The mother of 2-year-old
Ta'naj Fletcher fought back tears while speaking about her son in Bridgeport Friday, one week after the child was fatally stabbed in West Haven, along with a second victim, 19-year-old Hailey Miller.
"Ta'naj was perfectly innocent - so I know he's going to heaven," Myra Stewart told News 12 at St. Mark's Day Care, which her son attended.
The day care was the backdrop for a vigil and balloon release in the child's memory.
"If you wonder how I look so strong, it's because my baby makes me laugh in my head -- even when I'm grieving," she said.
Jevon Fletcher, 26, of New Haven, is charged with
two counts of murder, two counts of murder with special circumstances and one count of risk of injury to a minor. He appeared via video in Milford Superior Court Tuesday, where Judge Auden Grogins called the allegations “as serious as you can get.”
West Haven police responded to an apartment on
Meloy Road on Feb. 15, just before 9 p.m. after calls from neighbors reporting a woman screaming for help. They found Miller and Ta'naj Fletcher stabbed to death. Police said after the murder, Jevon Fletcher jumped out of a second-floor window, injuring himself. Police took him to the hospital, where he remained until his arraignment.
Miller had a young son of her own, who wasn't there that night. Family members started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for the toddler's future, as well as Miller's funeral. They described her as “a hard-working mother, always looking to further her education/career. She was dedicated to giving her son the best life possible, a life filled with love and care. Hailey's bright spirit, kindness, and unwavering love for her child touched everyone who knew her."