Army wife pleads guilty to fatally stabbing infant son at Georgia military base
A tragic incident has rocked Fort Eisenhower in Georgia, as a U.S. Army wife, April Evalyn Short, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to the 2023 murder of her infant son. The baby boy was found stabbed to death in a shower curtain, a harrowing discovery that sent shockwaves through the military community.
Short, 31, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, according to a statement from Tara M. Lyons, acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. As part of the plea agreement, Short will serve 20 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and five years of supervision upon release. There is no possibility of parole in the federal system, ensuring that she will face the consequences of her actions.
The morning of Nov. 15, 2023, will forever be etched in the minds of those at Fort Eisenhower. Short’s husband, a U.S. Army staff sergeant, received a series of ominous texts with biblical references from his wife. Alarmed by the messages, he rushed home to find their 11-month-old baby bleeding from the neck, wrapped in a shower curtain in the bathtub. Despite efforts to save him, the infant was pronounced dead at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center.
The couple’s two other children, ages 11 and 6, were in a nearby bedroom at the time of the killing. Short allegedly warned them not to enter the bathroom, as it would be too scary. Col. Dori Mitchell Franco, a U.S. Army doctor, determined that the baby had been stabbed and slashed multiple times in the neck with two different knives, one of which was serrated, according to an autopsy report. Short admitted to authorities that she had to switch knives as the first one was too dull to inflict fatal wounds.
The plea agreement in this tragic case has been described as a difficult but appropriate resolution by Lyons. Short remains in U.S. Marshals Service custody and will be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall after a pre-sentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services. Paul Brown, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta, expressed that Short will have 20 years to reflect on her heinous actions, bringing a measure of justice to those affected by the loss of the child.
This heartbreaking incident serves as a reminder of the importance of mental health support for military families and the devastating consequences that can result from untreated issues. It is a tragedy that will forever leave a scar on the Fort Eisenhower community, as they come to terms with the loss of a precious life.
