A man in the United States has been charged with murdering his girlfriend before allegedly throwing their two-day-old baby daughter into the alligator-infested Mississippi River.
Brandon Isabelle, 28, faces two counts of first-degree murder, serious child abuse and neglect, and aggravated kidnapping.
Prosecutors say Isabelle lured his girlfriend, Danielle Hoyle, 27, to meet him in Memphis, Tennessee, in February 2022, along with their newborn daughter, Kennedy. Isabelle then shot Hoyle and took the baby to the northern area of Mud Island, where the Wolf River meets the Mississippi, and threw her into the river because he “did not want her.” Kennedy’s body has never been found.
Police began suspecting Isabelle after Hoyle’s body was discovered next to an abandoned vehicle, and he was subsequently arrested.
Last month, Isabelle reportedly admitted in a video recording to investigators that he had shot Hoyle in the head at the intersection of Levi and Sedgewick before disposing of their newborn in the river.
Prosecutor Dru Carpenter said during opening statements on Tuesday that Isabelle was involved with another woman at the time and wanted to be with his new partner. Isabelle and this woman are believed to have met on Mud Island prior to the murder.
Isabelle has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The high-profile trial began on Tuesday, September 24, 2025.
