Dylan Shoemaker, a teenage babysitter convicted of ending the life of a toddler, walked into the courtroom thinking he had everyone fooled. His plan was to stand face to face with the victim’s family and cry uncontrollably, shake, and beg them to believe he never meant it. He sobbed so hard that even people in the back of the courtroom wondered if the judge might actually feel sympathy.
And for a moment, it almost looked like Dylan thought he was about to get off easy. But then everything changed because Judge Bowler had listened to a phone call Dylan made to his own mother while he was in custody. A phone call that revealed the real Dylan, the one behind the tears. And after realizing that the judge heard what he said on that call, Dylan knew one thing for sure.
He wasn’t going home. Not now. Not anytime soon. The story begins in Western New York in 2013. At just 16 years old, Dylan Shoemaker was trusted to watch his girlfriend’s 23-month-old son while she was at work. Shoemaker had been babysitting his girlfriend’s two young children while Ashley Smith had gone to work at a Springville restaurant for the evening.
Shoemaker admitted in statements to authorities and to the jury that when Austin had acted up, he had struck the child, later putting a pillow over the boy’s head while striking him again in the head. He claimed he never intended to seriously injure Austin. Throughout the night, Dylan became frustrated as the toddler wouldn’t stop crying.
According to investigators, Dylan reacted with anger and caused fatal injuries to the child. Child is crying, but in fact, there’s there’s no explanation for why anyone would strike a child like that. There’s it can’t be explained. It can’t be mitigated. Well, we can’t suggest any reason that would justify it, but the there was some indication that the child was crying.
When emergency services arrived, Dylan claimed it was an accident, that the child had simply fallen, but doctors immediately knew the injuries didn’t match his story. The police questioned him, and Dylan eventually admitted his actions. He was charged and arrested, then held while awaiting trial. During sentencing, the courtroom was packed.
family members, reporters, community members, all waiting to hear what the judge would decide. Dylan entered with red eyes, tears streaming as he turned toward the victim’s family. He sobbed loudly, telling them he didn’t mean to hurt him and how sorry he was. The crying became so intense that his attorney had to steady him.
Some people wondered if this was genuine heartbreak, but Judge Bowler had already reviewed something that would change everything. I didn’t mean to kill Oscar. Actually, I really didn’t know. I really think I did hurt. I didn’t mean to hurt him. While Dylan had been crying in court, acting devastated, his own words from earlier told a different story.
In a recorded phone call to his mother from jail, Dylan said, “I’m a 16-year-old blonde. Probably all I have to do is cry and they’re going to feel sorry for me.” The judge reads it out loud in court, and that was it. That single sentence told the judge everything he needed to know. Record will show that you admitted on Jul that on July 23rd, 2013, in a phone call to your mother from the holding center, you stated, and I got a quote from the court reporter, “I am a 16-year-old blonde.
[clears throat] Probably all I have to do is cry in front of the jury, and they’re going to feel sorry for me.” End quote. His courtroom tears weren’t remorse. They were a tactic, a performance, a lastminute attempt to avoid a harsh sentence. Judge Boulder immediately recognized it and looked at Dylan and said, “You are a manipulator and a deceiver.
I can’t take back what was done. I wish I could. I would give my life for Austin. I loved him a lot.” Austin Smith was completely defenseless. That’s a that’s a given. But there were other dynamics at work there, including my client’s inability to either control his anger or frustration and his inexperience in babysitting based on his short life.
Now, what is to say he won’t do this again? Well, we don’t know that. I think it’s completely unlikely. Then he delivered the sentence, 25 years to life in prison. The courtroom was silent. Some nodded in approval, others stared in shock. But for most people there, justice felt served. I don’t think he started that way when he initially hit him.
I don’t think it initially was intent. I think it became intent at some point. I think he crossed over into intent. He lost uh his cool, as he said. He got frustrated and uh he hit the child, but never with the intent to cause serious physical injury or Austin Smith’s death. Shoemaker’s sister, Alex, quickly left the courthouse after the verdict.
She had earlier said her brother had just snapped, not having been experienced in babysitting. You think that he could have hurt a child like this? I don’t I don’t think I No, [snorts] he’s never hurt anyone before. He’s my baby brother. Like, he can’t do this. There’s no way. I still don’t believe it.
Clearly, if a if a child or any human being is suffering uh multiple injuries um over a period of time, uh that conduct is is not accidental. But the story didn’t end there. In 2016, 3 years after the sentencing, an appellet court reviewed his case. They didn’t overturn the conviction, but they did reduce the sentence to 18 years to life.
This was because the court cited several factors. Dylan was only 16 years old at the time of the crime. He had documented mental health concerns and had no prior criminal record. Some believed the reduction was fair. But many others felt outraged, arguing that the victim, a toddler, would never get a second chance.
So why should Dylan? Even today, the case still have people debating. Some say the justice system considered important factors like age and mental health. Others say the reduction dishonors the victim’s family and minimizes the severity of what happened. And many people argue that the phone call Dylan made to his mom proves Dylan knew exactly what he was doing in court.
The case continues to divide opinions every time it resurfaced. Now, here’s my question to you. Do you believe Dylan deserved a reduced sentence because of his age, or should the original 25 to life punishment have stayed? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. I want to hear what you think. And if you want more true crime courtroom stories like this, make sure to like, subscribe, and turn on notifications so you never miss another video. Thanks for watching.
