Inset: Dejuan Outland (Saginaw County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The area in Michigan where Outland allegedly killed his son last year (Google Maps).
A 23-year-old father in Michigan is accused of killing his 18-month-old son, allegedly beating and smothering the toddler to death before telling authorities that the boy had choked on a chicken nugget.
After months of investigation, Dejuan D. Outland was arrested and charged with one count each of felony murder and first-degree child abuse in the July 2025 death of his son, Jovonni Outland, court records show.
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The investigation began when police and paramedics responded to a home in the 3500 block of Brookwood Lane around 9:30 a.m. on July 27, 2025, regarding a report that the toddler was not breathing. Despite efforts to revive him, Jovonni was pronounced dead at the scene, Saginaw, Michigan, Fox affiliate WSMH reported.
An autopsy showed multiple internal injuries and bruises, and the medical examiner ultimately determined the manner of death to be a homicide and the cause of death to be smothering, with the blunt-force injuries contributing, Flint, Michigan, ABC affiliate WJRT reported.
At a preliminary hearing Wednesday, the Saginaw County deputy medical examiner testified that Jovonni had suffered severe blunt-force injuries to his head, face, torso and limbs, according to a courtroom report from MLive. The injuries included a fractured rib, a laceration to his liver, hemorrhaging in his pancreas, internal bleeding in his abdomen, and contusions to his lungs and the tissues surrounding his intestines.
Many of the injuries appeared to have occurred within hours of Jovonni’s death, the medical examiner testified. He also found no indication that food had blocked the toddler’s airway or that he had choked on a piece of food.
The medical examiner said paramedics were able to intubate Jovonni without difficulty. Had they encountered a food obstruction, he testified, he would have expected their reports to reflect an attempt to clear it.
Police, meanwhile, testified about the account Outland gave investigators two days after his son’s death.
Outland said he had been feeding Jovonni chicken nuggets when he briefly left the room to use the bathroom. When he returned, the toddler had become unusually quiet.
“He stated Jovonni became silent, which was unusual,” the officer testified.
Outland said he used a fork to open his son’s mouth, found food lodged in his throat, then used a pen to try to clear the airway before calling his mother to help with CPR. Outland said the two performed CPR for about 30 minutes before medics took over.
The medical examiner, who reviewed body camera footage from the scene, testified that he did not believe the injuries were caused by resuscitation efforts.
Officers reportedly found chicken pieces and saliva on a high chair, along with a broken pen. A crib in the bedroom had also been knocked over.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Outland’s attorney argued prosecutors had not established that his client intentionally caused the injuries. The prosecution pointed to the extent and nature of the trauma found during the autopsy.
“The kid has a black eye, for crying out loud,” Saginaw County Assistant Prosecutor Melissa J. Hoover said. “There were fingerprint bruises on his arms. It’s frankly unbelievable to me there could be any other explanation here.”
Judge M. Randall Jurrens ordered the case to proceed to Circuit Court and again denied bond, keeping Outland in custody.
The post Dad’s claim that toddler choked on chicken nugget undercut by autopsy showing boy was smothered to death: Prosecutors first appeared on Law & Crime.
