Two Babies. Two Beatings. One Loophole. One Dead Toddler.

Two Babies. Two Beatings. One Loophole. One Dead Toddler.

Oakley Cobain Headland was born on January 18th, 2023, at Pennsylvania’s Warren General Hospital to parents Tasha Marie Headland and Tyler Lee Prescott. He was always with family, playing with his four siblings, watching Dukes of Hazzard with his great-grandfather, or going on group rides on his tricycle. He had toys of his own, but his mother Tasha described Oakley as a bit of a rebel. Oakley often chose to play with aluminum cans and car keys or steal toys from the family dog. He liked to climb on furniture and sit on his loved ones’ shoulders so he could be the tallest in the room. Oakley was affectionate and generous with his love. When he was smaller, there was always someone who wanted to hold him. His oldest sister was way past the age of playing baby games, but she would make an exception for Oakley. She showed him off to her school friends, who adored him as well. Oakley really loved his older brother, trailing behind him whenever he could. Oakley was by his side when he played video games or watched TV. When his brother got a glider chair as a birthday present, Oakley would take his seat when his brother wasn’t looking. He also stole one of his brother’s necklaces, claiming it was his own and wearing it every single day.

Tyler Prescott was a dangerous man who should have never been allowed to care for any child. In 2021, he was arrested and charged with aggravated assault towards an infant. He was sentenced to 20 to 40 months in prison for endangering the welfare of a child and two years of probation for endangering another person. We do not know all the details, but we know the child in question was not Oakley, as he wasn’t even born yet. Because of Tyler, the child nearly died. Tyler left prison on June 16th, 2025, since he served the maximum sentence. He got out without having to serve the two years of probation. Oakley’s mother, Tasha, wanted him to have a relationship with his father. She brought Oakley to see Tyler, but when it was time for her son to come home, Tyler ignored her and gave excuses. He actually didn’t have a permanent address, so Tasha had no way to track down where Oakley was. Tyler posted a picture of Oakley on July 21st, 2025, sitting on a wooden floor wearing sunglasses. It was captioned “My little player.” In early August, another picture of Oakley was taken, allegedly at a family birthday party. He had scrapes on his face, leg, and chest. Tyler texted Tasha on August 10th that he was visiting his grandmother in Harrisburg. The next day, Tasha said she missed her son and she wanted him home. Tyler ignored her. She tried again two days later, asking if he was in town. Tyler said no. On August 12th, Tyler’s friends, Tyler Fenton and Kelsey Kabisca, invited him and his son to stay in their Sherman Street home. To avoid confusion, we will refer to the other Tyler by his last name. Kelsey noticed Oakley behaved very differently when he knew his father was nearby. Fenton worked the night shift and slept during the day. On the 13th, he woke to what sounded like someone kicking a wall. He woke up again to smoke alarms going off. He found Oakley completely nude on the floor. Tyler quickly covered him with a blanket and said he was chain-smoking and triggered the alarm. At 3:00 in the afternoon,

Kelsey knocked on Tyler’s bedroom door to get a cigarette. He blocked her view of the room with his body and shut the door. Kelsey called Fenton early in the morning. She asked him to go home and check on Oakley because she felt that something was completely wrong. Fenton came home in the early morning of August 14th and found Tyler and Oakley on a mattress on the floor. Tyler was asleep, and Oakley lay completely still. His skin was blue and cold to the touch. Fenton shook Tyler awake and tried to get him to give his son CPR, but Tyler was groggy and slow to respond. Fenton started CPR himself. Someone at the Sherman Street house called 911. An EMS crew from the Bradford City Fire Department arrived and found Oakley unresponsive. Tyler met the officers at the door and paced around while the paramedics tended to his son. The officers on the scene said he appeared upset and was talking to himself. Officers pulled Tyler aside to speak with him. He was covered in sweat and had a hard time keeping his details straight. Tyler admitted he had used crystal meth a few days before. Oakley was rushed to the Bradford Regional Medical Center, where the medical staff did all they could to save him. Oakley died that night from a combination of trauma and drug toxicity from exposure to cocaine and meth. He was two and a half years old. Tyler texted Tasha a little after 5:00 in the morning and said, “Tasha, I’m sorry. Tasha, Oak’s gone.” The police arrested Tyler that same day for three counts of felony aggravated assault and one count of felony endangering the welfare of a child. Oakley had a number of older injuries, which Tyler said came from a Nerf gun, a bicycle accident, and a fall from a chair. None of his excuses could explain the severity of Oakley’s condition, which included bruises, blunt force trauma, and a diaper full of coagulated blood.

