CPS Knew She Had a History of Hurting Kids, They Didn’t Care

CPS Knew She Had a History of Hurting Kids, They Didn’t Care

The death of a child is something that no parent or community should ever have to bear, but even more so when the death of that child was caused by someone who had a history of committing violent crimes against their partner’s children. Adding insult to injury, media coverage of today’s story has been practically non-existent.

Aside from a one-minute news clip or a small blurb on a website, today’s story has many layers that we will unpack. But before we begin, I want to give a special shout-out to a few people who have worked tirelessly to keep this little boy’s name alive. Lane from *Suffer the Little Children* released a three-part deep dive into today’s case, which includes interviews with the victim’s family. Lane’s coverage provides an in-depth analysis not only of the victim’s life but of those who failed him time and time again. And last, but certainly not least, the little boy’s family, loved ones, and community members who have kept everyone up to date on the status of the case throughout social media. We will be sure to link all of these sources in our description for you to check out, as they provide a base for today’s story. All because the mainstream media refused to shine a light on the loss of this little boy. Without further ado, this is the story of Alex Pedran.

Alex J. Pedran was born on July 10th, 2016, in Onalaska, Wisconsin, to parents Derek Lee Pedran and Jenna Love, and had several siblings. He was described as being full of life with a strong personality and a contagious smile. His maternal relatives gave him many nicknames. He was often called Alex, AJ, or even endearingly, Hammy. Alexavier was an adorable little boy with big brown eyes and sandy blonde hair. He loved to sing, dance, swim, ride his bike, play basketball, and considered himself fast like Lightning McQueen. As relatives would later recall, Alexavier was very much a mommy’s boy. He loved reading books with his mother and would tell her, “You’ve got a friend in me, Mom.”

First, it’s important that we talk briefly about what Alexavier’s family life was like before he was even born. According to reports, his mother, Jenna, had a history of run-ins with the law. As a teenager, she was involved in a car theft at 14 and was later charged with felony grand theft auto, although the charge was later reduced. Her behavior worsened over time, leading to substance use and running away from home. Eventually, she did a stint in the La Crosse County Juvenile Detention Center for check fraud. After this, Jenna stayed out of trouble for a period of time.

Alex’s father, Derek, also had a criminal history and struggled with substance use. Derek and Jenna started dating in 2008 and had their first child, a daughter, in September of that year. Around this time, Derek faced multiple charges, including breaking into a locked vehicle, among others. He was later charged with violating the conditions of his bail and spent a few months in jail. In November of 2008, Derek was charged with domestic violence-related disorderly conduct. This led to a no-contact order and several conditions, including counseling and community service. This wouldn’t be the last of his crimes. Rather than learn from his mistakes, Derek would continue to rack up charges and do short stints in county jail.

By the time Alexavier was born, Jenna and Derek had separated, but Derek remained in his son’s life as a co-parent. Prior to their split, Derek had begun a relationship with a woman named Josie Marie Dykeman. They lived together in the town of Medary, Wisconsin. Allegedly, Josie and Jenna were friends in high school. Before she got together with Derek, Josie was dating a man named Dustin Barnes, who coincidentally was friends with Derek. Dustin had a daughter when the couple first got together, while Josie reportedly had two children of her own. This will soon become very important.

CPS was first notified of possible family violence in the household in 2011 when Dustin’s 21-month-old daughter was rushed to Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, reportedly after falling from the stairs. They ran a couple of tests and eventually found out that she had suffered a traumatic brain injury because of the fall. Her name has been redacted to protect her identity. When doctors notified Josie, she claimed that this wasn’t the first time that the little girl had fallen down the stairs. She claimed it had happened twice before and blamed the whole thing on a broken baby gate, which the couple didn’t have enough money to fix. Naturally, this warranted a call to CPS, who removed her from their care and placed her in the foster care system. She was eventually returned to the couple a year later while also being closely monitored by CPS.

