Bail for mom accused in 2-year-old’s death to remain at $500,000

Bail will remain at a half-million dollars for a mother recently indicted in connection with the March 2015 fatal beating of her 2-year-old son, a judge ruled Monday.

Defense attorneys had requested Monday’s bond-reduction hearing for Jessica Langlais, arguing that $500,000 is oppressive and tantamount to being held without bail because of the 31-year-old woman’s financial situation.

Langlais was jailed June 5 after her May 31 indictment on a capital murder charge, which came more than two years after the death of her son, Adrian Langlais.

The indictment was handed down days before Christian Tyrrell, her former boyfriend, was to go on trial, prompting state District Judge Elizabeth Beach to reset the trial for Aug. 1.

The three-count indictment accuses Langlais of causing her son’s death by striking him with or against a hard surface, committing murder with the underlying offense of injury to a child, and injury to a child by omission by failing to seek medical attention for him.

During Monday’s hearing before Beach, Fort Worth Detective A. Heise, the lead investigator in the case, detailed the numerous injuries Adrian had when hospitalized on March 18, 2015 — his second birthday. He had multiple skull fractures, swelling and bruises to the right side of his head and face, bruising on various parts of his body and a human bite mark to his right heel. Heise described his condition as “horrible” and “lifeless, unresponsive.”

Heise testified that Langlais acknowledged in interviews that she had been concerned by bruises on her son in the months before his death, even sending photographs of them to her father on one occasion and another time to Tyrrell’s mother.

Langlais told Heise that on March 17, 2015, the day her son was fatally injured, she had heard Tyrrell yelling at Adrian after putting him in a bedroom for timeout, followed by silence. She told the detective that when the boy later emerged, his eyes were rolling back, he was very lethargic and unable to hold up his head or stand, and he could not keep food down.

Heise testified that rather than get medical help, Langlais monitored Adrian at home and sought advice from the internet, searching on Google for warning signs and home remedies regarding concussions and head injuries. That night, the mother told the detective, she put a hat containing an ice pack on Adrian’s head and propped up the boy in a recliner, where he drifted in and out of sleep.

Heise said Langlais told her that Adrian was alert and responsive the next morning — a claim that the detective said she doesn’t believe based on Adrian’s injuries and the fact that Tyrrell had searched on Google hours before for “how to tell if someone has went braindead.”

The detective testified she was also concerned with a picture that Langlais had posted on Facebook on the evening of March 17, 2015, showing Adrian lying facedown across Tyrrell’s lap while Tyrrell massaged the boy’s neck. Heise testified that she believed the photo — which Langlais wrote showed Tyrrell being a “good dad” — was taken after Adrian was gravely injured and symptomatic.

“Based on the way his arms and his legs are dangling, it appears that he is unconscious,” Heise testified.

In interviews, Heise said, Langlais expressed guilt that she did not take her son to the ER.

“Christian told her if they took Adrian to the hospital, CPS could accuse them of hitting Adrian,” Heise said.

Heise said Langlais went to her job as a waitress at a Salt Grass Steakhouse the next morning, never calling to check on her son. At about 1 p.m., Tyrrell called Langlais to inform her that Adrian was having a seizure and was going to the hospital.

Adrian was pronounced dead the next afternoon. That evening, Heise testified, Langlais went drinking at a bar.

The next month, police arrested Tyrrell on a capital murder warrant in the case.

Heise also testified that an indention found about 5 feet high in the wall across from Adrian’s crib was determined to contain Adrian’s DNA. She said Tyrrell’s DNA could not be excluded as also being present.

Heise said Langlais admitted she’d had concerns about leaving her son home alone with Tyrrell. She agreed with the detective that it didn’t seem possible her son could have gotten his injuries from falling out of his playpen as Tyrrell has told her and police.

Heise testified that Langlais told her in a March 20 interview: “I keep thinking of all the signs I saw. I should have done something and now my baby’s dead. I let all those things go and I shouldn’t have.”

Heise testified that while she believes Tyrrell inflicted the fatal injuries, she made it clear in meetings with the district attorney’s office that she also believes the mother is criminally liable.

“I told them that it was hard to believe that Jessica had no knowledge as to the grievous nature of her son’s injuries and it was very upsetting that she did not seek medical attention at that time,” Heise testified.

She also testified it was decided in those meetings that she would keep her investigation focused on Tyrrell because Langlais’ cooperation was considered vital. She said she then handed the case over to the district attorney’s office to decide whether to seek charges against Langlais.

Prosecutors Kevin Boneberg and Kelly Meador have not commented on why they waited until recently to seek an indictment against Langlais.

Mark Daniel, one of Langlais’ attorneys, suggested during Monday’s hearing that prosecutors sought the indictment in retaliation after a lawyer chosen to give Langlais legal guidance as a witness asked prosecutors if they would grant her immunity in exchange for her testimony.

Boneberg said during the hearing that prosecutors had decided to seek the indictment before being informed May 30 that Langlais would not be testifying.

Langlais’ father, David Langlais, as well as a close family friend and a former co-worker testified during Monday’s hearing that Langlais is not a flight risk but a hard worker who pays her own bills and has strong ties to Tarrant County, which she had called home for 22 years. They testified that since her son’s death, Langlais has been taking courses at Tarrant County College with plans to one day get a master’s degree in accounting.

This story was originally published June 12, 2017 at 8:52 PM with the headline "Bail for mom accused in 2-year-old’s death to remain at $500,000."