The Early Life of Hannah Wesche
Hannah Wesche was born on January 11, 2015, in Cincinnati, Ohio. From the very beginning, her life was filled with hardship. Her mother, Adrian Latham, struggled with a heroin addiction and had ties to drug dealing. Upon learning she was pregnant, Adrian sought medical help, undergoing methadone treatment to ensure her baby’s survival. While the treatment saved Hannah’s life, she was born with the same addiction that her mother fought to overcome.
Adrian’s battle with substance abuse eventually led to her incarceration shortly after Hannah’s birth, leaving Hannah Wesche in the care of her father, Jason Wesche. Jason, who had two daughters from a previous relationship, now had the added responsibility of caring for his newborn daughter.
Jason’s Struggles and New Beginnings
When Hannah Wesche was only four months old, Jason lost his job, forcing him into a difficult living situation. With few options, he moved in with his brother, though space was so tight that Jason had to sleep in his car while Hannah stayed inside. This arrangement lasted for almost two years, until Jason found steady employment in construction in Hamilton, Ohio.
Things seemed to improve when he rented a small home for himself and Hannah Wesche, now two years old. However, Jason faced another significant challenge—he needed a reliable caregiver for Hannah while he worked long hours.
A New Caregiver: Lindsay Partin
Jason’s coworker, Timothy Smith, lived nearby and suggested that his partner, Lindsay Partin, could help by looking after Hannah Wesche during the day. Lindsay, already a mother of two young girls, aged three and four, was also watching another child. Although initially hesitant due to the responsibility, Lindsay agreed after some persuasion from Timothy, who emphasized the financial benefit.
Jason felt reassured knowing that Lindsay had experience in early childhood education and eagerly accepted her help. The arrangement seemed perfect, and they agreed on a daily payment of $30, with Jason dropping off Hannah Wesche at 7 AM and picking her up after his workday.
In July 2017, Hannah Wesche started staying with Lindsay, and within days, Lindsay posted a photo of her on social media, captioned “Welcome, sweet Hannah.” For the next eight months, everything appeared to run smoothly. Lindsay cared for Hannah, fed her, and even took her to dance classes. Even when Jason struggled with payments, Lindsay continued to look after Hannah without complaint.
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The Day Everything Changed
On Wednesday, March 7, 2018, Lindsay mentioned to Jason that Hannah Wesche had fallen off a small toy train but seemed fine afterward. Jason noticed nothing out of the ordinary. The next morning, on March 8, Jason dropped off Hannah Wesche as usual. She kissed her father goodbye and entered Lindsay’s home. Moments later, Lindsay claimed that Hannah said two words—”donut” and “couch”—before collapsing and hitting her head on the garage floor.
Panicked, Lindsay placed Hannah Wesche on the couch and called Jason, who was nearby, followed by a call to 9-1-1. A young operator took the call just after 7 AM. Lindsay explained that a three-year-old had collapsed. During the call, Jason arrived, and his voice could be heard in the background as both he and Lindsay urged Hannah to wake up. Paramedics rushed Hannah to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in critical condition.
Police were quick to arrive at Lindsay’s house, but the timeline seemed questionable to investigators. They were skeptical that Hannah Wesche could have been walking and talking moments before collapsing in such a dire state. Detectives immediately suspected that either Jason or Lindsay was involved in what had happened.
As Hannah Wesche fought for her life in the hospital, both Jason and Lindsay were questioned by the police. Lindsay, emotionally unstable and reeling from a recent miscarriage, waived her right to an attorney and spoke to detectives. The investigation revealed that Lindsay had been going through personal turmoil during the months she had been caring for Hannah and the other children. Her relationship with Timothy was also strained, adding to the stress she was under at the time of the incident.
Troubling Discoveries During the Investigation
As the investigation into Hannah Wesche’s tragic case progressed, disturbing details began to emerge, many of which had gone unnoticed in the months leading up to the incident. It was revealed that during the eight months Lindsay Partin had been caring for Hannah Wesche, several concerning accidents had occurred. Lindsay had dismissed them as minor, but upon further examination, they raised serious red flags.
In one instance, Hannah fell onto gravel while playing outside, leaving her with a deep cut on her chin and a black eye. In another case, Hannah Wesche was riding a toy with wheels when they inexplicably detached, causing her to fall and hit her head. These incidents, while brushed off as minor accidents at the time, would later be scrutinized by investigators.
On the day of the incident, Lindsay’s account of what had happened to Hannah Wesche changed multiple times. As detectives pieced together the sequence of events, they concluded that Hannah hadn’t simply collapsed. It was uncovered that, in reality, the child had spilled ketchup in the bathroom, prompting a violent reaction from Lindsay. Eventually, Lindsay confessed that in a fit of rage, she had shaken Hannah Wesche, hit her on the head, and pushed her.
After enduring a lengthy interrogation, Lindsay was released and returned home to her children. She later attempted to visit the hospital to check on Hannah Wesche but was denied entry.
