Inset: John Hannon (San Juan County Adult Detention Center). Background: Cops search for Hannon's infant son in a remote area near Flora Vista, New Mexico (San Juan County Sheriff's Office via KOB).
A New Mexico father may have buried his 11-month-old son alive in a remote area while they were on a walk, causing the boy to breathe in dirt in his final moments, authorities say.
John Hannon, 43, stands accused of child abuse resulting in death and tampering with evidence in the death of his son John "JJ" Teigue Hannon, according to the San Juan County Sheriff's Office.
According to an affidavit obtained by local NBC affiliate KOB, Hannon's infant son died of a skull fracture with dirt in his airway, which suggests he was alive when buried.
The outlet also obtained video from Hannon's interview with detectives who pressed him about what happened to his son.
"Why is JJ missing? Is he hurt?" an investigator asked.
"Yes, he's hurt bad," Hannon replied.
They then showed him a picture of his son's body and asked whether he hit his son.
"No, not technically," Hannon stated.
Asked whether his son fell or he threw him, the defendant responded "neither."
While he was evasive about how he allegedly killed JJ, he did admit to burying him, according to the Durango Herald.
"I knew he was dead," Hannon reportedly said.
He later told detectives he "made a mistake," insisting that "at one point in time I did love my kids" but that it had "changed," per the Herald.
As Law&Crime previously reported, the investigation began on Feb. 8 when a homeowner called cops and said video from the day before showed a suspicious man pushing a stroller outside the residence near Flora Vista in the Four Corners area, Sheriff Shane Ferrari said in a video posted to Facebook.
Deputies went to the home. They did not locate anyone, but they did find a discarded stroller. Later on Feb. 8, the mother of the 11-month-old child called deputies to say that her baby had been missing since the day before and that Hannon had taken the baby and a 4-year-old child in a stroller to a Dollar General store near where they lived. Hannon returned with only the 4-year-old, claiming a grandparent picked up the baby, according to Ferrari.
The deputy heard the call about the missing child and alerted authorities about the discarded stroller. Cops determined it was Hannon pushing the stroller the day before, although the video did not depict whether there was a child inside. Law enforcement went to Hannon's home, and when he didn't come out, deputies forced their way inside, where they found him hiding. The baby was not with him.
"When asked about the whereabouts of the baby, Hannon gave conflicting statements as to the location of the child," Ferrari said.
Cops took Hannon into custody on an unrelated felony warrant. Meanwhile, investigators searched the area where the deputy found the stroller. They located clothing belonging to Hannon and the baby, but not the child. They were able to search the area more thoroughly after daybreak on Feb. 9.
"Sadly, at approximately 10 a.m. the search team found the partially buried body of the 11-month-old baby," the sheriff said.
A medical examiner determined the manner of death to be homicide. They are still investigating a motive and what led up to the baby's death.
"There is no greater evil than individuals who hurt and kill children. You have my word we will do everything in our power to bring justice to this precious child," Ferrari said.
Hannon is in the San Juan County Adult Detention Center without bond. It's unclear when he will next appear in court.
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