Crime Junkie
Crime Junkie
"Does my son have to die for someone to help us?" — Joseph King Jr.
"Every mystery has an answer, but some have way more than one possibility." — Yvette Gentile
"There is one thing that was never undetermined; Jojo mattered." — Britt
This episode of Crime Junkie investigates the perplexing death of six-year-old Joseph "Jojo" King III. Jojo was found unresponsive in his home, with his stepfather, Brandon Hale, attributing the death to an accident where Jojo became trapped and couldn't breathe in a toy chest. However, Jojo's father, Joseph King Jr., a homicide detective himself, found the explanation inconsistent from the outset. The investigation delves into Jojo's history, revealing a prior incident in March 2019 where Jojo sustained loop-shaped bruises and reported being beaten by his stepfather with a belt. While the Texas Department of Family Protective Services (DFPS) found "reason to believe" physical abuse occurred and Brandon Hale was indicted for injury to a child, the case was complex. Jojo's father was not immediately notified, and his attempts to gain custody were met with resistance from DFPS and the court system. Brandon Hale received deferred adjudication probation for the 2019 incident.
The episode meticulously examines the events of the day Jojo died in February 2020. Discrepancies arise regarding Brandon Hale's timeline of events, particularly the duration of his nap and his actions when Jojo was discovered. Evidence presented, including the condition of Jojo, the toy chest, and surrounding areas, raised further questions. The toy chest was found not to be airtight as initially suggested, and a mannequin of Jojo's size barely fit inside when toys were present. Furthermore, the presence of wetness on Jojo and in the bathroom, particularly the toilet bowl appearing to have had an object placed in it, led to concerns for "homicidal drowning," despite the initial autopsy ruling the manner of death as undetermined due to global hypoxic encephalopathy.
Ultimately, in December 2023, a hearing was held to determine if Brandon Hale violated his probation from the 2019 incident. The judge found that Hale did violate his probation, leading to the revocation of his deferred adjudication and a sentence of 10 years in prison for the 2019 abuse. The episode concludes by emphasizing the systemic failures and the unresolved questions surrounding Jojo's actual cause of death. The podcast highlights the importance of Jojo's life and the efforts of his father to seek accountability and ensure other children are protected.