In 2013, within two years of Josie and Dustin being accused of child neglect, CPS intervened again when a medical evaluation revealed that the same girl had gone from weighing in the 85th percentile to the 6th percentile. She was severely underweight and malnourished. A medical examination also revealed that the girl was suffering from fractures in her hands and feet. The fractures to the girl’s hands were consistent with someone slamming a toilet seat cover over her fingers. Josie claimed the young girl had gotten overweight after returning from foster care and that Josie had put her on a diet. Meanwhile, Dustin’s mother, Paula Hernandez, claimed that Josie had restricted the girl to only having three glasses of water a day. This was consistent with witness testimony that she would be forced to raise her arms over her head whenever she had to use the bathroom, reportedly to stop her from drinking out of the toilet bowl.

This time, Josie and Dustin were charged with child neglect and causing mental harm to a child. In November of 2013, Josie pleaded guilty to child neglect as a party to a crime. The mental harm charge was dismissed but read in at sentencing. She received three years on probation, and Dustin received a stayed three-year prison sentence, served after an unrelated eight-year sentence for a prior conviction. Both Josie’s mom, Rebecca Ellers, and Josie’s aunt, Anne Ellers, testified on her behalf in court. Rebecca claimed that Josie had changed after having her own children, claiming she had been suffering from postpartum depression. Anne added that Josie had always loved children and that she had acted under the influence of drugs. The prosecutor, however, claimed that this didn’t explain why this girl was the only child, and not Josie’s biological children, who had suffered neglect in the home. During her sentencing, Josie reportedly told the judge that she missed the girl terribly and that she was sorry for what had happened. Now, Alexavier’s well-being was resting in the hands of this very same woman.

At the time of our story, Alexavier was in the first grade and was living with Derek and Josie. According to family accounts, Alexavier missed quite a bit of school due to frequent illnesses or other family issues at home. His school noted poor attendance but didn’t see it as a red flag. Instead, they connected Derek and Josie to the La Crosse Area Family Collaborative to help improve his attendance. However, when Alexavier did show up to class, he appeared dehydrated and malnourished, with pale skin and suspected broken fingers. His front teeth were also chipped, but even then, school officials said they saw no issues with Alexavier’s welfare. They explained that the bruises and injuries seemed accidental, and they did not suspect family violence at this point. Additionally, whenever Jenna would reach out to her son’s school to request information, they would refuse to comply because they could not find proof that she had joint custody of Alexavier. According to them, Derek was the only guardian the school was aware of.

In March of 2017, Derek and Josie had their first child together. A year later, in August, they had another daughter. Soon, Derek and Josie’s household had seven children living under one roof. They were having trouble taking care of all of them. During this time, they were in contact with several social services programs. According to Josie, while Derek and the family were staying at Rebecca’s house, one of the older kids found Alexavier lying on top of his younger brother. Both of them were partially undressed. When asked about their actions, Alexavier reportedly responded that he didn’t know. Later that evening, while Alexavier was being bathed by a family member, Josie voiced concerns about his behavior. According to Josie, he was allegedly rubbing a toy on himself in an inappropriate manner. She explained that when Alexavier lived with his mother, she frequently moved and had relationships with multiple men.

However, relatives on Alexavier’s maternal side eventually grew concerned about his welfare when he stayed with his father. At times, Alexavier returned from his dad’s with bruises or injuries that were hard to explain. In one account, family members recalled that Alexavier would say Josie was mean to him and punished him in bizarre ways. For example, she forced him to drink his own spit when he was thirsty. He also alleged that Josie would hit him for misbehaving. Josie’s children confirmed that their mother also choked and kicked Alexavier on multiple occasions.

An anonymous caller informed Child Protective Services that Josie, due to two brain injuries, was struggling with her ability to care for seven children. It was also reported the parents often left the children inside without supervision while they smoked outside. They reported that the children were frequently moved from place to place, causing them to lose their belongings. The older children were missing days of school. The caller also mentioned an incident where Josie and Derek were babysitting an 8-month-old at her mother’s house. Allegedly, the couple went outside to smoke, leaving the baby unattended, and the child fell off the couch.

