Relatives called it in. A grandmother called it in. Nobody stepped in until it was too late.
Sean Michael Sowards was born September 23, 2004, in Warren, Michigan, to Crystal Conklin and Michael Sowards. He died less than three years later, on June 13, 2007, after a pattern of abuse that multiple family members had already reported to authorities.
Warning Signs, Dismissed
When Sean was about four months old, in early 2005, Michigan's Department of Human Services received a report that Crystal was striking him, including waking him specifically to hit him. His paternal grandmother, Elizabeth Herd, also contacted the agency directly, telling them she'd learned her infant grandson was being spanked for crying. She said she was told that unless he was seriously injured or dead, the agency wouldn't investigate further, and that parents had a right to discipline their children.
Herd has said she and other family members filed as many as 10 to 12 complaints over the following two years. She noticed bruises and cuts on Sean during visits but was consistently told his older sister, Angelique, was responsible. In 2006, contact between Herd and her grandson was cut off after she was told Sean had an eye infection.
The Night He Was Found
On the evening of June 11, 2007, Michael Sowards came home from work and found Sean unresponsive. He was rushed to a local hospital, then transferred for emergency surgery to relieve pressure on his brain. He died two days later, on June 13.
What the Evidence Showed
Medical testimony at trial described a pattern of injuries consistent with prolonged, repeated abuse rather than a single incident — bruising in multiple stages of healing, evidence of malnutrition, and a head injury doctors said was consistent with severe, non-accidental trauma. Physicians and the county medical examiner testified the fatal injury resulted from blunt force trauma to the head.
Multiple family members, including Crystal's own relatives, testified that Sean was treated markedly differently from his sister — kept restrained or confined for long stretches, denied the same affection and attention Angelique received, and blamed by Crystal for his own injuries. Crystal's uncle testified to witnessing her strike Sean forcefully on more than one occasion. Angelique herself was never found to show any signs of abuse or malnourishment.
Two Trials, Two Outcomes
Crystal Conklin and Michael Sowards were both arrested the day Sean died. Michael was released the next day; Crystal was charged with murder and child abuse. At trial, she initially claimed her son was clumsy and prone to injuring himself, later shifting her account to blame Michael directly — a claim she raised for the first time only when she took the stand, after years of saying nothing of the kind.
In April 2008, a jury convicted Crystal Conklin of first-degree murder and first-degree child abuse. She was sentenced to life in prison without parole. She later filed a federal habeas corpus petition challenging her conviction; it was denied in 2014.
Michael Sowards was separately convicted of second-degree child abuse for failing to recognize, stop, or report the ongoing abuse of his son. He was sentenced to nine months in jail and five years of probation. He later gave up his parental rights to his surviving children.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was anyone convicted in Sean Sowards's death?
Yes. His mother, Crystal Conklin, was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole. His father, Michael Sowards, was convicted of second-degree child abuse for failing to intervene and received nine months in jail.
Were the earlier abuse reports ever investigated?
Family members say complaints were filed with Michigan's Department of Human Services beginning when Sean was about four months old, but the agency's response was limited, and no intervention followed before his death.
Has Crystal Conklin appealed her conviction?
Yes. A federal habeas corpus petition she filed was denied by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in 2014.