Tyler was arraigned later that same day. He appeared in court in a hospital gown, fidgety and quietly talking to himself. District Judge Rich Luther addressed Tyler directly. Tyler interrupted and refused to cooperate. District Attorney Stephanie Vettenberg-Schaefer advised the judge to set Tyler’s bail from $800,000 to $1 million. Tyler said in court, “I will prove my innocence this time. They were lying. Yes, I do have an extensive record, but I’ve always owned up to that shit. I request low bail.” Judge Luther responded, “These are serious allegations. I feel I’m going to be generous here. I’m going to set your bail at $1 million, but I think it should be higher.” After the courtroom adjourned, Tyler kept asking questions. He was told to file for a public defender. That same day, Oakley’s uncle, Dylan Blackman, created a GoFundMe for his nephew’s funeral expenses. It has since been taken down. They had a goal of $8,000 and raised over $2,000 on the very first day it was active. The investigation was led by Detective Mark Duca and Police Chief Michael Ward. A forensic analysis confirmed that Oakley was the victim of severe abuse. Tyler’s DNA matched samples taken from Oakley’s body. The autopsy counted 86 injuries and ruled his death a homicide. Investigators determined these wounds occurred while Oakley was staying with his father. According to the report, most, if not nearly all, of the serious bodily injury inflicted on the victim child occurred at or near the time of the assault and the death of the child. Dr. Todd Lucesvich, the forensic pathologist, told the court that Oakley had been tortured. Based on his findings, the child survived at least four hours of injuries before he died. As the investigation found more and more evidence of violence, the DA’s office charged Tyler with more and more offenses, including criminal homicide. Under Pennsylvania law, defendants charged with first-degree murder aren’t eligible for bail. Tyler was initially held on $1 million, but once homicide charges were filed, the bail was denied. Rumors started spreading online almost immediately. One such rumor circulated on Facebook among McKean County residents that Tyler’s previous charges were withdrawn.

The DA clarified that that wasn’t the case. Days after Oakley was murdered, two women created petitions on Change.org. First came from Amanda Phillips on August 18th. She wrote, “In our small hometown of Bradford, PA, a terrible tragedy struck that has left us all heartbroken and outraged.” She called for greater awareness, more resources for child welfare services, and demanded authorities bring all responsible parties to justice. The second petition was created two days later by Jacquellyn Verbosce. This petition proposed a new law named in honor of Oakley’s memory. In her petition, Jacqueline wrote, “Oakley’s father, released from prison just two months prior after nearly beating another child to death, was not subjected to sufficient oversight or restrictions.” She proposed a federal registry for violent offenders against children, what she called Oakley’s law, that would require monitoring and supervision after release. A Pennsylvania lawmaker sponsored a bill to make Oakley’s law a reality. Martin Causer, a state representative from Turtle Point, promised future legislation to prevent another case similar to Oakley’s. After Tyler served his sentences for child endangerment, he was allowed the freedom to reaffend. Representative Causer said this loophole was what allowed Tyler to torture and kill Oakley. He released a memo in October of 2025 attached to House Bill 2075. The bill would amend Title 61, which covers Pennsylvania’s prison system and parole boards. Offenders whose crimes involve anyone under the age of 18 would have a period of further supervision after their release. His memo read in part, “This horrific case underscores the urgent need for reform to ensure that individuals convicted of crimes against children remain subject to post-release oversight and monitoring. My legislation will close this dangerous loophole by mandating a defined period of supervised release to better protect vulnerable children, support offender accountability, and enhance community safety.”

