JASPER — A Cannelburg woman charged in the death of her toddler son had her first court appearance in Dubois County on Friday morning.
At her initial hearing here it was decided that Vadney M. Blake will be kept in the Dubois County Security Center for at least a short while so that she could meet with her attorney, Nathan Verkamp, from Jasper, in anticipation of additional court appearances there.
Verkamp met briefly with Blake prior to and again after her hearing on Friday morning.
Blake, 22, was charged by Dubois County Prosecutor Michael Fritch with battery resulting in death and neglect of a dependent resulting in death, both Class A felonies, after a lengthy investigation into the circumstances around her son Jalen Blake’s death.
Dubois Circuit Court Judge William Weikert told Blake she could face a maximum sentence of 50 years and minimum of 20 years on each Class A felony count, as well as up to a $10,000 fine.
Jalen Blake, 2 1/2, died on June 28, 2008, at Riley Hospital, Indianapolis, from damages of a blunt impact to the head, according to the Marion County Coroner’s Office.
Vadney Blake, before Friday, had been in jail in Daviess County on charges of neglect, a Class C felony, and dealing in a narcotic drug, a Class A felony. Blake’s trial in Daviess County has been set to start March 25 and Anthony Quinn, another Jasper attorney, is her counsel on the Daviess County charges.
Verkamp and the judge discussed how it would be more convenient for Blake to be incarcerated in Dubois County since both attorneys in her cases are from Jasper, although the deputy who transported her to Jasper indicated to the judge that he had been told by Daviess County officials to “take her back there.” The deputy agreed, however, that apparently no agreement between the counties had been agreed upon as to where she would be imprisoned.
Bond in both counties had been previously set at $500,000.
According to the probable cause affidavit from the Dubois Circuit Court, Vadney Blake admitted, after telling several different versions of a story, to hitting Jalen twice with a Home Interiors candle on June 27 after “(Vadney) snapped because her ‘old man’ had been hounding her that day and that she ‘took it all out on *** (Jalen).’”
The alleged incident occurred in Haysville, at a home she and boyfriend Jeff Truelove, 40, Jasper, were staying in with Jalen and alcohol was involved.
Daviess County Sheriff’s Detective Gary Allison and State Police Detective Dana Miller searched the home and matched the candle with autopsy photos.
Fritch, the prosecutor in the Dubois County case, has praised investigators for their work on the case. He said their police work was outstanding in getting Blake to confess to her involvement in the child’s death.
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Blake faces charges in son’s death
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Barr-Reeve holds 47th commencement Saturday
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Loogootee to hold graduation Friday
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ND finds ways to use cell phones
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Shoals to hold commencement Saturday
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ND commencement is Friday evening
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