Autumn Harper

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Franklinton, LA — District Attorney Collin Sims announced Wednesday that a Washington Parish grand jury has indicted 25-year-old Autumn Victoria Hano Harper of Franklinton for first degree murder in connection with the death of her 8-month-old son. The indictment was handed down on July 9, 2025, following a months-long investigation led by the Franklinton Police Department’s Investigations Division, under the direction of Major Randall Penton.

The charges stem from a tragic incident that began on March 12, 2025, when Franklinton Police were summoned to Riverside Medical Center. Officers responded to reports of a critically injured infant who had sustained both current and healing fractures. Due to the severity of the injuries, the child was airlifted to Children’s Hospital in New Orleans for advanced treatment.

Despite efforts to save his life, the child succumbed to his injuries on March 17, 2025.

The investigation that followed was extensive and involved multiple interviews with witnesses and suspects. On March 19, 2025, authorities arrested Harper after she provided a voluntary statement in which she implicated herself in the commission of the crime. She was formally charged with one count of first degree murder under Louisiana Revised Statute 14:30.

Assistant District Attorney Zachary Popovich of the Special Victims Unit presented the case to the grand jury. Harper is currently being held in the Washington Parish Jail.