A woman from Fort Eisenhower has pled guilty to the murder of her infant son, as confirmed by Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, Tara M. Lyons. April Evalyn Short, 31, admitted to Murder in the Second Degree and faces a sentence of 20 years in prison under a negotiated plea agreement. This agreement also includes financial penalties and five years of supervised release after her imprisonment. The federal system does not offer parole.
Lyons stated that "the plea agreement in this disturbing case represents a difficult but appropriate resolution to this tragic and shocking homicide."
The incident occurred on November 15, 2023, when Short killed her 11-month-old son at Fort Eisenhower using a knife. She acted "willfully, deliberately, maliciously, and with malice aforethought," according to the plea agreement.
Short is currently held by the U.S. Marshals Service while awaiting sentencing by U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall, pending completion of a presentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services.
Steven Ausfeldt, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division Southeast Field Office, praised the efforts involved: “This plea is a testament to the outstanding investigative efforts of our Army CID personnel...and is indicative of our commitment to ensure justice for victims of heinous crimes such as this.”
Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, remarked on Short's upcoming imprisonment: “April Short will now have 20 years to think about her heinous actions.”
The case has been investigated by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division with assistance from the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Henry W. Syms Jr. and Patricia G. Rhodes.
Inquiries can be directed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (912) 652-4422.