Then, in early 2019, a concerned individual contacted La Crosse County Human Services to report potential neglect involving Alexavier, citing visible abrasions on his face and a bruise on his arm following a weekend visit with his father and Josie. Alexavier was taken to the hospital where doctors noticed three visible abrasions on his face and a horizontal bruise on the back of his right arm. At the hospital, when asked about his injuries, Alexavier kept saying, “Wall, wall, wall.” This was consistent with what Josie had claimed had happened—that he had slammed himself into a wall while playing.

While medical staff ultimately determined the injuries did not warrant a formal CPS report, law enforcement became involved just weeks later when Derek violently assaulted Josie, slamming her head against the floor and causing a traumatic brain injury. He was charged with domestic violence-related offenses. And despite the severity of the case, Josie requested the no-contact order be lifted and soon resumed her relationship with him. Later that year, Josie and Derek moved in with his ex, Jenna, in an attempt to co-parent their children under one roof in Joplin, Missouri. The unconventional arrangement fell apart within a week when Jenna allegedly attacked Josie with a baseball bat in front of their multiple children.

Chaotic home life and unstable caregiving arrangements prompted further CPS involvement across state lines, including temporarily removing the children in early 2020. Despite mounting concerns, Josie stayed with Derek, who would again be arrested for strangulation and battery in November of 2022.

On January 16th, 2023, Alexavier was taken to the Mayo Clinic for a leg injury. Josie told the doctors that Alexavier had two injuries prior to them bringing him in for treatment. One was that he slipped and fell on ice at school, and the second was his younger sister had pushed him down the basement stairs because he was reportedly walking too slow. Josie claimed that when Alexavier was complaining of his leg pain, she iced his leg until he felt better. Just a day after being pushed down the stairs, Josie claimed that they had taken Alex to a birthday party. It was only until about 11:00 a.m. on January 16th that Alexavier started complaining to them that the pain had gotten really bad.

According to the Facebook page, Justice for Alexavier, Alexavier was in visible pain at the birthday party and was kept in a separate room where Derek and Josie kept icing his leg. Derek also had to carry around Alexavier throughout the event, or he would be seen sitting somewhere because it was too painful for him to walk. Josie had reportedly searched up leg injuries for children and child abuse injuries while she was at the hospital, even making a call to her attorney. She also reportedly complained that she didn’t want the case being referred to Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center. She said that because of her history with her ex’s daughter, the doctors there would make a biased decision against her and call CPS again.

Alexavier was eventually referred to Gundersen Lutheran, but doctors there claimed the child’s injuries were consistent with an accidental fall and that they couldn’t find any evidence of mistreatment. Alexavier was sent back again to Josie and Derek’s care. On January 26, 2023, a social worker conducted a home visit with Josie and her children. The caseworker’s report described the home as cluttered but adequately stocked with food, clothing, and basic care items. All the children appeared well cared for.

During the visit, Josie voiced frustration that the Mayo Clinic’s documentation did not accurately reflect what Alexavier had told hospital staff during his previous visit for a femur injury. She asked why CPS was still investigating if the hospital had deemed Alexavier’s injury accidental. The caseworker explained that CPS had not yet received that determination when the investigation began, and once a case is opened, it must be completed. The report noted that Josie appeared irritated by this explanation.

By early February of 2023, Derek and Josie’s relationship reportedly turned violent. On February 10th, at 6:14 p.m., Alexavier’s cousin called La Crosse County Emergency Dispatch for a welfare check. She was concerned after learning Derek had been arrested for bail jumping and feared that he might still be in the home with Josie despite a no-contact order. Deputy Joe Kernan responded to the home and after knocking several times, was eventually let inside by Josie. She claimed Derek was not there and directed the deputy to Alexavier, who was sleeping on a makeshift bed in the living room.

The room was dimly lit, but using a flashlight, the deputy observed a small healing cut above Alex’s eyebrow. Josie said Alexavier had hit his head on his school desk and said later that he picked at it out of boredom. Six-year-old Alexavier was in bed appearing to be deep asleep—so deeply that the officer couldn’t wake him up despite trying several times to get him to wake up and speak. Josie said the entire family was recovering from the effects of the pandemic, which made Alexavier very tired. She said that she had given him a dose of melatonin to help him rest. This probably should have been a huge red flag, as if Alexavier was already tired, he probably didn’t need additional sleep aids.

