ROY, UT – In shocking news from Utah, a 36-year-old man is facing the death penalty, charged with aggravated murder, child abuse, and sexual abuse of a minor after the death of a two-year-old boy and injuries inflicted on his twin sister.
Jonathan Allen Dunn of Roy stands accused of brutal violence which resulted in the young boy’s death and serious injury to his sister. Disturbingly, Dunn had previously served a two-year prison term for breaking a child’s arm in 2016.
Third-party efforts via a GoFundMe page have been initiated to cover the costs of funeral services, medical bills, and support for the twins’ sisters who are left to cope with this horrific loss.
Dunn had been caretaking for the children when he made a 911 call on December 21, stating that the boy wasn’t breathing. Following this, Dunn confessed to authorities that he had violently punched the children multiple times on their bodies, claiming it was part of a ‘game.’ He admitted to hitting harder than was appropriate and physically pushing them into a door frame, causing injuries.
The accused also disclosed that he administered Tylenol to both twins, cough medicine for the boy and a children’s sleep aid for the girl. After observing the boy’s difficulties in breathing the following morning, Dunn gave him another dose of cough medicine. Soon after, the boy sadly stopped breathing completely.
Investigators found visible bruising across both children’s bodies. The girl was taken for medical attention and diagnosed with a brain bleed. Given these grave allegations, Dunn is being held in custody without bail pending his initial court appearance later this month.
In his prior conviction from 2017, Dunn was found guilty of breaking a child’s arm, which led to a 15-year prison sentence. However, he was released on parole in April 2019, which ended in December 2021.