fine. Oh, yeah fine door laundry I come said this this right here is brand new this lock off and I was like normally he would have his little episode Like he's very dramatic and I'm not saying it like it's just like oh, he don't like he's from the cold Yeah, just from the cold he acts like that

But this time we got him upstairs and I like tried to get him down to the ground he was already kind of lips and fell so I picked his feet up just like learning to just be proud to give blood to his head. He hit his head? Yeah, he hit his head when he went down for sure. Where at? Back. I mean like where at? Oh in the bathroom. Remember right here. I'll show you. Anthony escorts the officers over to the first floor bathroom. This is where it all allegedly went down. Yeah, it's right here, bro. Yeah, just the ground.

So when I came in here, he was on my shoulders. I went down, sat him down, and he just put his head back. And I'm like, come on, bro, you gonna kill yourself for this time. How long did it take to take the ice bath? Ten, like, when I called y'all, you just got out. But police learn that wasn't the bathroom that contained the tub Judaco was doing ice baths in. They made their own ice bath and kept it in the basement. Oh, I got you. It's one of those tubels. Yeah, we made it. So we have the stuff over there to make it.

I just have to wait for my dad to give me the drill and a circular saw so we can make our own ice baths. That's a state-form punishment. I can't beat y'all up, so we're gonna do ice baths. Hell, my ankle lives. It's gonna feel like death. But this time when we got him out, he threw up right here. So I gotta say, he threw up right here. So like I say, he threw up food.

That's what I was trying to figure, because I'm like, I mean, because you could do an ice bath in a regular bath. Then I'm like, no, our regular baths are too small. So when he's sitting in it, it's only in the water. So I was like, we went to Home Depot. We agreed on the ice bath. We agreed on this one. I could get in there.

We all could get in there. OK, so he was in this. Yes, he was in this. Gets out, starts throwing his tantrum. Yeah, literally, throws his tantrum. But that was like normal. That's normal. And I'm like, he would always do this thing where he would like, intentionally say he was faking seizure. And I'm like, come on, Jacob, you can't do's really if you have any real work and I'm thinking you're faking your core to die So you know I thought I'll just be trying to get a twitching but stop that's that's a terrible way to get attention And then you thought it was like I was gonna Know he was it did I was he threw up? Once he threw up. He was just like, he was just stiff.

He just didn't want to move. So when I picked him up, he just went and lift. So I was like, all right, but I bet you he's going to go and lift all of a sudden. So we go upstairs. I carried him up the stairs, carried him to the bathroom. When I went to lay him down, he just, I said, come on, bro, you're gonna really kill yourself, dude, stop, like, you're taking this too far, like, I don't know if you don't care about your life, but stop.

So that was me, and I was like, okay, this time you're actually hurt. I, you're actually hurt this time. So this time, okay, let me switch it to, like, okay, I don't care, but I care, because I can see you. Let me switch it to, okay, I was like, okay, let me switch it to like, okay, I don't care but I care because I can see you. Let me switch it to, okay, I need to start moving, get his, pick his feet up, get a blood, blood, blood, smack him.

He was like, dude. Did you like run any warm water on him? Yeah, oh hell yeah. And that, and that. Yeah, and that. I did everything that I was trained to do, that I knew to do, that would get him back. Just like when they kept saying lay him on the side, I'm like alright well he's not throwing it up. He's just sitting there with him. So I'm like you're going to drown yourself in your own throw ups. Stop!

And he just, I'm like, oh my god, but I'm like come on dude, like you taking this too far now. So I started, you want the attention? So I called him. Like I said, it's fake. When I checked his pulse, I was like, it's fake. I'm not going to disagree. But it's mainly fake from that concussion. It's a nice vibe.

He was definitely concussed. So he went from faking it to basically hitting his head. And then like, now it's real. Now, now I'm like, I'm not even lying. But he's like, who's my phone? I have a 5-hour phone. I'll show you. But I'm recording it.

