N.J. mom convicted of killing 17-month-old son by suffocating him with cleaning wipe

CAMDEN COUNTY, N.J. (TCD) -- A 44-year-old woman was convicted last week of killing her young son but was then acquitted on a charge of murder-for-hire.

In a July 28 statement, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office announced a jury found Heather Reynolds guilty of first-degree murder, possession of methamphetamine, and endangering the welfare of a child for the death of her 17-month-old son, Axel.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports the jury decided Reynolds was not guilty of allegedly plotting with her boyfriend at the time to kill her ex-boyfriend.

According to Gloucester Township Police, on May 10, 2018, officers responded to a residence on Marcia Court for a report of an unresponsive child on a lawn, and he was later pronounced deceased. The Gloucester/Camden/Salem Medical Examiner’s Office reportedly determined the child died of asphyxia and his manner of death was homicide.

NJ.com reports EMS officials noticed that Axel smelled like alcohol, and the medical examiner said he died when "a wipe containing isopropyl alcohol and detergent was placed over the mouth and nose."

Reynolds' then-boyfriend, Jeffrey Callahan, was also arrested at the time, the Prosecutor’s Office said.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports Reynolds held a cleaning wipe over Axel’s face and suffocated him until he died. Prosecutors reportedly argued during the trial that Reynolds wanted to kill her son because she was having an affair and her son was getting in the way. She and Callahan allegedly plotted together to kill her ex-boyfriend, Domenic Caruso, because Caruso allegedly spoke to police about Axel’s death.

According to NJ.com, a witness reportedly came forward and said Reynolds "expressed the sentiment" that Axel was "an obstacle to her relationship with her boyfriend."

Reynolds' attorneys, however, said Callahan killed Axel, not the other way around. They argued Reynolds performed CPR on her son and tried to revive him.

Callahan reportedly pleaded guilty to witness tampering in an agreement that prosecutors would drop the charge of conspiracy to commit murder.

Reynolds will be sentenced in October.

MORE:

• Jury Convicts Heather Reynolds of Murder in Death of Her 17-Month-Old Son - Camden County Prosecutor's Office
• Gloucester Township Woman Indicted and Arrested in Death of Son, 6/13/2019 - Camden County Prosecutor's Office
• Camden County woman convicted of killing her 17-month-old son and acquitted of plotting to kill her ex-boyfriend - Philadelphia Inquirer
• Mom on meth suffocated her toddler because he was getting in the way of affair, prosecutor says, 6/26/2019 - NJ.com