A man accused of throwing his newborn daughter into the Mississippi River has disclosed his reasons for doing so.
Brandon Isabelle, 28, faces charges including two counts of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and neglect, and aggravated kidnapping following the shooting of his girlfriend and the subsequent disposal of the baby.
During a court appearance on Tuesday (September 23), he was formally charged with the murders of Danielle Hoyle, 27, and their infant daughter, Kennedy Hoyle.
Isabelle has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The jury selection process for his trial concluded with the selection of ten women and four men.
The prosecution presented evidence that both Isabelle and Danielle were employees at FedEx and had been involved in a sexual relationship, which resulted in Danielle’s pregnancy.
Attorney Dru Carpenter noted that Isabelle was simultaneously dating another FedEx colleague who reportedly wanted to break off their relationship due to the impending birth of the child.
On January 31, 2022, Danielle gave birth to Kennedy. After being discharged from the hospital, Isabelle allegedly requested to meet Danielle in Whitehaven under the pretense of providing baby clothes.
The prosecution contends that this was a ruse. They assert that Isabelle led Danielle to Sedgwick Street and Levi Road, where he shot her in the head and abducted the baby.
He then allegedly drove to the Mud Island Ramp and cast his two-day-old daughter into the alligator-infested river.
The motive, according to the prosecution, was Isabelle’s own admission that he did not want the child, which he confessed during a status conference the previous month.
Isabelle was recorded on video confessing to investigators that he killed his girlfriend and discarded the baby into the river because he did not want her.
Police reported that Isabelle confessed to the crimes.
Officer Cody Sutton discovered Danielle’s body outside her Chevy Cruze, observing blood on the driver’s seat and finding her body in a nearby ditch.
Sergeant Jeramy Cline of the Memphis Police Department’s Homicide Bureau recounted visiting Danielle’s mother to retrieve her Apple watch.
Upon reviewing past messages, Cline discovered a screenshot of a conversation in which Isabelle suggested aborting the baby.
Following the alleged killings, Danielle’s body was recovered, but Kennedy’s remains have not been found.
Isabelle quickly emerged as a suspect in 2022 and was apprehended.
Prosecutors claim to have DNA, video, and testimonial evidence establishing his guilt in both murders.
Danielle’s mother, April Campbell, testified that she became aware of her daughter’s relationship with Isabelle in 2021 and did not approve.
“I said, ‘If he’s married, how do you think he’s going to treat you? If he’s not even treating his wife right, how’s he going to treat you right?’” Campbell stated.