Ohio man fakes mental illness after brutally murdering ex-girlfriend and throwing her 3yo son off a bridge

An Ohio man has been sentenced to life in prison without parole after pleading guilty to murdering his ex-girlfriend and her 3-year-old son in a shocking case that involved throwing the child off a bridge and disposing of the woman’s body in the same location. According to The Cincinnati Enquirer and a news release from Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich, Desean Brown, 25, was sentenced on September 10, 2025, after accepting a plea deal that removed the death penalty from consideration.

The case began in December 2020 when Brown killed 29-year-old Nyteisha Lattimore by stabbing her 11 times in the neck inside her Walnut Hills apartment in Cincinnati. The following day, he took Lattimore’s son, Nylo, to the Purple People Bridge that stretches across the Ohio River and threw the 3-year-old child, along with his stroller, into the icy water while the boy was still alive. Despite extensive search efforts that lasted for months, Nylo’s body was never recovered.

According to People, recent developments in the case revealed that Brown had attempted to fake symptoms of a mental illness to avoid standing trial. Less than a week before his plea hearing, a psychologist testified that Brown had been attempting to fake mental health symptoms. Two prosecution psychologists examined Brown and concluded he was competent to stand trial, with Dr. April Sutton from Summit Behavioral Healthcare stating, “My opinion is he’s currently competent to stand trial.”

Details are coming up about the horrific crimes and cover-up attempts

After killing Lattimore on December 5, 2020, Brown kept her body in the apartment for several days before taking action to dispose of it. Prosecutors revealed that there was so much blood in the apartment that it leaked into the unit below. Brown researched how to clean up blood and attempted to clean the crime scene while his victim’s body remained in the home. This tragic case joins other shocking murders that have captivated public attention.

On December 11, 2020, Brown purchased a body bag on eBay and used an Uber ride to transport Lattimore’s remains to the Purple People Bridge, the same location where he had killed her son days earlier. He attempted to throw the bag containing her body into the river, but it became stuck on a ledge. A security guard discovered the remains the next day, leading to Brown’s arrest.

Prosecutors believe Brown’s motive was retaliation after Lattimore suffered a miscarriage. A woman told authorities that Brown had blamed Lattimore for losing what would have been his child and had discussed killing both her and Nylo in response. While Lattimore’s body was still in the apartment, Brown even accessed her phone to post on Facebook, writing “I love him forever Desean Brown” on the day of her death.

The case took an emotional turn during court proceedings when Nylo’s father, Tonio Hughes, attacked Brown during a hearing in June 2022. Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich described Brown’s actions as “ruthless” and said the plea deal “reflects that.” She added, “This sentence delivers justice for both Nyteisha and Nylo.” The defendant’s attempts to avoid accountability mirror other high-profile criminal cases where perpetrators have tried various tactics to escape justice.