Representative Causer is also a co-sponsor for two other amendments, House Bill 849 and House Bill 1837. House Bill 849 would create a dedicated registry like the sex offender registry. Anyone found guilty of certain severe charges against children would need to share their residence, vehicle registration, and employment with the police. This information would be entered into a publicly available database. House Bill 1837 would create a new type of charge, child torture, covering a wide variety of physical and emotional mistreatment towards anyone under the age of 18. A person found guilty of child torture would have to face greater punishment, such as a longer sentence or closer supervision after their release. Oakley’s mother, Tasha, posted Oakley’s eulogy on Facebook in January of 2026. It was her first public statement about her son’s death. It read in part, “Many of you here have never met Oakley, so let me tell you about him. He never played by the rules. He was chaotic good. Let me tell you how he was the happiest little boy, so much so that even when you were scolding him, he would laugh. He was filled with light and love, and he was too pure for this world. He gave the best cuddles and kisses. He would wake you up by touching your cheek in the morning. Oak was so sweet and such a rebel. For instance, he loved shoes, but not like in the normal way. No matching shoes, insisting on wearing mismatched shoes or none at all. Or he’d grab his feet and fight you to put them on. Yet he had no problem stealing all the adult shoes and wearing them around and then hiding them. Those could be matching though. He would always try to stand on his tricycle seat, and he’d choose to play with dog toys over kids’ toys any day, or empty bottles of 5-hour Energy and car keys. He’d choose watching westerns and Dukes of Hazzard with his grandpa over Mickey Mouse and Paw Patrol every morning. If they were swimming, he was moving the inner tubes from one end of the yard to the next and starting all over again in a new spot when he was done.

Not that he didn’t like swimming, he just liked to do his own thing. He loved dancing, head-bobbing, and jumping to music and singing along, even though he couldn’t quite form complete sentences, so it normally came out in one continuous high-pitched note. He had a sweet tooth before he even had teeth. In heaven, he is undoubtedly eating endless cake popsicles and yogurt. His favorite necklace he stole from his brother and he wore it ever since, a black rope necklace with a silver bead in the middle. He wore it all the time, and it wasn’t with him when we got him, so if you have seen it, please return it so his brother can have it back. His siblings loved him so, so much, always holding him, carrying him around, and playing with him. Even his oldest sister, who doesn’t play, she’d hang out with him with her friends, one who had a special bond with him too. He loved climbing things, always wanting to be taller than everybody else. He always wanted to be up high, and now he’s watching over us. This boy could mess up a house in seconds. I think he just liked the chaos of it all, but he had the best time doing it. For instance, my last memory with him was painting flower pots with his siblings, and he dumped paint all over my dog, got it all over the wall and floor, and my dog tracked it all over the house. The downstairs was painted blue, and upstairs was painted red by my dog, and Oakley just laughed as it took us the better part of an hour to clean it up, and we still are finding red paint around the house. What I would give for those messes again, for the joyous chaos he brought. Oakley’s life wasn’t a tragedy. His whole life can’t be confined to a single story of how it ended. We can’t let it be. We can’t let this erase the true memory of him, the one of laughs and dances and ice cream. Let his memory be one of love, not hate. Let his smiling face be the first thing you remember about him, because that is who he was. Let his mark on this world be one of laughter and innocence and chaotic good. We have a duty to remember him for who he truly was. His memory should be used as a tool for change and positivity, not as a weapon for hate. He was more than a tragedy or a story. He’s a little boy who loved trucks and trick-or-treating, his family, and puppies. He was Oakley Cobain Headland.”

