Missouri Woman Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Infant Child and Misleading Law Enforcement

A Missouri woman pleaded guilty today in the Western District of Missouri for assaulting her infant child while living overseas in Germany as the dependent of an enlisted member of the U.S. Army, and repeatedly lying to law enforcement during the course of the subsequent federal investigation.   

Baillie Rachelle Dickenson, aka Baillie Hannah, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury and one count of making a false statement to a federal law enforcement officer before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lajuana M. Counts.  Sentencing will be set once a U.S. District Judge accepts the plea.

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison of the Western District of Missouri, Christopher Grey of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) and Special Agent in Charge Timothy R. Langan of the FBI’s Kansas City Field Office made the announcement. 

According to admissions made as part of her plea, in March 2016, Baillie Dickenson lived in Kaiserslautern, Germany with her then-husband Derreck Dickenson and their two minor children.  Baillie Dickenson and her children were dependents of Derreck Dickenson, who was at that time an active duty member of the U.S. Army stationed in Germany.  In March 2016, the victim, D.D., was about two months old.

On March 12, 2016, Baillie Dickenson and Derreck Dickenson brought D.D. to the emergency room at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC), an overseas U.S. military hospital, where medical personnel observed numerous bruises on D.D.’s face and body.  Further examination of D.D. at LRMC and a local German hospital revealed that D.D. had suffered a massive brain injury, numerous broken bones that were in various stages of healing and many retinal hemorrhages.

Baillie Dickenson and Derreck Dickenson told medical personnel they suspected that their elder child, 16-month-old B.D. had fallen onto D.D. while both children were napping, likely causing D.D.’s injuries.  Baillie Dickenson repeated these statements in subsequent interviews and written statements to personnel and CID special agents even though she knew they were untrue and had the potential to affect CID’s investigation.  On May 30, 2017, the FBI interviewed Baillie Dickenson about D.D.’s injuries.  During this recorded interview, Baillie Dickenson admitted that on a date prior to March 12, 2016, she squeezed D.D. into her chest too hard causing his rib fractures.     

On Dec. 11, 2019, Derreck Dickenson pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction and one count of false statements. He is awaiting sentencing.

Army CID and the FBI conducted the investigation.  Trial Attorney Mona Sahaf of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore of the Western District of Missouri are handling the prosecution. 

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.