A Utah mother has been sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for the tragic death of her 2-month-old son last year. Bryce Jo Harkins, 27, appeared in Ogden’s 2nd District Court on Friday, where she was formally sentenced after pleading guilty to murder.
Her sentencing marked the conclusion of a painful case that has devastated both her family and that of the child’s father.
A Courtroom Filled with Grief and Anguish
Harkins, wearing shackles on her wrists and ankles, entered the courtroom with the appearance of someone who had recently been crying. She had been incarcerated in Weber County Jail for over a year leading up to her sentencing.
Among those present were officers from the Riverdale Police Department, who responded to the initial emergency call on January 14, 2024, when the baby was found unresponsive.
The prosecution described the child’s injuries as severe. Prosecutor Branden Miles detailed bruises across the infant’s body—27 in total—as well as skull fractures and internal bleeding. The injuries indicated prolonged abuse.
“There were more injuries than days he was alive,” Miles said, calling the case “horrendous.”
Family’s Emotional Testimonies
During the hearing, relatives of the victim, Calvin Samuel Chacone, shared their grief. The child’s paternal grandmother, Irene Chacone, said she had only met her grandson once on Christmas Day. She wore a shirt featuring the only photo she had of him.
“He was a tiny baby,” she recalled. “His little fingers, so delicate in my arms.”
At the time of his death, the baby weighed just 5.5 pounds and was in the third percentile for weight and size.
Her husband, the baby’s paternal grandfather, avoided court proceedings altogether, unable to bear hearing the details of what had happened.
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Irene Chacone referred to Harkins as an “uncaring, undeserved monster of a mother,” while visibly shaking with emotion.
Mental Health and Medication Questions
Harkins’ struggles with depression and substance abuse were brought up during the hearing. Testimony revealed that she had been taking medication for epilepsy, including levetiracetam, a drug known to cause severe behavioral side effects in rare cases.
Michael Chacone, the father of the infant, suggested the medication could have played a role. “I’ll always believe it was weighing on her something horrible,” he said.
Harkins’ mother, Heidi, mentioned that her daughter had been diagnosed with shaken baby syndrome as a child and suffered from ongoing medical issues.
Despite these factors, the prosecution emphasized that Calvin was a helpless infant who endured unthinkable suffering.
A Divided View of Harkins
While some family members expressed anger toward Harkins, others, including Michael Chacone, painted a more complex picture.
“She wasn’t the monster people say,” he insisted. He recalled moments when Harkins tenderly bathed their baby and cared for him. “She was gentle,” he said.
As he struggled with guilt, wondering if he had missed signs of abuse, he expressed a painful resolve: “When my son is older, I’ll tell him—this wasn’t your mom. She was sick, and we didn’t know what to do.”
The Judge’s Final Words
Before handing down the sentence, Judge Joseph Bean acknowledged the mental health and medication factors at play but made one thing clear:
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“Little Calvin didn’t deserve what he suffered,” he said, his voice catching with emotion.
In addition to her prison term, Harkins was ordered to pay $3,676 to cover funeral expenses.
As the case came to a close, the judge urged family members to stop blaming themselves for Harkins’ actions. However, for those left behind, the weight of the tragedy will never fully lift.
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