BLOUNT COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) - Two foster parents are being held in the Blount County Jail following the death of an 18-month-old boy in their care.
On Thursday, Blount County Sheriff Mark Moon and lead investigator Lt. Chad Long revealed details about the investigation into Mason Grimes, 36, and Brooklyn Grimes, 31. The Grimeses are charged with capital murder, intentional murder and aggravated child abuse.
The sheriff's office says there were three other children besides the 18-month-old baby boy in the Grimes’ home. Sheriff Moon says there were questions and concerns about the living conditions for the Grimes family but he did not want to reveal details, saying they want to protect the evidence and case before trial.
"This is a very heartbreaking case where everyone who was involved in any way, whether it be the initial report taken, whether it be the further investigation, the medical staff, everyone here at the sheriff’s office, we’re all touched tragically by this case," Moon said. "Because let’s just be honest, this precious child was a victim and had been treated in such a way that no human should be treated.”
Moon says although the family was living in Blount County, the baby boy was fostered out of Marshall County. As far as investigators are aware, DHR didn’t find any flags in the Grimes’ background to suggest they would harm a child in their care.
"There are also so few resources, so few opportunities for, not just in Blount County but really nationwide, for children in foster care, children who are given up for adoption, things of that nature," Moon said. "When you have a place that has been deemed safe to put kids in and something like this happens, it is devastating on the entire community.”
According to a motion to deny Mason Grimes’ bail, the 18-month-old came into the couple’s care at three months old and “flourished” for about a year. Moon says in September of 2023, the baby had a doctor’s appointment that revealed multiple congenital disorders. A follow-up appointment was scheduled for October but the family never showed.
On Nov. 22, 2023, the sheriff’s office says the Grimes took the baby to St. Vincent’s Blount because he wasn't breathing. The sheriff's office says he was found to have lost over 50% of his body weight and was cold to the touch.
The sheriff’s office says there’s no evidence the other three children in the Grimes' care were abused.
"Those foster children have been removed from that home at the beginning of this,” Lt. Long said.
Long says right now, he still doesn’t know the motive behind the child’s death.
“I guess everyone has a different interpretation of remorse," Long said. "If you’re asking me if they were crying the night at the hospital, I didn’t see it. During the interviews that I have conducted with them, they maintained bearing. They were able to answer my questions and then they contacted legal representation and there were no more interviews after that.”
Mason Grimes’ attorney released a statement. It says:
"Our client and his wife have been loving foster parents to over a dozen children. Many in this community know the heart that they have for children. It is impossible to believe they would want to harm a child. We are so thankful for the overwhelming support they have received from the community. We ask everyone to withhold judgment while we continue our investigation into this tragic death. We ask the community to continue to support Mason and Paige throughout this process, knowing they are the people you have always known them to be. Mason absolutely denies the charges against him. He supports his wife one hundred percent, and he has faith that God's will will be done in this legal process."
Eddie Lowe, Mason Grimes' attorney
When asked about the community support the Grimeses received, this is what Moon has to say:
"Almost all of our sex cases, crimes against children, murder cases and things of that nature, there’ll be a lot of times that people who are close family members to the offender that will say there’s no way they ever did that. They’re too nice, they’re too sweet, they’re church-going, all these things that they’ll give us are used for excuses as to why they could never do this," Moon said. "But the truth of the matter is, the facts are the facts and the evidence is overwhelming.”
Mason and Brooklyn Grimes are scheduled to appear in court again on Friday, August 2 at 3 p.m.