CHRISTYONNA HYAMS - 9 Months (2010) - Killeen/Fort Hood TX

Central Texas Infant Shaken, Dropped On The Floor; Stepfather In Custody
A 21-year-old Fort Hood soldier whose infant stepdaughter was critically injured when she was shaken and dropped on the floor was in the Bell County Jail Tuesday night.




KILLEEN (July 6, 2010)—Fort Hood soldier Christopher Allen Hassler, 21, was in the Bell County Jail Tuesday night charged with injury to a child after his infant stepdaughter was shaken and then dropped on the floor early Sunday morning, Killeen police said.
Officers were dispatched to 1105 N. 18th St. Sunday in response to a 911 call about an unresponsive child.
They found the 9-month-old girl in her mother’s arms.
The infant was taken by ambulance to Metroplex Hospital and then flown by helicopter to Scott & White Hospital in Temple in critical condition.
Initial reports indicated the infant fell in the bathtub as she was being given a bath, police said Tuesday, but investigators later determined she had been shaken and dropped.
Hassler’s bond was set at $500,000.

07/08/2010 07:16 PM
Child died from injuries caused by stepfather, police say


A Fort Hood soldier is charged with injuring a child, who later died.

Killeen police arrested 21-year-old Christopher Allen Hassler last weekend for shaking a 9-month-old baby and then dropping her on the floor. The baby, Cristyonna Trynitie Hyams, was taken to the hospital in critical condition early Sunday morning.

She was taken off life support and died Thursday. An autopsy has been ordered.

Hassler is the infant’s stepfather. He remains in the Bell County Jail on a $500,000 bond.

Baby taken off life support dies
Nine-month-old Cristyonna Trynitie Hyams was taken off life support and pronounced dead at 1:16 p.m. Thursday. Her stepfather, Christopher Allen Hassler, 21, of Killeen, is accused of accused of shaking and dropping the infant Sunday.

Justice of the Peace Garland Potvin arraigned Christopher Allen Hassler, 21, of Killeen Monday on a charge of injury to a child. Potvin set Hassler's bond at $500,000, but he was not in Bell County Jail Thursday.

Killeen police officers responded to an unresponsive child call in the 1100 block of North 18th Street about 1:15 a.m. Sunday, an arrest affidavit stated.

Upon their arrival, they found the baby unresponsive in her mother's arms, a KPD news release stated.

The infant was transported by ambulance to Metroplex Hospital in Killeen and later airlifted to Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple in critical condition.

The first report stated that the baby fell while Hassler was giving her a bath. In a second statement, Hassler said that because she wouldn't stop crying, he shook her twice and then dropped her on the floor, according to an arrest affidavit. He noticed that the baby was still breathing but was unresponsive. Several hours later, he called 911.

Justice of the Peace G.W. Ivey ordered an autopsy to be performed at the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Science in Dallas.

Soldier accused of killing child missing Tuesday, Nov. 2 2010 11:12 PM
A Fort Hood soldier accused of killing a 9-month-old child has gone missing after he was released from Bell County Jail.
Christopher Allen Hassler, a 22-year-old in the 324th Signal Company, 41st Fires Brigade, was released on a public recognizance bond last week after the Bell County District Attorney's office failed to bring an indictment against Hassler.
Judge Fancy Jezek of the 426th District Court issued an order waving Hassler's bond last week.
Hassler was released Thursday on the condition that he remain confined to Fort Hood and not contact the victim's family.
Hassler has not reported to duty since, according to Fort Hood spokesman Tyler Broadway. He has not been officially labeled AWOL. However, the district attorney's office has reactivated Hassler's warrant on a charge of injury to a child.
"If he violated a condition (of the bond), which is what's happened here, the charge is reactivated," Assistant Bell County District Attorney Murff Bledsoe said.
Hassler's attorney Chris Wohleb said he has not been able to confirm that Hassler is missing.
The family of Dyana Hassler, the mother of the child who died, issued a statement Tuesday.
"We are very concerned with the whereabouts of Spc. Christopher Hessler," the statement reads. "We wish no harm to come to him. We urge you to turn yourself into authorities wherever you are."
Hassler's bond was initially set at $500,000. It was later reduced to $200,000, and he was released from Bell County Jail for no charge Thursday.
Texas state law guarantees that a person's bond must be reduced to a manageable amount or removed if the state cannot present evidence against a defendant within 90 days.
In Hassler's case, the 90-day period had expired, and he was released.
Bledsoe said the district attorney's office had been waiting on results from an autopsy before bringing Hassler's case before
the grand jury.
Hassler is charged with injury to a child in relation to a July 3 incident that led to the death of his 9-month-old step daughter, Chrisyonna Hyams.
According to an arrest report, Hassler gave police a written statement indicating he shook Chrisyonna and dropped her on the floor in order to stop her from crying.
Hassler initially denied shaking or dropping the child, telling police she fell and hit her head while taking a bath, the report states.
When police arrived at the scene, Chrisyonna was breathing but was unresponsive.
Chrisyonna was taken to Scott & White Hospital with suspected brain damage. She died after being taken off life support five days after the incident.
Court records indicated that Hassler may be a danger to himself.
A notification to the judge of possible mental illness stated Hassler had been having thoughts of hurting himself.
Another investigator reported he was unable to get information from Hassler because of his emotional state.
"This guy was crying so much, it was hard to get much info," the report states.
Hassler's attorney would not comment on his mental state, but did say he believes Hassler is not a danger to himself.
"I don't have any reason to believe that he is a danger to himself," Wohleb said.

Thursday, Dec. 30 2010 09:57 AM

Suspected killer back in custody

Accused child killer Christopher Allen Hassler, 22, attempted to flee
authorities in November after he walked out of Bell County Jail on
conditions that he remain on post under the supervision of his
commander. Hassler was found in Kansas and has since been extradited to
Bell County. He is accused of killing 9-month-old Christyanna Hyams.
Hyams died after being taken off life support at a local hospital.
Authorities believe Hassler dropped her to stop her from crying and
smothered or strangled the child.