The deputy asked to check Alexavier again. Josie agreed but asked that he not use the flashlight, saying repeated police visits were traumatizing to her son. Deputy Kernan returned to find Alexavier in a different position, uncovered and wearing a diaper. The deputy also saw a bruise on Alexavier’s inner thigh but didn’t pay much attention to it. Josie explained that minor bruises were common because the children were very energetic, something the deputy also observed. During the visit, he noticed another child tapping on Alexavier’s leg cast like it was a door. The deputy noted that Alexavier was sleeping and reported finding no imminent danger, thus feeling no need to remove him from the home.

On the morning of February 11th, around 9:26 a.m., Josie dialed 911 in a panic. She reported that her son was unresponsive and not waking up. First responders rushed to the home and found Alexavier lying on a bed, unconscious and not breathing. Medics immediately attempted life-saving measures. They administered CPR and Narcan just in case the boy had opioids in his system. Despite their efforts, nothing revived Alexavier. The six-year-old boy was pronounced dead at the scene 17 minutes after the 911 call was made.

Deputies at the scene found troubling clues. Near Alexavier’s body, they located an empty pill bottle in a bag containing prescription pills. This immediately raised suspicion that Alexavier had been drugged. Emergency personnel also noted that his body bore visible bruises and injuries. Josie was the only adult present, and with Derek in jail since the previous evening, the focus turned to her.

“Well, the La Crosse County Sheriff’s Office is releasing the name and age of the child who died earlier this month at a home in the town of Medary. La Crosse County investigator John Williams says the child’s name is Alex Pedran. Emergency responders were called to the home for an unresponsive child on February 11th at about 9:30 in the morning. Although life-saving efforts were made, Pedran was pronounced deceased. Now, the sheriff’s department did not release any other information.”

Alexavier’s autopsy was conducted by Dr. Reed A. Quinton, a medical doctor at the Mayo Hospital in Rochester, who confirmed that his death was not an accident, but the result of brutal violence and poisoning. According to reports summarizing the autopsy, Alexavier had blunt-force injuries to the head and neck. These include widespread bruising across the scalp and face, a partially healed cut above the right eyebrow, an abrasion on the back of the head, and two reddish-yellow scrapes on the neck. Most significantly, Alexavier had suffered hypoxic-ischemic brain damage, a condition where reduced oxygen and blood flow, often following cardiac arrest, leads to severe brain injuries.

His torso showed further signs of serious harm. His chest, back, and buttocks were all bruised. Faint abrasions were found on his genital area. Internally, there was bleeding within the abdominal region, trauma to multiple organs, including a bruised and torn liver, hemorrhaging in the pancreas, and a fractured rib located in the back. According to Dr. Quinton, these abdominal injuries were not the result of CPR, as efforts to revive Alexavier began only after he had already passed away.

Toxicology revealed that Alexavier had high levels of the sedative alprazolam in his system. Alprazolam is commonly known by the brand name Xanax, a prescription anti-anxiety medication not at all meant for children. The autopsy also described specific trauma such as brain injuries and swelling. There were bruises in various stages of healing, potentially indicating earlier beatings and acute injuries from the final incident. The La Crosse County coroner concluded Alexavier’s manner of death was homicide caused by blunt-force trauma to the body and exacerbated by alprazolam intoxication.

On May 19th, 2023, a little over 3 months after Alexavier’s death, authorities arrested 31-year-old Josie in connection with the case. Josie was formally charged with multiple serious offenses for what she allegedly did to Alexavier. Specifically, the charges included first-degree intentional homicide, chronic neglect of a child, and physically hurting the child.

