The life of an Iowa woman has taken a pivotal turn after she claimed her baby accidentally rolled into a trash can, leading to his tragic death.

At the age of 28, Jaley Bush was charged with child endangerment resulting in death following the death of her son, known as R.S., as initially reported by Law&Crime.

Bush received a five-year prison sentence after admitting to charges of child endangerment and involuntary manslaughter in May, according to information from local ABC affiliate KCRG based in Cedar Rapids.

On January 27, according to a criminal complaint accessed by Law&Crime, Bush was at a friend’s residence on Hickory Terrace in Keokuk. She had her infant son with her, and they both fell asleep on a bed located in a basement bedroom.

She awoke to find her son “head first and unresponsive inside of a trash can next to the bed,” the court document stated. The child had fallen asleep “on the inside portion of the bed” and the defendant believed he “must have crawled over or around her before falling into the trash can.”

Officers with the Keokuk Police Department responded to the home at about 2 p.m. that day and began lifesaving efforts on the child. Bush was there, too, and she apparently “exhibited signs of being under the influence of some form of narcotics as her demeanor was stoic and her speech appeared to be slurred.”

Law&Crime obtained body-worn camera footage of officers’ conversation with Bush at the residence. She tells them of her child, “he had rolled into the trash bag.”

Before falling asleep that day, Bush said she took Klonopin, a sedative that “produces a calming effect on the brain and nerves” and “helps to reduce anxiety, prevent seizures, and promote relaxation,” according to WebMD. She allegedly “did not know whom the pills belonged to,” according to the criminal complaint.

The next day, authorities got a search warrant to obtain a blood sample from Bush. She reportedly tested positive for methamphetamine and benzodiazepines, the latter of which is the classification for Klonopin. She told police she did not take any drugs from the time first responders arrived at her home to the time the drug test was taken, per the court document.

The baby was pronounced dead on Feb. 5 with the cause of death ruled to be asphyxia — a lack of oxygen.

Bush will serve her sentence at the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women.

Keokuk is located in southeastern Iowa, straddling the borders of Missouri and Illinois.

Fulton County Police Officer Aaron Blount, a devoted father and fiancé known for his dedication to community service, was approaching the end of his shift when he noticed a vehicle swerving unpredictably. He decided to take action.

Tragically, just a few minutes later, the 26-year-old officer would lose his life.

The heartbreaking discovery came shortly after 10 p.m. on April 22, 2003. While patrolling his route in South Fulton County, Georgia, fellow Fulton County Police Officer Reginald McCain encountered a shocking scene.

“That night will forever be etched in my memory,” McCain shared during the fourth season opener of Oxygen’s The Real Murders of Atlanta. “I noticed a police vehicle with its blue lights flashing in the distance. It had veered off the road into a dense brush near railroad tracks.”

Realizing the car belonged to Blount, his adjacent beat partner and close friend, McCain approached and discovered a horrifying sight. The vehicle’s windows were shattered, and Blount was found slumped over the seat, still holding his gun. He had been shot multiple times in the body and head.

In the days that would follow, investigators set out to recreate Blount’s final movements, ultimately leading them to a suspect with no prior criminal record who deployed an unconventional defense. 

“I just broke down and I started crying,” former Fulton County Police homicide detective Glenn Kalish remembered of hearing the news. “Not just for Aaron and the rest of the Fulton County Police Department, but I felt a lot of personal pressure on me being assigned this case and the weight of the case.”

Investigators Piece Together Final Moments of Aaron Blount’s Life

As detectives began to their investigation, they learned that there had been multiple 911 calls that night about a silver vehicle driving erratically not far from the murder scene.

They were also surprised to discover a handgun laying on the ground in the parking lot of a gas station, just across the road from where Blount’s vehicle had come to rest. 

They came to believe that Blount had been following a car down the roadway when the driver hopped out at the gas station and waited for Blount to come around the corner, then fired directly into his vehicle, before setting the weapon down and fleeing the scene.

Injured, Blount likely took his foot off the brake, causing the patrol car to roll across Roosevelt Highway into the grassy area by the train tracks.

An eyewitness who had been driving by the gas station also came forward to share what he knew about the fatal shooting.

“We see the police got his lights on at the gas station,” the witness told police. “And as I was approaching the light, I heard a gunshot. And I saw a guy standing…at point blank range shooting through the window.”

According to his account, the shooter then turned and calmly walked away before getting into a silver Ford Focus.

He described the shooter as a larger Black male, around 6’2” tall and around 250 pounds or more.

Though the medical examiner was able to connect the weapon found at the scene to the bullets in Blount’s patrol car and body, a second gun had been used to deliver the shots to his head, leading investigators to believe the cold-blooded killer had used two separate weapons.

Kenneth G. Reese Emerges As Suspect in Aaron Blount’s Death

Investigators caught another break in the case when they learned the weapon that had been recovered at the scene was registered to Kenneth Reese.

Though authorities initially believed the weapon was linked to a fire department captain and arson investigator with a stellar reputation—sending shockwaves through the law enforcement community—they learned after speaking with Kenneth that he had a younger nephew with the same name, who often went by the nickname “Little Kenny.”

Little Kenny had no criminal record, but did own at least one firearm. Even more telling, investigators were able to link him to a silver Ford Focus rental car. Yet, according to Little Kenny’s family, he had gone to Florida and now appeared to be on the run.

“He came from a good family,” former homicide detective Melvin Dean said. “A real solid family in the community.”

Little Kenny’s grandmother was the first Black woman to own a gospel television network and his father was a professional wrestler turned celebrated minister. But when Little Kenny lost his father just one year before Blount’s death, those close to him say his life began to fall apart.

“His father’s death was such an impact on him,” a family spokesperson shared. “He was grieving so bad that he could not handle coming to his father’s funeral.” 

According to the spokesperson, Little Kenny started carrying a gun and began showing signs of paranoia, believing that someone may be following him.

Blount’s family—including Manns and his now adult-son A.J.—continue to keep his memory alive.

“I want the people in Atlanta to remember that he protected his community. He protected his family,” Manns said. “He was just…a really good guy, a great dad, a great partner, a great friend, and I think they would be proud and should continue to be proud of him.”