Jason Wesche, unaware of the severity of Hannah’s condition, initially believed she might have suffered from a brain aneurysm, a possibility suggested by paramedics. He hoped she would recover. However, a doctor at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital delivered far worse news—Hannah Wesche had sustained a massive head injury, consistent with being violently thrown against a hard surface.
The next morning, Lindsay was arrested, and the news of the arrest quickly reached Jason. His initial hope for his daughter’s recovery turned to grief and rage as he learned the full extent of the injuries inflicted upon his little girl.
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Hannah’s Final Days
Hannah Wesche underwent several surgeries to relieve the pressure on her brain, including one that involved removing part of her skull. Despite the best efforts of the medical team and Hannah’s fight to survive, she passed away ten days later. Jason, who had raised money for his daughter’s treatment through GoFundMe, used the $10,000 collected to cover the expenses for Hannah’s funeral. The service, held on March 22, 2018, included a heart-wrenching balloon release in Hannah’s memory before her burial.
Following his successful polygraph test, Jason was cleared of any suspicion in the case, but Lindsay remained behind bars as the investigation continued.
As the investigation unfolded, a video surfaced showing the moment police informed Lindsay of Hannah’s death. Captured by police cameras, the footage became a crucial piece of evidence. Lindsay later claimed in media interviews that her confession had been coerced, accusing detectives of pressuring her to admit to shaking and hitting Hannah Wesche. According to her, the police implied that such confessions were typical in cases like hers. She maintained that she had only confessed to end the interrogation and return to her children.
Despite her claims, the timeline of events, evidence, and her own words led to Lindsay being charged with homicide. Investigators found that shortly after Jason dropped Hannah off that morning, she began to whimper while playing with a ketchup bottle in the bathroom. Lindsay, in a moment of rage, had violently shaken and hit her, then thrown her to the ground.
As the case unfolded, it was revealed that Lindsay had taken it upon herself not just to care for Hannah Wesche but also to discipline her. Believing the child needed structure due to her mother’s absence, Lindsay implemented physical punishment as part of her caregiving. She claimed that Jason had agreed to this approach, giving her permission to “raise” Hannah as she saw fit. However, her methods went far beyond appropriate caregiving, with devastating consequences.
The Trial and Verdict
Lindsay’s trial began in April 2019 and lasted eight days. The court heard emotional testimonies, including Lindsay’s confession to police that she had physically abused Hannah in the days leading up to her collapse. Despite the defense arguing that Lindsay’s confession was coerced, the court reviewed her interviews and found no evidence to support this claim. Officers had read her rights, and Lindsay had signed waivers, voluntarily admitting to her actions.
One of the most painful moments for Hannah’s family came when the medical report from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital was presented. The report detailed the extent of Hannah’s head trauma, stating that the severity of the brain and skull injuries made it impossible for Hannah Wesche to have walked or talked for more than a few seconds after being hurt. This ruled out any possibility that her injuries had occurred before she entered Lindsay’s care that morning.
During the trial, medical experts testified that the forceful impact Hannah Wesche had suffered caused immediate unconsciousness, severe brain hemorrhaging, and ultimately, brain death. The prosecution emphasized the severity of these injuries by presenting a photo of Hannah taken just days before March 8, showing her happily seated in her car seat, smiling without any signs of harm. This starkly contrasted with her critical condition after the incident.
Lindsay Partin’s defense team, in an attempt to shift suspicion, focused on Jason Wesche’s living conditions. They presented photos of Jason’s apartment, highlighting its messy state, with clothes, toys, and food remnants strewn across the floor. The defense argued that this environment was unsafe for a child and portrayed Jason as a liar, trying to discredit his testimony. They suggested that Jason had not been truthful about a friend staying at his home around the time of the incident and claimed this individual could have been a suspect if the police had known.
The Defense’s Strategy and Jason’s Response
The defense further accused Jason of lying in his initial statement, where he mentioned taking Hannah Wesche to a supermarket on the night of March 7 to buy milk. Investigators, however, found no evidence of milk at his home. Despite these claims, the court dismissed the defense’s arguments as irrelevant. The medical evidence clearly indicated that Hannah’s fatal injuries occurred moments before her collapse, pointing directly to Lindsay as the responsible party.
Jason admitted that his statement about the supermarket was a mistake, made out of confusion and emotional distress during the critical hours his daughter was in the hospital. He expressed frustration at Lindsay’s defense team for insinuating that the disorder in his home implied he had harmed Hannah Wesche. Jason called Lindsay a manipulative liar and asserted that he had never approved of her disciplining his daughter with violence. He regretted that Hannah hadn’t told him about the abuse, though she had confided in her maternal grandfather.
Hannah’s maternal grandfather provided emotional testimony during the trial. He recalled spending Sundays with his granddaughter despite her mother Adrian being in prison. On one occasion, he noticed bruises on Hannah’s chest and asked her how she got them. Hannah Wesche told him they were from her nanny, Lindsay. However, it remained unclear whether he communicated this to Jason, and no actions were taken to protect the child.