“Charges have now been filed against an Onalaska woman in connection to the death of a six-year-old boy. Josie Dykeman faces three counts of first-degree intentional homicide, chronic neglect of a child, and physical abuse of a child. Dykeman called 911 the morning of February 11th, saying her son, Alexavier Pedran, was not responding. Crews performed CPR, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Deputies found an empty bottle and a bag containing prescription pills near Pedran’s body. The criminal complaint says an autopsy shows Pedran died of blunt-force trauma. It says the toxic effects of a prescribed sedative were also a contributing factor to his death. Dykeman’s children told investigators they saw her hit, choke, and kick Pedran more than once. The complaint also says a doctor showed concerns of child abuse when Pedran was hospitalized a month earlier for a femur fracture.”

When Josie made her initial court appearance in late May of 2023, the judge addressed her bond. Given the severity of the crime and the concerns about Josie being a danger or a flight risk, the court set a cash bond of $1 million. Just a week after Josie’s arrest, on May 30th, 2023, dozens of protesters gathered outside the La Crosse County Courthouse wearing t-shirts emblazoned with the words “Justice for Alexavier.” They held up signs demanding accountability for the six-year-old’s death, vowing they won’t stop rallying until Alex receives some form of justice.

“People continue to rally outside the La Crosse County Courthouse today to show support for the six-year-old boy who was found dead at his home in Medary 6 months ago. 33-year-old Josie Dykeman is facing multiple charges, including an intentional homicide charge for the death of Alexavier Pedran. Our own Dua Isra is live outside the courthouse where protesters say they want to see change. Dua?”

“Ken, dozens of organizers are lining up on these sidewalks. All of them are wearing the same shirt that says one thing: Justice for Alexavier. Now, this is just one of the many protests that have happened since Dykeman’s arrest. And I’m actually here with Alexavier’s grandmother who helped organize this protest today. How are you?”

“I’m good. How are you?”

“Good. Um, what do you want people to know from these protests?”

“Child abuse is not good in any form, mental, physical, verbally. Um, it’s not good. My grandson did die because of it. And our big goal tomorrow is we have a court hearing, and we hope the judge does not let her out, um, so no other child can be affected by this.”

“And how often will you hold these protests?”

“We will keep going through the trial, um, and probably even more so, so justice can be served for any child that has been abused, I would think, yes.”

Alexavier’s aunt set up a GoFundMe account in late February of 2023 to help with legal expenses and awareness efforts. As of the date of this recording in August of 2025, the fundraiser has raised $4,410 of its $5,000 goal. *Justice for Alexavier* Facebook and Instagram pages were eventually created to share updates on the case and to shine a light on flaws in the child welfare system. Members organized and publicized the courthouse protests and community events in Alexavier’s memory.

They also used these platforms to call out officials they felt were not doing enough. For example, they pointed out how multiple welfare checks and CPS visits failed to rescue Alexavier. In 2023, Alexavier’s cousin launched a Change.org petition addressed to Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and state lawmakers. This petition outlines concrete reforms needed to prevent another tragedy like Alexavier’s. It calls to end qualified immunity for CPS and law enforcement and establish an educational neglect law to hold parents accountable when a child is kept out of school excessively. It also calls to improve data sharing between CPS, police, schools, and medical providers and extend deadlines for filing claims of injury in such cases.

At her arraignment in June of 2023, Josie entered pleas of not guilty to all counts. The prosecution, led by District Attorney Tim Gruenke, prepared for trial by lining up evidence—not only the autopsy and forensics but testimonies from medical professionals, police officers, and even the other children who witnessed the violence. In the beginning, Josie’s defense attorney, Christopher Zachar, signaled that the defense might pursue an unusual strategy. They began suggesting that Derek was the true culprit behind the boy’s death.

In the pre-trial hearings, Attorney Zachar claimed to have recently found evidence, including recordings, cell phone records, and eyewitness accounts, that would indicate Derek actually caused Alexavier’s fatal injuries. However, prosecutors responded by emphasizing that multiple eyewitnesses, including children at the home, specifically saw Josie attacking Alexavier on the night in question. DA Gruenke noted that nobody other than the defendant claims that Derek ever hit the victim, especially on the night in question.

