Idaho man headed back to prison in infant’s 1996 death after 9th Circuit Court ruling
Edward Stevens must report back to an Idaho prison after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals determined that he killed an 11-month-old in Ada County in 1996.
On Thursday, the court ruled that there was “overwhelming evidence that Edward Stevens was guilty of murdering C.W.” and held that Stevens “received ‘a verdict worthy of confidence,’” according to the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
The ruling overturned a February 2018 decision by U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald Bush that granted habeas relief to Stevens and released him from prison on a $150,000 bond.
Stevens now must turn himself in to the Idaho Department of Correction no later than Sunday, a condition of his release that hinged on the 9th Circuit’s decision.
“Today’s decision validates the jury’s verdict that Ed Stevens killed an innocent baby,” said Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts, who presented the state’s case against Stevens in 1999. “We are relieved that he will return to prison and justice will again prevail for C.W. “
According to court documents, Stevens was caring for his girlfriend’s 11-month-old son on Dec. 27, 1996, when the child sustained a serious head injury and died the next day at a hospital, The Associated Press reported.
Prosecutors have said that Stevens shook the child and hit his head against a bathtub, causing the fatal injury, according to the AP. Stevens claimed that the child was injured during an accidental fall down stairs.
Idaho state courts have consistently upheld Stevens’ conviction, and the Idaho Supreme Court upheld it in 2008. Five years after that, the Idaho Court of Appeals affirmed a District Court order denying Stevens post-conviction relief.
After Bush’s 2018 decision, the Idaho Attorney General’s Office appealed to the 9th Circuit. Deputy Attorney General LaMont Anderson argued that there was overwhelming evidence of Stevens’ guilt before a panel of 9th Circuit judges in Seattle on Oct. 23.
