Tiffany Hilliard — Domestic Violence Victim Being Charged With Endangering Her Child

Tiffany Hilliard of Camden, Tennessee left her eight-month-old son alone with her boyfriend Westlee Yates. When Hilliard arrived back at her house just 20 minutes later, she found her son dead. Tiffany’s little boy had been beaten to death by Yates. He admitted as much. Now, authorities are charging Hilliard with creating circumstances that led to to her son’s death.

Benton County District Attorney Matt Stowe explained to WSMV News 4 why they had elected to take Tiffany Hilliard into custody. Stowe told News 4 that Hilliard had been beaten by Yates just three days prior to the incident that resulted in her son’s death.

We are going to try to make her accountable in her role.

Over the course of the investigation, the police had learned that Hilliard had been beaten by Yates on several occasions. She had also admitted that her boyfriend had beaten her four children as well. District Attorney Stowe thinks that charging Hilliard will keep her surviving children, as well as the child she is pregnant with, safe.

If you know a person is dangerous, if you know an animal is dangerous, you can’t just leave an 8-month-old infant in their care. You would be held accountable.

The prosecutor is using a somewhat controversial law known as Hailey’s Law to charge Hilliard in this case. Using Hailey’s Law basically means that, despite the fact Hilliard was not present when the abuse was taking place, she can still be charged with neglect that led to the death of her son.

Since the death of her son, Tiffany Hilliard has gotten a new boyfriend she is living with. His name is Brian Reynolds. Brian Reynolds is a convicted violent sex offender. Benton County Sheriff Kenny Christoper doesn’t have any problem with District Attorney Stowe using Hailey’s Law in his case against Hilliard.

I would think anybody after something that catastrophic would change their life and not turn around and hook up with a violent sex offender. But, I would say most people in this county sleep better knowing those children aren’t with her.

What do you think of the prosecutor’s actions in this case? Does Tiffany Hilliard deserves to go to jail? Is she just as responsible for her son’s death as Westlee Yates? Is the District Attorney in this case overstepping his bounds? Is the State of Tennessee legislating who a person can have a relationship with? Let us know below.

[Photo by Jackson Sun]