Josie’s 5-year-old child was forensically interviewed at Stepping Stones Child Advocacy Center in La Crosse. His first comment to the interviewer was, “Guess what? My brother died.” He said that when children in the home got in trouble, they were yelled at or spanked. But Alexavier was specifically spanked, choked, and kicked. You see, Alexavier was often punished for lying and stealing things like Takis and Cheetos. He also claimed Alexavier drank poisonous water the day before his death and described his brother as looking like a monster.

Another child who was also interviewed said that when Alexavier got in trouble, Josie yelled at him while Derek would throw away his toys. She admitted that she had pushed Alexavier down the stairs, but added that no one helped him after the fall and claimed Josie did nothing about it. When asked if she received affection like hugs, she said yes, but said that Alexavier specifically did not.

The 14-year-old child explained that while living with Derek and Josie, both she and Alexavier were treated more harshly than the other children. She believed that Josie disliked them because being under her care meant ongoing contact between their parents, Jenna and Derek. She said Josie had threatened to take away the younger children if Alexavier continued visiting Jenna’s side of the family. She recalled an incident, and this is how she described it, where Josie was on top of Derek at the bottom of the stairs choking him.

The 14-year-old believed Josie was using prescription pills, though she acknowledged they were legally prescribed. The last time she ever saw Alexavier was on his sixth birthday. She noticed he had a bloodshot eye but was told that something had just gotten in it. Then they interviewed an 8-year-old child who recalled the day before Alex’s death, stating that his brother was forced to eat ramen with hot sauce, even though he didn’t like it. That night, the family had pizza, but Josie refused to give Alexavier any of it. Instead, she made him eat leftover crust from the younger children.

Meanwhile, Josie’s defense raised concerns about relying on children’s statements. Despite this, Judge Elliott Levine determined that there was sufficient evidence for the case to proceed. Dr. Allison Gwocki testified about treating Alexavier after he broke his leg. During her exam, she observed significant bruises on his forehead, eyelid, shoulder, and thigh. Josie’s defense attorney suggested that Derek might have been responsible for these, but the doctor clarified he wasn’t present when the fall happened. She pointed out that Josie herself had described the injury occurring while the child was under her care.

“The trial for the woman alleged to be responsible for a child’s death may not happen until next year. Josie Dykeman is accused of first-degree intentional homicide in connection to the death of six-year-old Alexavier Pedran. In La Crosse County Court today, prosecutors requested a trial date be set, explaining they would need a week to present their case and hear from witnesses. The defense agreed, saying they think the trial could take three weeks. Because Judge Levine’s trial schedule is already pretty full for this year, he says Dykeman’s trial likely won’t be until 2025. Dykeman is being held in jail on a $250,000 cash bond.”

Special Agent Michael Haverley from the Wisconsin Department of Justice also testified about phone records from the day Alexavier died. He explained Rebecca reported receiving a call from Josie, saying she needed to call 911 urgently because Alexavier was unresponsive. Investigators noted that it took over 4 minutes after that conversation for Josie to actually call emergency services.

As summer turned to fall, Josie remained behind bars in the La Crosse County Jail. Her legal team filed various motions, one of which succeeded in reducing her bond to $250,000. In January of 2024, Josie’s defense attorney suggested that the trial could last 3 weeks, but because of a full court schedule, Judge Levine said the trial may have to be pushed back to 2025. By December of 2024, after she had spent over a year and a half in custody, the judge agreed to lower Josie’s cash bond from $250,000 to $50,000 with conditions like GPS monitoring and house arrest. Family and supporters of Alexavier were dismayed at the bond reduction, as they had worried all along about the possibility of Josie being released before trial.

During a hearing on January 7th, 2025, Attorney Zachar filed a motion requesting that the court bring in a jury from outside La Crosse County or remove the trial entirely due to the extensive pre-trial publicity. He cited the social media presence as evidence that local jurors might be biased. He also described the public’s demonstrations as advocacy efforts that painted Josie as a killer. Judge Levine, who was presiding over the case, however, denied this motion. He expressed confidence that even in high-profile cases, it’s possible to select impartial jurors who will decide the case based on evidence, not what they may have heard in the news. He pointed out that other local trials with massive publicity still used local juries and were deemed fair. Judge Levine also refused to dismiss the child neglect charge, which was another defense motion.

