By Leah Justice

leah.justice@tryondailybulletin.com

The murder suspect in the death of a Mill Spring infant had his first appearance in court Monday, April 6, where officials heard his criminal history that includes child abuse, statutory rape, fraud and drug charges.

Jeremiah Lee Jackson, 31, of 23 Freedom Drive, Mill Spring, was charged Thursday, April 2 with second-degree murder in the death of Cayden Berryman, who was five-months old.

Judge Emily Cowan presiding in Monday’s preceding. Jackson heard during court the maximum penalty for second-degree murder is life in prison without parole.

The baby’s father has said that on Monday, March 30, he and the baby’s mother left their twins in Jackson’s care. When the couple returned home, they found Cayden not breathing. CPR was performed while 911 was called and emergency crews rushed the baby to St. Luke’s Hospital where he later died.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office and N.C. State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) began an immediate investigation into the death and began to unravel the history of Jackson.

Jackson recently moved to Polk County from South Carolina to live with his brother and is the paternal uncle of the infant.

Investigators say Jackson has an extensive criminal record in several states, including a charge of statutory rape, a child abuse conviction, fraud, drug convictions and currently has a communicating threat charge pending in court.

“Anytime you see statutory rape, it’s a serious offense and especially when you see a previous child abuse,” said Det. Randall Hodge with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on Monday. “Both of them are serious matters and that’s why we’re hoping to find out the details about those two incidents to try to put together if it’s a pattern or if it’s isolated incidents about his behavior.”

Hodge also said the sheriff’s office and district attorney’s office plan to prosecute Jackson to the fullest extent and they hope to have a very solid case when it goes to court.

The North Carolina Medical Examiner’s Office in Winston Salem conducted an autopsy of the child. The preliminary findings of the autopsy revealed the infant suffered from blunt force trauma to the head, which resulted in the child’s death, according to the sheriff’s office.

Services for Cayden were held last Friday, April 3. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said officers are thankful to the Mill Spring community, which raised enough money for Cayden’s funeral services the same day of his death.

Jackson is being held at the Transylvania County Detention Center under a $200,000 secured bond. Jackson is scheduled for a probable cause hearing at Polk County Court on April 15.