I ain't gonna lie to you. The video comes up again. Anthony pulls it up for the officers on his phone and it only raises more questions. So what's the point of you guys doing that? So, just one promise. more questions. I can punch you to some hell, I don't gotta beat you up. You can beat your own self up. So that was what we agreed upon. I couldn't like physically beat him up, but we could do push-ups, we could do light smacks, just string your strength, like just stretch,

just stretch, just stretch. That's pretty much it. Okay. This time. You guys all with you? Yeah, all of us. You're all brothers? Yeah. Brothers are my marriage, but that us live here together. You're all brothers?

Yeah, brother my marriage, but I think they must know. The officers decide to take Anthony McCants to the police department to get his statement. I'm going to grab your stuff and have it in a little bag. Okay. 1384, P-1, N-1, DORO. Yeah. Those are two phones. Those are two phones. Those are two phones.

Those are two phones. Those are two phones. Those are two phones. Those are two phones. Those are two phones. Those are two phones. Those are two phones. Those are two phones.

Those are two phones. Those are two phones. Those are two phones. Those are two phones. Those are two phones. Those are two phones. There's two. Do I have to sit back here like this the whole time? Say what? Do I have to wear cuffs the whole time? Unfortunately. Am I allowed to know why? Huh? Am I allowed to know why?

Huh? Am I allowed to know why? Yeah, I guess now you're being detained. I didn't know what happened until you said that he is. Down at the station, Anthony is placed in a holding room temporarily. When I take this one off? Just put it on top of your hand on top of your head. Even after learning that his stepbrother died at the hospital,

he appears to only be concerned about himself. What's next after that? That I don't know. Because that's, on them, whatever the circumstances are, which I'm not sure what all happened at the hospital. I mean, we know the outcome, but I don't know what actually happened, like, issue-wise or what caused it. So I don't want to say, like, hey, they're going to do this or they're going to do this. It's kind of just one of those things we're going to go one step at a time

and see how it goes. Absolutely. All right? Mr. Vane? Bush. At the hospital, detectives had spoken with Judaco's mother. Do you know why? Like have they just been taking ice baths just because they want to or?

They have been on a workout regimen ice bath routine. Okay. So they've been going to the gym, working out, taking ice baths, going to the gym, working out,, ice bath routine. Okay. So they've been going to the gym, working out, taking ice bath, going to the gym, working out. Okay. Judaco died at the hospital. Anthony McCance was charged with child endangering and corporal punishment and he was later indicted on one count of murder and eight felony and misdemeanor counts of child endangering. He is now free on bail. He posted 10% of a $50,000 bond and he has a curfew. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and his father is trying to raise money for his legal

fees. I want to bring in James Bogan. He is a criminal defense attorney based in Cincinnati, Ohio. So James, this case to me is absolutely stunning. We have Anthony McCants on body camera footage talking to the cops, telling them about giving his little brother, Judaco, ice baths, long ice baths, the 12-year-old kid, and outlining all of this. He's charged with murder, he's charged with child endangering, eight counts, both felony and misdemeanor counts,

and yet he's free on bail. How does this happen? That's highly unusual. You know, I've handled a lot of murder cases, I've handled a lot of high-end felonies, and for a case like this, that is highly unusual in my experience. Yeah, it seems very unusual.

I mean, you could argue that he's not a danger to society in general. But this is a very disturbing case. And yes, you know, bail is to ensure that you show up at your future court appearances. That's the purpose of bail. But this is a murder case. He's charged with essentially torturing a child. I mean, that's basically what the allegation is. If you watch the body camera footage, this poor child was disciplined by having ice baths and doing 50 push-ups in between ice baths.

