Family Speaks After Child Dies In Foster Care

A foster father will face first degree murder charges for killing a 10-week-old baby. This as the baby’s biological family prepares to bury their son. 

The foster dad, 24-year-old Austin Davis, is being held in the county jail without bond. Meanwhile, DHS along with the Choctaw Tribe and law enforcement continues to investigation into how all this could have happened in the first place.

Jacob's parents, Matt Grimes and Sandra Thompson, were called to the hospital the Sunday before last by a DHS worker.

“The brain injuries he sustained were so severe he was pretty much gone at that point. We got to say goodbye to his physical body but as far as our baby laying there at that point, not really,” Grimes said.

Matt and Sandra say Jacob had a broken neck and bleeding in the brain. The fatal injuries allegedly came at the hands of Austin Davis who police say confessed to shaking the baby.

“They took our baby to protect him from us and then failed miserably in protecting him themselves,” Matt said.

Jacob spent two weeks in the NICU with Sandra after he was born premature and then was put into a foster home when he was released from the hospital.

“Sometimes we feel DHS oversteps their boundaries. Our kids were taken not because of any abuse directly to them,” he said.

The couple admits they had problems but say their baby and other children were never in danger.

“We feel like should have gotten us family counseling as a family as a whole including the kids, instead of just ripping us apart.”

And they were trying to get their children back.

“We were working on it, doing everything we were supposed to,” Sandra said.

Still Matt and Sandra says Jacob was in a good foster home.

“Both visits he was healthy and happy,” Sandra said.

Until the Choctaw Tribe took over and moved him into Davis's house. Jacob was there less than 24 hours before he was rushed to the hospital.

The Choctaw tribe will only say they are investigating and won’t answer our questions about Davis, their investigation or even general requirements to become a foster parent.

Matt and Sandra says they also hadn’t heard anything from the tribe until yesterday when the couple requested help in paying for Jacob’s funeral. They say the tribe agreed to help with funeral expenses.

A DHS spokesperson says they can’t comment on why Jacob was taken into state custody. However removal of children from a home is a court decision, not a DHS one.   

The couple says they were finally returned custody in order to take Jacob off life support.

“His heart stopped in my arms,” said Matt.

Funeral services for the baby are set for Monday at 1 p.m. at Britton Baptist Church.