James Westervelt, 38, has been accused of murdering his six-month-old son with a leaf blower. He allegedly blamed the child's mother's affair for the incident.
Incident and Arrest
Police responded to a report of an unresponsive infant at Westervelt's home in Belleview, Florida, in the summer of 2024. The child was rushed to the hospital and placed on life support but died days later.
An autopsy determined the infant died from hypoxic/ischemic encephalopathy caused by blunt head trauma, and the death was ruled a homicide. Westervelt was arrested and now faces murder charges.
Alleged Motive and Statements
During monitored jail phone calls, Westervelt allegedly said the deterioration of his relationship with the child's mother contributed to the baby's death. He reportedly stated, "I think that's how I rubbed Stephanie [the child’s mother] the wrong way," and "I always told her, if you never f—ing cheated on me, none of this would have ever happened."
Witnesses told detectives that Westervelt treated the child with less compassion than his other children because he believed the child might not be his. A family friend said he was "less attentive" toward the infant, and the child's maternal grandmother said he showed "no love or affection" toward the child.
Previous Incident and Charges
Westervelt allegedly told investigators he used the leaf blower on the infant because he "thought it would be funny." Video also showed him using the leaf blower on the child in a previous incident.
The Marion County Sheriff's Office said Westervelt was arrested in April this year for child abuse of the same victim. He provided contradicting evidence in a later interview, leading to murder charges. Initially charged with second-degree murder, prosecutors dismissed and refiled a first-degree murder charge with premeditation on July 30.
