Father Indicted on Murder Charge in Toddler's Death

A grand jury in Prince William County Circuit Court on Monday indicted a Manassas City father on charges of murder in the 2012 death of his 15-month-old son. 

Joaquin Shadow Rams, 40, of Landgreen Street in the City of Manassas, is accused of drowning Prince McLeod Rams during a court-ordered visitation on October 20. His trial is scheduled to begin on August 5 and continue until August 14. 

Rams has said that his son died during a seizure, though the Medical Examiner concluded that Prince died by drowning. 

In an affidavit for a search warrant filed in Prince William County Circuit Court in January, police said that Rams had taken out several life insurance policies on his son, and on one policy, falsely claimed that the boy's mother was dead. Rams' lawyer has told the Washington Post that Rams took out the policies as an investment. 

Police arrested Rams in January, after months of investigation.