The Shadow
A Covington man has pled guilty to first-degree murder in the death of his infant son last fall.
Jared Meadows, 26, entered an Alford plea Friday during a hearing in Alleghany County Circuit Court. The case was scheduled to go to trial in the fall.
In entering the Alford plea, Meadows didn’t admit to killing his son. However, his plea admits that Alleghany County Commonwealth’s Attorney Ed Stein could likely prove the charge.
Meadows also pled no contest to felony child abuse. He will be sentenced by Judge Malfourd Trumbo Oct. 14. The judge ordered the filing of a pre-sentencing report by a probation officer.
Meadows was facing a capital murder charge in connection with the September 2011 death of his son, Hunter Meadows.
A capital murder conviction can carry the death penalty the Virginia.
Evidence presented at a Feb. 17 preliminary hearing indicated Hunter Meadows died after suffering a bruised brain and a fractured skull. An autopsy report said the injuries were caused by blunt force to the head.
Hunter was 27 days old when he died at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital Sept. 26 – two days after suffering the head injuries.
Jared Meadows was accused of causing the head injuries by forcibly placing his infant son against an uncushioned arm rest of a sofa.
Days following the incident, Meadows confessed that he forcibly placed Hunter on the armrest when the infant refused to take a bottle. The confession came while Meadows met with the infant’s mother, Jessica Wykle, at a Hardee’s in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Covington police investigator Kenny Duncan was present when the confession was made.
Meadows has a criminal record that dates back to 2004.
Eight years ago, he was convicted of malicious wounding in Alleghany County and sentenced to a year in jail. The same year, he was convicted of eluding police and reckless driving in Botetourt County.
In 2005, Meadows was convicted of assault and battery, underage possession of alcohol and three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
In 2008, he was arrested on a fugitive warrant in Alleghany County. The warrant was issued in Colorado. Later that year, he was convicted of multiple drug charges in El Paso County, Colo.
Meadows faces between 20 years to life imprisonment on the first-degree murder charge. He faces up to 10 years in prison on the felony child abuse charge.
