The Misery Machine - The Case of Kyon Jones

Starting point is 00:00:00 Kayon Jones was born in March of 2021. His mother, LaDanya Patrice Boggs, was 38 years old. His father, Carl Jones, was 43. At the time of our story, Kayon was a petite two-month-old. Sadly, not much is known about this little boy, including what his true birth date is. What we do know is that he was born to a woman who should have rethought being a mother.

Starting point is 00:00:25 Kayon looked peaceful when asleep, a fringe of dark hair surrounding his face that resemble. his fathers. His hands were tucked into white mittens to keep him from scratching his skin. At two months, he likely would have started to see in color. First, being able to see the difference between green and red, he would have been able to see his mother's face and follow her with his eyes. He would kick and he would wriggle. He would gurgle and make sounds. He probably recognizes the voices of his siblings who were around during his mother's pregnancy. He would have been able to class tight onto a finger or an object, and he would have struggled to let go.

Starting point is 00:01:03 LaDanya lived in an apartment at 1511 Benning Road. It was in the Aziz Bates core department complex in the northeastern section of Washington, D.C. She lived with two of her adult children and five younger children, ages 14, 9, 5, 1, and, of course, two-month-old Cion. Before Cion was born, LaDonia had a long struggle with drug abuse. In May of 2008, she was charged with misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance. She completed a drug treatment program but was caught with drugs again a year later. She played to a lesser charge and was given a suspended sentence.

Starting point is 00:01:35 As part of the plea, she agreed to attend a drug treatment program and show up for regular drug tests. By September of 2009, she'd violated her probation and had to serve 60 days in jail. She'd also given additional probation for this. Six years later, in September of 2015, LaDanya was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of destruction of property. As part of her guilty plea, she agreed to be placed in arrest. residential drug treatment program and partake in additional screenings. She struggled to stay clean during her probation and often missed her mandated drug tests. In May of 2017, she had to serve 45 days in jail for failure to comply with her plea deal.

Starting point is 00:02:12 By April of 2018, she was on a GPS monitor and was required to participate in an intensive drug program. Later this same year, she had some small success with a new case manager. In February of 2019, the case manager reported that LaDanya was doing well in her regular home visits. A little over two years later, Kyan was born. He stayed at the hospital for a few weeks after his birth. LaDanya brought him home to the Benning Road apartment in April of 2021. Kion's father, Carl had been living at the apartment, but LaDanya asked him to move out sometime

Starting point is 00:02:45 in mid-April. On May 2nd, Carl and LaDanya had a heated argument via text. She told him she wished she hadn't had his baby. She claimed that Carl didn't care about Kion. She said that she would make Carl's life a living hell and threatened to turn Kayon over to CPS. For context, Carl already had three children in the child welfare system. LaDanya alleged that the mother of those children placed them there, and she threatened to do the same thing. Carl told LaDanya that she was angry right now and asked her to be patient with him.

Starting point is 00:03:19 Two days later on May 4th, LaDanya called Carl and told him to come get Kayon and take all of his things. However, Carl didn't visit the Benning Road apartment that day, nor did he pick up the baby. On May 5th, LaDanya called Carl and told him CPS took Cion into their custody. She used the term CPS, but the official name of the agency is the D.C. Child and Family Services Agency, or CFSA, which is what we're going to be referring to them as for the remainder of this episode. She told Carl the baby was going to be gone for a long time. He asked where Cion was, she hung up on him. That evening, LaDanya met Carl at a hotel.

Starting point is 00:03:56 Again, she told him CPS took the baby. What LaDanya didn't take a moment to consider was that Carl already had a CFSA caseworker for his other children. He called that caseworker, and that caseworker told him that he did not have Kayan. LaDanya kept insisting that CPS had taken the baby. She named Wanda Davis as the person who came to take him.

Starting point is 00:04:16 This added another level of confusion because Carl was related to a Wanda Davis who lived in Las Vegas. Since the local Cesar, CFSA had no record of the infant, Carl called the National Center for Children and Families on May 6th. They too didn't have Kayon and told Carl that no agency had taken their son. Next, Carl called the local CFSA and reported Kayon missing. He also told them LaDanya was using Angel Dust, a drug that can cause hallucinations, difficulty thinking clearly, and bizarre behavior.

