Cozad man sentenced to 70-100 years for infant son’s death

LEXINGTON, Neb. (KNOP) - A Cozad man convicted in the death of his infant son has been sentenced to 70 to 100 years in prison.

Draven Haynes, 24, appeared in Dawson County District Court on Friday for sentencing on a charge of child abuse resulting in death. Dawson County District Judge Patrick Heng handed down the sentence in the death of Carson Haynes.

Carson was three months old when he died at Children’s Hospital in Omaha. Authorities in Dawson County said Carson’s autopsy indicated the cause of death was blunt force head injuries.

Dawson County Court records show police were called to a Cozad residence on Feb. 14, 2024, for an unresponsive baby. The infant was taken to a hospital in Cozad, where a CT scan determined he had a brain bleed, broken ribs, and burn marks. Carson was then transported to Children’s in Omaha, where staff told police the injuries were caused by severe trauma and not from falling off the bed as initially reported.

Chief Deputy County Attorney Garrett Goodwin told the court during sentencing that Carson was alive for only 92 days. Goodwin said Haynes had acknowledged slamming Carson to the ground when he was crying. The baby had also incurred severe burns at the end of January. Goodwin said Haynes and Carson’s mother, Jasmine Hopkins, didn’t get treatment for those burns because they didn’t want the state to take their kids away.

“Carson’s short life is tragic and will be defined by the abuse and neglect he suffered at the hands of his parents,” Goodwin said.

During the sentencing, Draven Haynes’ attorney, Kenneth Harbison, said Haynes is horrified by his actions and knows that he should be punished and will accept what is handed down.

“He did not intend the results,” Harbison said. “I understand there was intent to do the actions but the result was not his intention.”

Harbison urged the judge to factor in some things, including his mental capacity, before making a decision.

When handing down the sentence, Judge Heng said he considered Nebraska statutes and the presentence investigation, which included Haynes’ IQ and previous trauma. He said the trauma and burns Carson endured were reprehensible, but he was more appalled that no action was taken to address the situation. Heng said the failure to seek help prolonged Carson’s suffering instead of taking steps that might have saved his life.

Haynes received credit for 407 days served.

In late December, Carson’s mother, Jasmine Hopkins, was sentenced on a felony child abuse charge resulting in injury. She received three to five years after pleading no contest to the charge in October.