New documents give insight into months before Bellingham child's death

BELLINGHAM, Wash. -- On Nov. 27, 2019, a 911 call captured the frantic moment a Bellingham woman reports that a child isn't breathing.

Police say moments before the call, Kamee Dixon rushed over to a neighbor’s home with her boyfriend’s 3 year-old daughter Hazel Homan. Police reports say Hazel was unresponsive, naked and wet.

Police say Dixon claimed Hazel went limp after possibly choking on something.

But doctors say there was no choking. Instead, police say Hazel died after suffering from injuries similar to Shaken Baby Syndrome.

Now, Q13 News has obtained more information about Hazel’s life through a public disclosure request. Investigators with Bellingham Police detail disturbing evidence, including a text message by a family member who was babysitting Hazel back in August.

That family member said Hazel had bruises all over her body and that Hazel would barely even let her take off her shirt.

Also in August, Dixon’s friend told detectives she witnessed when Hazel "wet her pants" and Dixon put her in the shower under ice cold water. She said the 3-year-old was physically shaking and the friend said she had to intervene.

Then in October, investigators say Hazel suffered serious burns to her hand, but Hazel’s father and Dixon didn’t bring her to the hospital until about a week later.

Police reports also say about a week before Hazel’s death, the little girl had fallen down the stairs.

There is another paper trail that detectives find important.

A daycare in Bellingham logged significant absences for Hazel while Dixon’s biological son had what investigators say a near perfect attendance at his daycares.

Detectives say Dixon had primary care of Hazel while her father went to work. But Dixon’s attorney says she is innocent, sending Q13 News several videos of Dixon interacting with Hazel. Dixon appears loving to the little girl in the videos.

Attorney Emily Beschen says many of the facts contained in the police reports are either disputed or were included without the complete context.

Beschen also has previously pointed out that a medical examiner has yet to determine a cause of death for Hazel.

Beschen also emphasized that the Shaken Baby Syndrome accusation has put innocent people in jail in the past.

But there are some named in police reports who say leading up to Hazel’s death they suspected Dixon had relapsed after years of being clean.

One man told detectives that Dixon told him that she was highly frustrated the morning of the 911 call, saying she was coming down from heroin.