Starting point is 00:04:46 Many of the parents that we cover on this channel have a history of substance use issues, but when Angel Dust comes into play, it is absolutely terrifying. If you need an example, look no further than our Chavon Thomas episode. After Chavon decapitated her son Zari while she was high on drugs, she proceeded to, since we can't say the word on YouTube, self-checkout by a knife repeatedly. Due to Carl's report, police were sent to the Benning Road apartment for a welfare check. LaDanya advised the officers that there was no baby living there.

Starting point is 00:05:20 She also told them that no small children lived there, which was not true. Even worse, the police took her at her word and they left without even entering the apartment. The next day on May 7th, a CFSA social worker went to LaDanya's apartment. She told the social worker that a CPS lady had taken the baby because of an anonymous call alleging drug use and neglect and claimed that she had been sober for a year. The social worker interviewed the other children living in the apartment. who said their mother told them that a CPS lady took their brother. The children said the last time that they had seen Cion awake was on Tuesday, May 4th,

Starting point is 00:05:58 three days earlier. CFSA again verified that they didn't have Cyan in their custody, which led to the social worker calling the police to report Cyan missing. When the police arrived, LaDanya said the CPS lady who took Kayon drove a blue Toyota. She didn't have a badge. She took the baby, the car seat, all of the formula, and all of the baby's clothes. First, LaDanya said the removal happened at 11 p.m. She also said it happened when all her other children were outside playing.

Starting point is 00:06:27 When she realized that didn't make sense, she changed her story to say he was taken during the day. She told the police that the CPS lady was Wanda Davis, the same name she had given to Carl the day before. First, she said that Cyan was removed because of an anonymous call, but then said Carl told Wanda to take the baby. The police contacted Ms. Davis, who, if you were, recall, was a relative of Carl's living in Las Vegas. She did not have Kion, obviously. Ladonia changed her story multiple times over the course of the next few hours and continued to change her story over the next few days. She told the police she didn't have a phone number for Carl, but then gave him his number. She said that she hadn't talked to Carl in a month,

Starting point is 00:07:11 which wasn't true. She said she hadn't had any angel dust at all, and then said she had some four months earlier. LaDanya told police she couldn't deal with him, referring to Kayon, so she gave the little boy to her godmother. When they asked for contact information, LaDanya said she deleted it all from her phone. Police tracked down the woman who was the grandmother of one of LaDanya's other children. She didn't have Kayon. Eventually, LaDanya admitted she hadn't given the baby to her. When detectives asked LaDanya why she had lied, she said,

Starting point is 00:07:41 I didn't want my baby because me and his father were going through whatever we were going through. Then, LaDanya said she gave the baby to someone else, this time a friend who lived on Good Hope Road. She didn't have the friend's phone number and police couldn't find anyone with that name living on that road. Police conducted a search of the apartment in surrounding areas looking for signs of Kaion, but there was no sign of him in the apartment, no crib, no toys, no infant food, no baby items, no clothes, no car seat. On May 7th, Washington, D.C. police listed Kaion as a missing child on their Facebook page. The media was alerted and the community was encouraged to report any information that they had.

Starting point is 00:08:19 Tonight, baby Kayon Jones is listed as critically missing. D.C. police say he was last seen in a home here off Benning Road on Wednesday. He wasn't reported missing to police until Friday. And tonight, people in this apartment complex tell me they hope he makes it home safely. It looked like a crime scene. That's what it looked like because I've seen so many police officers. So I just walked away from it. But because I already knew what they were looking for.

Starting point is 00:08:44 Because I know them, you know, I know the mother or the child. So that kind of made it a little worse. 24 hours later, the same parking lot is quiet. But the search is still on for missing Kyan Jones, who police have released very little information on. Only that he was last seen Wednesday and not reported missing until two days later. On May 8th, LaDanya called the police and said that she had more to say. detectives came out to the Benning Road apartment to conduct yet another interview.

Starting point is 00:09:17 Now, during this interview, LaDanya told them Cion was sleeping in bed with her. She was lying on her right side and the baby was lying on his stomach. He was between her and the wall. When she woke up later, she found him beneath her stomach and he wasn't breathing. She also told detectives that she had been under the influence of Angel Dust when the incident happened. She told one detective that she had been hallucinating the day. Kayon died, but told another detective she couldn't remember what she was hallucinating. She would proceed to change this story several more times.

