A Jackson man has entered a no-contest plea to second-degree murder in the death of a 15-month-old girl he was babysitting, according to prosecutors. The toddler, identified by authorities as Zariah Jackson, was found unresponsive at a home in the 8700 block of Ann Arbor Road in Blackman Township on Dec. 13, 2022, and was later pronounced dead. Forensic examiners later concluded she had suffered multiple blunt-force injuries to her head and face.
The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office said that Donald Chad Flack pleaded no contest to one count of second-degree murder yesterday, as reported by MLive. Court records show Flack initially told investigators the child fell from a highchair and hit her head, but prosecutors say the medical findings were consistent with abuse rather than an accident.
How Investigators Say It Unfolded
Officers were called to the Ann Arbor Road home around 4 a.m. on Dec. 13, 2022, after a report that a child was having trouble breathing. First responders pronounced the toddler dead at the scene, WILX reported. The Blackman-Leoni Township Department of Public Safety led the initial response and investigation, which prosecutors later described as an evidence-based homicide probe that ultimately resulted in the murder charge against Flack.
Evidence And Prosecution
According to court and examiner reports, forensic pathologist Dr. Patrick Cho ruled the manner of death a homicide and documented multiple blunt-force injuries to Zariah’s head and face, per MLive. The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office credited Detective Jeremiah Wheeler with leading the investigation and identified Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Audrey Sayles-Reed as the prosecutor on the case. Officials said Flack remains held at the Jackson County Jail as he awaits sentencing before Jackson County Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson.
Sentencing And Legal Context
A no contest plea, or nolo contendere, is treated by courts as a conviction for sentencing purposes but is not an admission that can be used as proof in a later civil lawsuit, according to the Legal Information Institute at Cornell University. Under Michigan law, second-degree murder is punishable by up to life in prison or any term of years, as outlined by Justia. Prosecutors have not yet announced a specific sentencing date, though the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office has said Flack will be sentenced in Jackson County court as the case moves forward, WILX reported.