The next day, Tasha posted a picture of her and her children together and wrote, “Forever my babies you’ll be. We miss you, Oakley, every single one of us. You will forever be remembered. You are my shining star. I can’t wait to meet you at the gates, baby boy. I’ll be there soon. I miss you.” The preliminary hearing was held on October 7th, 2025. Police officers and forensic analysts were among the witnesses. A forensic nurse named Cheryl Weir said nearly every body part was affected. She also described a set of benchmarks that can determine if a case involves severe abuse, and said that Tyler hit nearly every one of them. Oakley’s family was present in the courtroom. Tasha cried the most, especially when photographs of her son’s battered body were shown in court. She had to leave the room multiple times. Tyler’s attorney, Chris Pence, put a forensic DNA scientist on cross-examination, asking whether the temperature the samples were kept at during transport could have compromised the results. DA Schaefer shot back and said, “If there was somehow a bad temperature, that wouldn’t somehow create the defendant’s DNA on the victim’s mouth or private areas, would you agree with that?” The witness replied,

“Yes.” Judge Luther ruled that there was enough evidence against Tyler to proceed with a criminal trial. The DA is pursuing a death penalty case against him, the harshest sentence available. The alternative is life in prison without parole. Under Pennsylvania law, Title 42, Subchapter B, the state can pursue the death penalty if the case fits at least one of 18 aggravating circumstances. The DA’s office listed four relevant ones to Tyler: first, the defendant committed a killing while in the perpetration of a felony; second, the offense was committed by means of torture; third, the defendant committed the killing while in the perpetration of a felony under the Controlled Substance, Drug, Device, and Cosmetic Act; and fourth, the victim was a child under 12 years of age. There have only been three executions in the state of Pennsylvania since the mid-1970s. The last person executed in the state was serial killer Gary Heidnik in 1999. Tom Wolf, the former governor of Pennsylvania, issued a moratorium on the death penalty in February of 2015, officially placing a hold on all death sentences. His successor, current governor Josh Shapiro, followed his lead and hasn’t signed any execution warrants so far. At the time of the initial policy, there were over 180 people on death row. Tom Wolf cited issues with capital punishment and justice. He went on to argue the system was expensive, error-prone, applied unequally, and that Pennsylvania had an obligation to fix it before carrying out another execution. Even though Pennsylvania hadn’t executed a death row inmate in over 20 years, Wolf’s decision got a lot of pushback. The Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association took issue with Tom Wolf’s use of authority. They said in a statement, “He has rejected the decisions of juries that wrestled with the facts and the law before unanimously imposing the death penalty, disregarded a long line of decisions made by Pennsylvania and federal judges, ignored the will of the legislature, and ultimately turned his back on the silenced victims of cold-blooded killers.”

Even if Tyler Prescott does get the death penalty, he likely will remain on death row for a long time, just like many of those who came before him. Whether it is death row or a life sentence, realistically Tyler would die in prison if convicted. Tyler’s trial was stalled multiple times. His attorney, Chris Pence, withdrew in December of 2025 after Tyler accused him of conspiring with the DA. His attorney was replaced by Andrew Capone and William Meal. Two judges recused themselves from the case over conflict of interest. In late April of 2026, Senior Judge Norman Krumen III was assigned to oversee Tyler’s trial. Since then, nothing new has been reported. As Tyler Prescott has yet to stand trial, he is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Oakley was laid to rest on August 19th, 2025. Family and friends gathered at Holland-Cahill Funeral Home on South Avenue in Bradford, where the service was held, officiated by Brother Michael Hicks. He was buried at McKean Memorial Park. His aunt Courtney said Oakley’s life was more than a tragedy. He was just a little boy with the brightest smile who laughed at everything and loved everyone. She wrote on Facebook, “Oakley, I never got to finish your quilt, and your bicycle is still in my backyard where you left it. I don’t know how this is real. I don’t know what to do with this. I’ll never forget you.” His uncle Dylan, who raised the money to bury him, wrote that Oakley deserved to be put to rest with dignity and respect, that was the very least that he deserved. He had 940 days on this earth. He spent them dancing, stealing his brother’s necklace, dumping paint on the dog, and picking up every rock he could carry. He watched Dukes of Hazzard every morning. He rode his tricycle and laughed at everything.