A North Dakota court has awarded custody of the baby of a slain Fargo woman to the newborn's father.
Ashton Matheny was granted sole custody of Haisley Jo Greywind-Matheny in a closed court hearing Tuesday in Fargo. The baby's mother, 22-year-old Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, was found dead in the Red River on Aug. 27, eight days after she disappeared from the apartment building where she lived with her parents.
"It's going great," Matheny said Wednesday. "She's amazing. She doesn't cry at all. She's a really good baby." Matheny said Haisley has a nice head of dark hair and resembles her mother.
LaFontaine-Greywind was eight months pregnant when she went missing after visiting neighbors in the small apartment building where she lived. The neighbors, 38-year-old Brooke Crews and 32-year-old William Hoehn, are charged with conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to murder LaFontaine-Greywind. Fargo police said the young woman died of "homicidal violence."
The infant had been under the care of Cass County while awaiting results of a DNA test. Last week, the test determined that the baby was LaFontaine-Greywind's. When Matheny and his family arrived in court, he said, Cass County officials immediately dropped their claim to custody.
A fund has been set up to help the family, with donations accepted at any U.S. Bank or by mail to Haisley Jo Donation Fund, U.S. Bank, 505 2nd Av. N., Fargo, ND, 58102.
