by White Bear Lake, MN – A Minnesota father, Mark Russell Forster, 40, has been sentenced to 128 months—just under 11 years—in a state correctional facility after fatally beating his 8-week-old son, Jackson Dallas Forster, last year. The sentence was handed down Monday by Ramsey County District Judge Sophia Y. Vuelo.
Norgaard Plea and Legal Proceedings
Forster entered a Norgaard plea last month to one count of second-degree murder without intent while committing a felony. Under Minnesota law, a Norgaard plea allows a defendant to acknowledge the state has enough evidence to prove guilt while claiming memory loss of the crime’s details. The court credited Forster with 460 days of time already served.
Timeline of Events
According to a probable cause affidavit, White Bear Lake police responded on January 31, 2024, to St. John’s Hospital in Maplewood regarding Jackson, who was admitted with multiple brain bleeds from suspected child abuse. The infant was then transferred to Masonic Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis for specialized care.
At the hospital, Forster admitted he may have dropped or otherwise harmed Jackson and stated he had not been in the right state of mind while caring for the infant. Jackson later died from blunt force trauma to the head, less than two months after admission.
Care Timeline and Mother’s Account
Investigators pieced together that Forster had returned home from work around 1 a.m. and took over infant care while Jackson’s mother slept. When she left for work around 7 a.m., Forster remained with Jackson and did not communicate throughout the day.
Upon returning home around 1:30 p.m., she found Jackson sleeping in a chair with Forster. Jackson’s behavior changed during a later nap, prompting the mother to contact Forster and a nurse line for guidance, after which they were instructed to take Jackson to the hospital.
Substance Use and Admission of Guilt
The mother described Forster as generally supportive but noted his excessive drinking. Forster admitted to police he had been “blackout drunk”, stressed from work, and had smoked marijuana that morning. He told authorities he might have caused harm to Jackson but could not remember due to his intoxication.
Phone records showed Forster sent a message to Jackson’s mother taking responsibility, stating:
“Yea. I’m just really upset with myself because I got so blackout drunk last night I don’t remember anything. This is all my fault.”
Sentence and Next Steps
Judge Vuelo’s ruling ensures Forster will serve nearly 11 years for his actions. The case has drawn attention to the dangers of infant abuse and substance use in caregivers, as well as the legal application of Norgaard pleas in Minnesota.
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