Conviction of Dallas Man for Failing to Seek Help Before Toddler’s Death

A Dallas man who confessed that he left a toddler in a dumpster was convicted Wednesday evening for failing to seek help before the child died.

Sedrick Johnson, 33, was found guilty of injury to a child by omission in the 2019 death of Cedrick “C.J.” Jackson, the 18-month-old nephew of Johnson’s girlfriend. Johnson faces up to life in prison. The sentencing phase of the trial will begin Friday.

The Trial and Verdict

The jury — nine women and five men, including two alternates — deliberated Johnson’s guilt for more than three hours inside the courthouse near downtown Dallas.

Jurors were also asked to consider — but rejected — a lesser charge of reckless injury to a child, a second-degree felony with a punishment range of two to 20 years in prison.

Related Cases and Charges

Johnson is also charged with capital murder. The toddler’s aunt, Chrystal Jackson, faces a charge of child endangerment. Both cases are pending, court records show.

Johnson’s lawyers and a spokeswoman for the Dallas County district attorney’s office declined to comment following the verdict.

The Incident and Investigation

Cedrick was last seen July 10 at his aunt’s Lake Highlands apartment. Authorities were initially told that a man came into the home in the night, kidnapped Cedrick and stole an Xbox.

While being questioned by a child abuse detective, however, Johnson said Cedrick became unresponsive while swaddled in a blanket, footage of the nine-hour interview played to the jurors showed. The child began to vomit and choke, and Johnson gave the toddler chest compressions and breathed into his mouth.

“I thought about taking him to the hospital,” Johnson told the detective during his roughly seven-minute confession, “but I wouldn’t know what to tell them.”

Key Evidence and Testimony

Johnson said he put Cedrick in a blue, trash-filled dumpster in northeast Dallas, according to the footage. The next morning, July 11, police found the boy’s remains in a landfill on the boundary of Garland and Rowlett.

Cedrick’s cause and manner of death could not be determined, the medical examiner said on the witness stand.

Prosecution and Defense Arguments

“There is no outcome where C.J. is alive if you do not ask for medical intervention,” prosecutor Rachel Burris said in closing arguments. “You chose not to take him to the hospital, you chose not to call 911, you chose not to ask the other eight people in the home with you if they could help you.

“You put him in a dumpster like he’s garbage.”

Defense attorney Stephanie Martin, argued there was no evidence “this man intended for this baby to die.”

Admissibility of Johnson’s Statements

The defense also sowed doubt over whether Johnson’s statements to police were lawful. While in police custody on outstanding warrants, Johnson asked for an attorney. He was later given a Miranda warning, which advises people accused of crimes of their rights before questioning by authorities.

The trial court and a Dallas appeals court ruled Johnson’s incriminating statements should have been thrown out because Johnson’s constitutional rights against self-incrimination had been violated. But the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned the lower courts’ rulings, restoring his statements as evidence.

Conclusion

The conviction of Sedrick Johnson for injury to a child by omission serves as a reminder of the importance of seeking medical attention in emergency situations. The case highlights the devastating consequences of failing to act in the best interests of a child.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What was Sedrick Johnson convicted of?

A: Sedrick Johnson was convicted of injury to a child by omission in the 2019 death of Cedrick “C.J.” Jackson.

Q: What are the possible penalties for Johnson’s conviction?

A: Johnson faces up to life in prison for his conviction.

Q: What other charges is Johnson facing?

A: Johnson is also charged with capital murder.

Q: What happened to Cedrick Jackson?

A: Cedrick Jackson, an 18-month-old toddler, was found dead in a landfill after being put in a dumpster by Sedrick Johnson.

Q: Why did Johnson put Cedrick in a dumpster?

A: According to Johnson’s confession, he put Cedrick in a dumpster because he didn’t know what to tell medical personnel after the child became unresponsive.