Starting point is 00:09:50 On May 9th, missing persons activist Henderson Long went to the Aziz Bates court complex to pass out flyers for Kayon. The police were still investigating what LaDanya had shared with them, but as far as the public knew, including Henderson, Kayon was still a missing child. Henderson was moved by Kayon's story and because of his young age, he felt like he should help. If you hear anything, just give them PD a call, right? Okay.

Starting point is 00:10:14 Number down at the bottom. All right, I got you, but I got you, man. It's not like me and you. Like, we can take care of ourselves. We can, you know, we can ask to help. A two-month-old is totally dependent on their surroundings. While at the complex, Henderson asked LaDanya to do a Facebook live interview. She agreed, and he and a reporter from WUSA TV conducted this interview.

Starting point is 00:10:37 Carl was there too, but he didn't appear on camera. Henderson expected La Danya to ask the community for help and information that would lead to the return of her missing baby. Instead, in a quiet and flat voice, she told the reporter she woke to find Kayon not breathing. Will you say and spell out your name for me? Ladanya Ladaia, Ladaia, D-O-N-A, Las 9-B-O-G-G-E. Tell us about your son. Kayon Jones. And how old is he?

Starting point is 00:11:06 Sue must out. What happens this week? He was in the house and the last time that I had him was in the bed with me. And he was sleeping on the bed with me and I had rolled over and noticed that he was on the bed with me and the last thing that I'm on the bed with me and the last thing that I remember was that I had rolled over and he was on my chest after that when I was sleep, rolled over, noticed that he was unresponsive, breathing, and I panicked. And after that, a lady called my phone and questioned me about the whereabouts about him. And I got frustrated about the situation about him in the house.

Starting point is 00:12:14 him in the household and she just was like, can she come and take a look at him? And after that, she came to the house. I panicked. After that, I went outside and talked to the lady out front on the porch. And we was just having a mutual conversation about him. And after that, she just was like, she just was going to call me back and she just left. So after that, I came back in the house with Carl Young. He was still in here and after that, he was still in the bed. So me, after I noticed that he was unresponsive, wasn't breathing no more. I had to take him outside.

Starting point is 00:13:36 to see it was a breathing no more, and I noticed that he wasn't breathing no more. So I panicked, and then I went outside, came back in the house, walked around the block, four couple of times, did get a breath of mind, and when I came back in the house, I still noticed that he wasn't breathing anymore. I went outside, I came back in the house, and got a blanket. And it's costly and wrapped up and took it outside and disposed it in the trade. When you called authorities, what did they say? And didn't call anybody.

Starting point is 00:14:42 You scared? Yes. Are police still, police are still searching and looking for him. I'm just getting this information that y'all just got just now. I mean, I just got it about 30 minutes ago. What happened is next first? your family. What's the next? How one need to do is locate the right of the right now. She's saying that he wasn't breathing, that she'd go him in the trash so.

Starting point is 00:15:08 Do you know? I need to find out where he's up. Do you know the area where people could find him? Did doctors give you any warnings or anything? You know, if he was premature. He was already premature. He was fine when he got dogs with him. How long had he been home for? For six weeks. Six weeks. Six weeks. With five and I have. Five and a half. Five I'm almost. He would have been eight weeks this week. Okay. So he's, wherever he's at, or if he's good or not, he's only seven weeks of it, end of the day.

Starting point is 00:15:45 Well, thank you so much for talking with us on his time. Carl said he was still looking for his missing son. He was not satisfied and he would not be until he found Kayon's body. Carl also noted that the dumpster behind the building had already been emptied and the contents were taken away before police could check for them. LaDanya said she had no idea where Kayon's body could be. On May 11th, police questioned Carl. He thought LaDanya's drug abuse was getting worse, but swore he never saw her harm her children. He said she always had food in the house.

Starting point is 00:16:19 He thought that LaDanya loved Kayon. He also admitted to using angel dust with her recently. Police began the search for Kayon's remains. looking in dumpsters and garbage trucks servicing the DC area. On May 10th, cadaver dogs were brought in to search a large landfill in Charles City, County, Virginia. Landfill was over 120 miles south of the apartment where little Kayon was last seen. A long way for someone so tiny and fragile. Police finished their search on May 13th, and they were unable to locate him.