It sounds like from the body camera footage, he's showing the cops a video of Judaco. I'm just at a loss here. ED HARRISON Yeah, I'm completely at a loss with this, how anyone could think that that's reasonable. First of all, it doesn't even look like reasonable discipline if you have a troublemaker. Second of all, if you're looking at ice baths from the scope of what they're supposed to be for, for therapeutic purposes, when you're doing hard training, someone who's 12 years old, if you're even going to think of ice baths when they're

doing hard training, it's done after all the hard training is over and should be no more than say 30 seconds to two minutes after. Because kids, their bodies are wired differently. It's harder for them to regulate their bodies to regulate the body temperature, so it's very easy for them to get too cold or too hot. In this case, his body temperature dropped to 74 degrees. You had two ice baths for 45 minutes and a third one for 30 minutes, and that is just way outside the bounds of anything that's acceptable if you're going to use ice baths for their proper purpose. And for discipline, obviously this is way outside of bounds where with charges like child endangering and so on, the law will allow for reasonable parental discipline, reasonable discipline. In this case like

this appears to be way out of bounds from any of that. You're a fitness guy. I mean, you work out a lot. I can't even imagine. I was in college at the time too. I can't even imagine putting a 12 year old in an ice bath at all. And this was basically done. He's talking about having Judaco get in there,

get in the ice bath, and then get out and doing like 50 push-ups, 50 push-ups. I mean, I, I, it's to me, unbelievable, unbelievable. So, so you're a defense attorney. I mean, he's waived speedy trial rates on the docket, it says that his defense has hired an investigator. I mean, it's all on body camera footage. Well, the defense needs to do their due diligence and look beyond the body camera. There's always going to be a lot more to a case than just what they said on body camera. And in a situation like this, even if the guy meant well, this still isn't, that's not going to get him out of this.

Maybe that might get him a manslaughter charge instead. And you know, sometimes prosecutors do overcharge. But for murder, what is under the statute, it's no person shall cause the death of another as approximate result of the offender's committing or attempting commit an offense of violence, as in this case second degree. In this case, the child endangering is charged as a second degree felony. And it's also, the other part of the murder statute is no person shall purposely cause the death of another.

And the courts tend to look at it from the standpoint of when you're purposely doing conduct that causes the death, that tends to factor in with what they do. But I'll be honest, this looks more like a manslaughter case to me because I don't think he intended to kill this boy, but at the same time though, his conduct, the two ice baths, the intensive exercise in between, that is just way, looks way outside the bounds of any reasonable parental discipline or any reasonable boot camp training type stuff. Now if he put me through a full workout then have him do a ice bath for anywhere from 30 seconds to two minutes, sure, okay, but in this case here there's, I don't even know what universe this guy was in to

think that these long ice baths and intensive exercise in between them was reasonable by any stretch of the imagination. But he's basically telling the cops, you know, Judaco was kind of like a troublemaker and he was trying to kind of get him in line, like boot camp or something. I'm like, what? I mean, like, you're like in your twenties.

This is a 12 yearyear-old kid. You were left alone with him. He's, you know, McCance is on the phone with Judaco's mother telling him, I mean, the child is vomiting. He starts vomiting. I mean, like, on what planet are you on that you thought that this was okay? This is like insanity. You're saying you think it's manslaughter and not and not murder.

So he because he did not intend to cause the death. That's what it appears on the surface. That's going to be up to his lawyers to try to argue that more, develop more facts. But, you know, maybe if things come out in discovery where either way that moved the needle, that'd be interesting to see. But just at a glance, that's something that any decent defense attorney would be trying to argue. Well, it'll be interesting to see how it pans out. It is really disturbing. That poor child, Judaco, I can't get over these cases where people mistreat children. It's just horrific.

And obviously, Anthony McCance is, he's innocent until proven guilty, but the body camera footage, we hear it out of his own mouth. James Bogan, thank you so much for your time. I appreciate it. You're certainly welcome. Always a privilege.

Again, Anthony McCance is free on bail. His attorneys are investigating the case according to the court docket and he's waived his right to a speedy trial. He has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. And that's it for this episode of Crime Fix. I'm Angie Nellie. Thanks so much for being with me. I'll see you back here next time.