A father with a violent history is accused of killing his infant son by partially burying him alive, just months after the child’s mother attempted to secure a restraining order against him.
John Hannon, 43, faces charges of first-degree felony child abuse resulting in death. According to an affidavit obtained by the Durango Herald, his 11-month-old son, John “Teigue “JJ” Hannon, was still alive when his face, which had been severely beaten, was buried in a ditch.
Hannon was not detained despite his history of domestic violence and a recent arrest for allegedly driving under the influence of drugs and attempting to plant meth on another driver he had collided with.
San Juan County Sheriff Shane Ferrari criticized the state’s justice system, telling the Tri‑City Record, “This is another example of New Mexico’s failed criminal justice system.”
Ferrari emphasized, “There is no greater evil than individuals who hurt and kill children. You have my word we will do everything in our power to bring justice to this precious child.”
According to the affidavit, Hannon allegedly took baby JJ for a walk in Flora Vista, New Mexico, last month. He later told his former partner, Krystal Phillips, that their child was with a grandparent in Colorado, hundreds of miles away, and would not be coming home.
Phillips, concerned for her son’s safety due to Hannon’s violent history, contacted law enforcement, fearing something tragic had occurred.
Two days later, the child’s body was discovered in a ditch, with his head and left arm buried in the dirt.
A post-mortem revealed that JJ suffered a fractured skull and other head injuries. Dirt found in his airways indicated he was alive when buried.
Upon his arrest in an RV, Hannon initially claimed he “would never hurt JJ,” but later admitted the child was “hurt bad,” as reported by KOB.
When shown photos of his son’s injuries, Hannon denied hitting the baby, saying, “No, not technically.”
Hannon confessed to burying the baby, believing he was already dead at the time, according to the affidavit.
In further interviews, he reflected that “at one point in time I did love my kids,” but admitted he had “changed” and made a “mistake” with JJ.
Hannon’s record shows numerous domestic violence arrests and convictions since 2022, including incidents involving Phillips’ 15-year-old son and Phillips herself.
Although Phillips sought a restraining order to protect her family, it was overturned when she did not appear in court.
Hannon’s defense argues he is not competent to stand trial. According to the Tri-City Record, one of his attorneys, Nicole Hall, wrote, “he does not understand the nature of his charges and has apparent memory issues.”
Hannon remains in custody as evaluations continue.
