Trial dates slated for couple charged in death of toddler

TEXARKANA, Texas — A man accused of capital murder in the death last year of an 11-month-old Texarkana boy is scheduled to face a jury in October.

Joshua Deshaun Lowe, 29, faces life without parole possible if found guilty of capital murder in the July 2021 death of young Javontae Neeley. Neeley suffered fatal head trauma, possibly from shaking, and other injuries, according to autopsy findings summarized in a probable cause affidavit.

Lowe is charged as well with injury to a child in connection with older, healing injuries allegedly found on the boy’s body and with a second count of injury to a child involving injuries he allegedly inflicted on Javontae’s older sister.

Javontae’s mother, Christy Wedgeworth, 25, is facing two counts of injury to a child by omission.

Lowe appeared Monday before 5th District Judge Bill Miller for a brief pretrial hearing with Texarkana lawyer Butch Dunbar. Lowe is scheduled to return to court in August, and the case is set for jury selection Oct. 4.

Wedgeworth appeared Monday with Assistant Public Defender Bart Craytor. She is scheduled to return to court in late October and for jury selection Nov. 29.

Javontae was admitted to a local hospital July 11, 2021, after being transported in a private car from a house in the 800 block of Bowie Street, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Lowe allegedly claimed initially that the child choked on a hot dog.

Javontae died in a Little Rock hospital July 13, 2021.

Wedgeworth was reportedly at work when the boy suffered a fatal head injury but other injuries, including broken arms and fractured ribs, were older and in various stages of healing.

“The healing injuries were at least seven to ten days older than the injury to the head,”

the affidavit states.

Javontae was found to have suffered a brain bleed and retinal hemorrhaging consistent with being violently shaken. A doctor at Arkansas Children’s Hospital allegedly advised that Javontae had been thrown or slammed onto a hard surface.

The child’s mother allegedly “advised that she had seen Lowe be abusive with both of her children,” according to the affidavit.

Lowe faces life without parole if convicted of capital murder in Javontae’s death. Lowe faces five to 99 years or life if convicted of injury to a child involving older injuries found on Javontae. If found guilty of injury to a child involving Javontae’s older sister, Lowe faces two to 10 years.

Wedgeworth faces five to 99 years or life if convicted of injury to a child by omission in Javontae’s death and two to 10 years if convicted of the charge involving her daughter.

Wedgeworth is being held in the Bowie County jail with bail set at $1 million. Lowe is being held in the Bowie County jail with bail on the capital murder charge set at $7 million.