Auburn man charged with murder nine years after death of girlfriend’s son

SOUTHBRIDGE, Mass. — The Worcester County District Attorney’s Office is charging a 35-year-old man with murder in the death of his girlfriend’s toddler son, nearly nine years after the child’s death.

News of the arrest is coming as a great relief to the boy’s family.

“I have mixed emotions, but mainly I’m ecstatic,” said Deidra Alsten, Jayden Carlson’s adoptive mother.

In 2012, Jayden suffered severe brain damage in the initial assault. Steven Stuart, the boyfriend of Jayden’s biological mother, pleaded guilty to an assault charge and was sentenced to six to eight years in prison.

Deidra adopted Jayden and cared for him at the family home in Southbridge.

“Jayden was an average two-year-old, walking, talking little boy,” Deidra told me. “When he (Stuart) got his hands on him he could no longer walk, talk speak and eat on his own.”

Jayden passed away in December 2017.

Now, nearly nine years after Jayden’s death and 14 years after the initial assault, the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office is charging Steven Stuart with murder.

He pleaded not guilty last week in Worcester Superior Court.

“It means a lot to our family that somebody is held accountable for what they did to Jayden. I think we are going to get it. I think we will,” Deidra Alsten said.

We first met Jayden in 2017 when the local nonprofit group Sophia’s Angels raised tens of thousands of dollars to help Deidra purchase a specialized van for him.

After Jayden’s death, Deidra has continued to give back through random acts of kindness in Jayden’s name.

Now, she hopes the arrest in this case will help protect other at-risk children.

“I wanted to send a message to others that you can’t hurt children and not be held accountable. You can’t essentially murder my son and not be held accountable. I want justice,” Deidra Alsten said.

Steven Stuart is being held without bail.

He is due back in court on July 20.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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