Internet Searches and Ongoing Accusations
The prosecution further presented evidence from Lindsay’s internet search history, revealing that the day before Hannah’s fatal injury, Lindsay had searched how to treat or hide bruises. They argued that this was a clear attempt to conceal the injuries she had inflicted on Hannah. In response, the defense claimed that Lindsay was worried Jason might have been abusing his daughter and had searched for solutions out of concern.
As media attention intensified, another issue surfaced—Jason had never informed Lindsay that Hannah Wesche had been born with a heroin addiction and hepatitis C. This detail raised questions about the potential risk to the other children under Lindsay’s care. Additionally, it was reported that Jason ignored Lindsay’s warning on March 5, when she claimed that Hannah was experiencing severe headaches and refused to participate in dance class.
Closing Arguments and Final Verdict
In the final days of the trial, both sides presented their closing arguments. Lindsay’s defense team maintained that Hannah’s fatal injuries were the result of earlier accidents, and they emphasized that Lindsay had already informed Jason of Hannah’s head injury the day before the collapse. The prosecution, however, argued that the injuries were far too severe to have resulted from simple falls. They presented the ketchup spill incident as the catalyst for Lindsay’s violent disciplinary measures that day.
During the closing moments, Hannah’s mother, Adrian, submitted a victim impact statement, which was read aloud in court. In it, she wrote about the devastating loss of her daughter and how the night Hannah died forever changed her life. Adrian expressed the deep grief she would carry, missing her brave daughter every day.
After 12 hours of jury deliberation, Lindsay was found guilty of murder, involuntary manslaughter, and four counts of child endangerment. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for at least 18 years.
Jason’s Final Words to Lindsay
At the conclusion of the trial, Jason had the chance to address Lindsay directly. Locking eyes with her, he expressed his anger, saying he hoped she would receive the same treatment in prison that she had inflicted on his daughter. Following the verdict, Lindsay was transported to prison, where she was placed in solitary confinement for her own protection, as child killers are often targeted by other inmates.
Lindsay Partin’s defense team filed an appeal after her conviction, hoping to overturn the life sentence. However, in September 2020, the appellate court upheld her sentence, and their subsequent attempt to bring the case to the Ohio Supreme Court also failed. With the legal avenues exhausted, Lindsay’s family was left devastated and financially drained, having spent $75,000 on her defense.
As the case unfolded, shocking details emerged about Lindsay’s former partner, Timothy Smith. Timothy, who had lived with Lindsay and suggested she care for Hannah Wesche, was charged with multiple counts of sexual assault involving minors. He later pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and was sentenced to prison. This meant that both individuals who had cared for Hannah during Jason Wesche’s working hours were now incarcerated.
Lindsay’s Life in Prison and Continued Denial
By 2022, three years after her conviction, Lindsay, now 41, gave several interviews from prison. In these interviews, she spoke candidly about her desire to hold her two daughters, who were then aged 9 and 10. Despite the circumstances, she maintained her innocence, insisting that she did not deserve to be in prison and denying responsibility for Hannah’s fatal injuries.
Lindsay also shared her version of events, recalling how she first met Jason, who appeared in dirty clothes while Hannah looked disheveled with her face smeared with spaghetti sauce. She painted a picture of the family’s financial struggles and emphasized that Hannah had exhibited signs of poor health, including frequent headaches and multiple falls, in the days leading up to her death. Lindsay argued that her conviction was heavily influenced by Jason’s polygraph test results and the emotional impact of the autopsy photos shown to the jury during the trial.
Despite public outrage against her, Lindsay’s family remained steadfast in their support. They created a social media page called “Lindsay is Innocent,” aimed at advocating for a review of her case. Her family believed that the police investigation had significant flaws and pointed to the fact that the other child in Lindsay’s care had shown no signs of abuse, as confirmed by medical evaluations.
Meanwhile, Hannah’s family continued to grapple with their grief. Her grandfather expressed profound sadness not only over the loss of his beloved granddaughter but also the death of his daughter, Adrian, who passed away on May 1, 2023, at the age of 34. Adrian’s death added yet another layer of sorrow to the already heart-wrenching situation.
As of October 2024, Lindsay remained in a maximum-security prison. Despite her circumstances, she had found purpose in helping fellow inmates. She assisted them in earning their high school diplomas and helped prepare reports for those nearing release. Despite the life sentence, Lindsay continued to cling to hope that she might one day be freed, believing that she could return to her daughters before they no longer recognized her.
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Jason’s Final Thoughts
Jason Wesche, still reeling from the loss of his daughter, reflected on the betrayal he felt. He had trusted Lindsay to care for Hannah Wesche, never imagining that she would become the victim of repeated abuse. Jason expressed his inability to forgive Lindsay, stating that he hoped she would face justice not only in this life but also in the afterlife. In his eyes, Lindsay was exactly where she belonged—behind bars for the rest of her life. Jason’s pain and anger remained palpable as he wished for Lindsay to spend every remaining day in prison, paying for the harm she caused to his innocent daughter.
This tragic case left a lasting impact on everyone involved, marking the end of a long and painful chapter in the lives of Hannah’s family, and the complex legal battle surrounding her death continues to resonate with those who followed the case.
