Deasia Watkins killed her 3-month-old daughter Jayniah Watkins in 2015, which was a terrible and tragic incident that shook the country.
Since then, there have been a lot of opinions and disagreements regarding the circumstances surrounding the murder.
The publication of crime scene images and their widespread use on social media is one of the most contentious issues.
Police found the infant on the kitchen counter of an aunt who was temporarily looking after the baby girl on March 16, 2015, after receiving a 911 call.
Authorities claimed that a large chef’s knife had been used to stab the toddler repeatedly. Deasia, who had a broken arm, had put the knife in the baby’s hand to make it appear as though the youngster had committed the crime.
Deasia Watkins was a postpartum psychotic patient who was mentally sick and taking medication for it. Watkins had allegedly been behaving abnormally and conversing with devils, according to a family member.
Deasia was given a postpartum psychosis diagnosis and spent three days in the hospital two months prior to the murder.
Deasia Watkins received a 15-year sentence of life in prison as a consequence of the trial. She initially pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to aggravated murder, but then changed her plea to guilty. The sick mother was given a mental health treatment order and later found to be competent to face trial.
Following the murder, a number of users on social media posted images of Jayniah’s crime scene.
Unfortunately, the pictures spread quickly on websites like Reddit. Huge outcry was generated by these images, and many individuals condemned the dissemination of such gruesome images.
Despite the photographs’ horrible content, many individuals searched for them and talked about it online. This is not shocking, though, given how frequently explicit images and videos are shared on social networking sites.
It makes sense that the public release of images from the crime scene would be upsetting and traumatic for the victim’s family. Younger people who come upon these images on social media may be left with long-lasting effects.
It’s important to keep in mind that while the dissemination of such photographs may be done with the intention of increasing awareness, it is only an invasion of privacy for the victim and their family.
Posting such photographs can also make others who see them experience PTSD symptoms, despair, and anxiety.
Moreover, these images touch others other than just the victim’s relatives. This intrusive practise also affects the first responders and law enforcement personnel who were on the scene of the crime.
Therefore, it is always advised to refrain from disseminating and sharing crime scene images. It is unnecessary to subject the family members who have already endured unfathomable loss to more suffering and agony.
Sharing or posting gory crime scene images is not only offensive, but it is also against the law. The victim’s and their family’s privacy must be respected at all costs.
The tragic death of Jayniah Watkins should serve as a warning that we must behave empathetically and speak up in a responsible manner.
To safeguard moms and their children, let’s work together to raise awareness and keep the dialogue about diagnosing and treating mental illnesses going.
By doing this, we can respect Jayniah Watkins’ memory and guarantee that no other innocent kid suffers the same fate as she did.