The Dark Days are Upon Us: The Disturbing Case of April Short

In this episode of Crime Chats, we discuss the heartbreaking and disturbing case of April Short, a mother convicted of murdering her 11-month-old son while her two older children were still inside the home.

April’s husband James, a staff sergeant in the U.S. Army, reportedly received an alarming doomsday-style text message from his wife, prompting him to rush home to a horrifying scene. According to reports, the bedroom door had been barricaded, and their baby boy was later found dead in the bathroom in a pool of blood.

⚠️ Trigger Warning

This episode discusses child murder, child abuse, graphic violence involving an infant, mental health concerns, and traumatic crime scene details. Please listen with care.

🔎 What We Cover

• The timeline leading up to the tragedy
• The alarming text messages sent before the incident
• April's interrogation and interviews with the surviving children
• Mental illness, criminal responsibility, and accountability
• Our thoughts on how these cases are prosecuted

📚 Sources

• Lambe, J. (2023, November 20). Mom slit infant’s throat, told other kids it was so he could “be with Jesus and God”: Police. Law & Crime. https://lawandcrime.com/crime/mom-slit-infants-throat-told-other-kids-it-was-so-victim-could-be-with-jesus-and-god-police/
• Rickabaugh, G., & McCord, S. (2023, November 18). Fort Eisenhower announces arrest of mother in baby’s death. The Augusta Press. https://theaugustapress.com/fort-eisenhower-announces-arrest-of-mother-in-babys-death/
• United States v. April Short 1:23-mj-00063-BKE, (Southern district of Georgia November 16, 2023).
• United States v. April Evalyn Short 1:23-cr-00070-JRH-BKE, (Southern district of Georgia July 5, 2024a). pp. 7-8, expert in forensic pathology.
• United States v. April Evalyn Short 1:23-cr-00070-JRH-BKE, (Southern district of Georgia July 17, 2024b). pp. 3-11, expert witness in bloodstain pattern and analysis.
• U.S. Army. (2019). U.S. Army ranks. Army.mil. https://www.army.mil/ranks/
• WRDW. (2025, March 25). Fort Eisenhower mom pleads guilty in infant’s death, awaits sentencing. Https://Www.wrdw.com; WRDW-TV/WAGT-TV. https://www.wrdw.com/2025/03/25/fort-eisenhower-mom-pleads-guilty-infants-death-awaits-sentencing/?.com

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