Starting point is 00:16:50 On May 14th, Ladanya was arrested for homicide and evidence tampering. Without Kayon's body and the evidence it contained, detained, prosecutors decided to drop the homicide charge. If more evidence was found, they could choose to reinstate it. The maximum sentence for evidence tampering was three years in prison. LaDanya was released the next day without bond. As a condition of her release, she was not allowed to have any unsupervised contact with children, including her own children and grandchild. She was scheduled to return to court on November 19, 2022. While in custody on May 14th, LaDanya gave yet another version of her story.

Starting point is 00:17:30 She told the investigators Kayaan had been having stomach issues, but he hadn't been taking any medicine for it. She had talked to the doctor about possibly changing his formula because he had been constipated. She was supposed to take him for a medical checkup, but his health insurance had not yet started. She admitted she made up the story about CPS because she was upset with Carl. She claimed Kion was sleeping on her chest the night he'd.

Starting point is 00:17:54 died. She rolled over on him while sleeping. She woke up on top of Kayon and he wasn't breathing. She panicked and didn't know what to do, so she wrapped Kayon in a blue baby blanket. In this version of the story, she placed him in his car seat and threw the car seat into the dumpster. She said she put his clothes in a box and threw that in the trash too. She said she had smoked angel dust a day or two before his death. In this version of her story, she was not hallucinating and had not taken the drug on the day he died. The police consulted a Peter pediatrician from Children's National Medical Center. The doctor said co-sleeping with an infant can cause death.

Starting point is 00:18:30 The risk of death is even higher if the parent is under the influence of drugs. The police also obtained surveillance footage from the apartment complex. And footage recorded on May 5th, LaDanya wore a red shirt and blue pants. She carried a car seat out the complex door, and she made another trip. This time she carried a full plastic bag in one hand and pulled a cardboard box with the other. A cloth or blanket was visible in this box. Police said it appeared large enough to contain a two-month-old. Footage from outside showed LaDanya at the trash dumpster.

Starting point is 00:19:01 Footage at the door showed her coming back inside. Her hands were empty. This footage supported the most disturbing part of this story. LaDanya threw little Kayon away in the dumpster, along with all the evidence of his very short life. While awaiting trial, LaDanya was still living at the apartment on Benning Road. On April 27, 22, police were called to her apartment at 3 a.m. They found her unresponsive in the bedroom.

Starting point is 00:19:31 She had been stabbed in her stomach and her right calf. When EMS responded, they found no signs of life. They pronounced La Danya dead at the scene and transported her body to the medical examiner. Inside the apartment, police found a trail of blood in the bedroom and living room. They also found blood on the couch. The same surveillance cameras that once recorded LaDanya throwing her son in the garbage now showed Carl holding a knife and throwing a bloody carpet into the dumpster. Carl was arrested later that day.

Starting point is 00:20:04 He was charged with second-degree homicide while armed. The judge asked if he killed her, he said, If I did, would I be wrong for doing that? He later admitted he argued with LaDanya about Kayon's death and he ultimately stabbed her. He also admitted he still occasionally smoked angel dust with her. In December of 2022, he pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter, who was sentenced to nine years in prison. The judge believed that Kayon's death was the root cause of Carl's crime and ordered him to get counseling while he was behind bars. LaDanya was a troubled woman who had many issues, and those issues led to the death of her son.

Starting point is 00:20:45 We will never know if Kayon's death was an accident or not. But if it was truly the result of co-sleeping, then it bears mentioning that co-sleeping takes the lives of hundreds of children every year. Now, according to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, at least 905 babies died from accidental suffocation while sleeping in 2020. Most of these deaths were caused by co-sleeping. In 2023, some areas are seeing a rise in these preventable deaths. Doctors say parents should never keep an infant in bed with them and should never place an infant on their chest while taking a nap.

Starting point is 00:21:26 They recommend the ABCs of safe sleep. A is for alone, B is for on their back, and C is for in a crib. Kion's body has still not been found. He never had an obituary, funeral, or public memorial. He doesn't even have a headstone. His grave is, unfortunately, a landfeworthand, a lander. Phil. Even if LaDanya's version of events wasn't exactly truthful, it is important to remember these safe sleeping guidelines. For many new parents, the ABCs of safe sleep could save a baby's life.

The Misery Machine - The Case of Kyon Jones

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