Boulder County Sheriff’s Office
Colorado Foster Mom Cassidy Renee Lemmon Found Guilty of Killing 16-Month-Old Son
Cassidy Renee Lemmon was found guilty of abusing and killing her foster child in 2019. Keep scrolling to learn about Lemmon, find out about her crime, what happened during her trial and more.
Who Is Cassidy Renee Lemmon?
Lemmon, 25, is a former foster parent based in Longmont, Colorado.
Was Cassidy Renee Lemmon Accused Of Killing Her Foster Child?
She was accused of killing her foster child, Thomas Boyles, on April 24, 2019, when he was just 16 months old. At the time, she was raising Boyles with her then-partner, Vincent Ray Johnson.
Lemmon called 911 and said Boyles was unconscious and not breathing on April 22, 2019, according to reports. She was performing CPR on the child when first responders arrived at the scene, while her compressions were described as “a little deep.”
Forensic pathologist Dr. Meredith Frank determined Boyles died as a result of blunt force injuries to the head and trunk, according to reports. Additionally, Frank noted she found healed rib fractures on the boy.
Both Johnson, 27, and Lemmon were arrested in 2019 and faced the same three charges of child abuse resulting in the death of Boyles.
Johnson pleaded guilty in October 2021. After he testified against Lemmon, he received a stipulated 12-year prison sentence as part of his plea deal.
What Happened During Cassidy Renee Lemmon’s Trial?
Lemmon took the stand during her trial on July 20. During her testimony, she claimed Boyles sustained injuries when he fell off the top of a toy box and hit his head on April 22, 2019. She added that he was sick in the weeks leading up to his death.
Prosecutors showed multiple photos of bruising on the child’s forehead, face and body in the months leading up to his death, while they also shared text messages in which Lemmon said Boyles was “worse than the devil” and called him derogatory names.
She said she wasn’t concerned with the bruising because he was a clumsy child, though noted she previously filed incident reports to the assigned case workers regarding the bruising. Additionally, she testified that Boyles already had bruises when she and Johnson began taking care of him.
Lemmon also acknowledged the text messages, claiming that “all parents get pissed off” and she never used those words in front of Boyles. She added that both she and Johnson had spanked Boyles and she would tap him on the hands as a form of discipline.
The Colorado native noted that she didn’t initially believe Johnson was abusing Boyles because “you wouldn’t expect your family to be around somebody like that.” However, she said she now believes it’s possible that her ex was abusive.
What Did Cassidy Renee Lemmon Say About Vincent Ray Johnson?
During the trial, Lemmon said that their foster kids were almost always with her and Johnson did not like to be responsible for taking care of Boyles.
What Was the Outcome of Cassidy Renee Lemmon’s Trial?
Lemmon was convicted on two counts of child abuse — knowingly/recklessly causing death and one count of child abuse – during a court date on July 24.
“This defendant and her co-defendant extinguished the life of a beautiful little boy. We appreciate the jurors who gave up more than two weeks of their summer, worked through evidence and expert testimony, and reached the right verdict,” District Attorney Michael Dougherty said in a statement following the trial, according to reports. “From the beginning of this case, the detectives with the Longmont Police Department and our prosecution team were determined to secure justice for Thomas. They did an outstanding job with this very tragic case.”
Lemmon’s sentencing will take place on October 30. She is facing a total sentence of 16 to 48 years in state prison.
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