On January 18th, 2025, the Facebook page posted that Josie was now free on bond with a sealed and protected address. Alexavier’s family was angry and disheartened. They felt there had been far less urgency when it came to protecting Alexavier himself. Despite the setback, the family was ready to continue fighting for the accountability they believed had been denied to him for far too long.

As the trial date neared, both prosecution and defense sparred over which evidence would be allowed. One contentious issue was how far back into Josie’s past the prosecution could reach to show a pattern. In May of 2025, Alexavier’s family voiced frustration over being told they might not be allowed to wear “Justice for Alexavier” shirts in court. They felt that these were a simple way to honor him and to keep his memory visible during proceedings. They saw this restriction as silencing their efforts to advocate for Alexavier, questioning why their peaceful displays of support should be seen as inappropriate.

They were also upset by references to their courthouse demonstrations as picketing, pointing out that they remained on public sidewalks, respected traffic, and emphasized that their events were peaceful protests. They believed the system was making it unnecessarily hard for them to stand up for Alex, interpreting these limits as attempts to quiet the very people trying to be his voice. At a hearing in June of 2025, Judge Lavine ruled that evidence from up to 10 years prior could be introduced at trial. This was significant because it potentially opened the door for the jury to hear about Josie’s prior incidents in 2011 and 2013 with her ex-boyfriend’s child. Alexavier’s family expressed frustration when, on July 1st and July 2nd, Josie’s attorneys filed motions seeking to delay the trial. They saw these legal moves as another obstacle in a case that had already dragged on for two years.

On July 4th, Alexavier’s family shared how painful it was to spend holidays without him, describing the difficulty of facing days meant for celebration while feeling his absence so deeply. They talked about watching others enjoy time with loved ones, knowing Alex should have been there as well. Even after two years, the grief remained raw, and they believed no explanation or acceptance could truly balance that pain. For them, the injustice and lack of real accountability were clear, driving their determination to keep Alexavier’s memory alive and demand the answers they felt he deserved.

Josie’s trial was scheduled to begin in August, with jury selection set for August 11th. As with all cases that have yet to go to trial, Josie Dykeman is considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. In March of 2025, to honor Alexavier’s memory, his family planned a candlelight vigil at Dash Park in Onalaska during the evening, inviting anyone who wished to stand with them and remember the little boy’s life.

Alexavier’s family chose to have him cremated, which was handled by the Coulee Region Cremation Group in Onalaska. On May 10th, 2024, a beautiful sunny morning, Alexavier’s family and supporters came together in La Crosse’s Myrick Park to plant a tree in his honor. Alexavier’s family was honoring him in a way they hoped would endure.

“Family of Alexavier Pedran planted a tree in Myrick Park this morning in his honor. Six-year-old Alexavier Pedran was found dead in his Medary home in February of 2023. Since Pedran’s death, his family has been raising awareness for child abuse through the group Justice for Alex. Alex’s cousins say they chose to plant a tree in remembrance because they can last forever.”

The exact location for the planting was carefully chosen by his older sister. It carried deep personal meaning for the family, as it was the same spot where they had last shared time with Alex during a wedding back in October of 2021—the final occasion many of them saw him. On what would have been Alex’s 7th birthday in July of 2023, a celebration of life was held. According to his obituary, the family organized a gathering on July 9th, 2023, at the Holmen Area Community Center, inviting all who loved Alexavier to come remember the joy that he brought.

Then, around the first anniversary of his death in February of 2024, they organized a remembrance day. Community members held a vigil on a Sunday to honor Alexavier one year later.

“Community members held a remembrance day today for a Medary six-year-old who died last year. Family and friends of six-year-old Alexavier Pedran gathered in La Crosse to honor him on the anniversary of his death. The group shared memories of the boy and called for the end of child abuse. The group Justice for Alex is looking to make statewide change. They’ve created a petition to end qualified immunity and reform welfare checks. Alex’s family says this work is to honor him and make sure no other child goes through what he did. Not a day goes by that he isn’t talked about or we look at his pictures, he’s always going to be with us. I truly believe that he is with us.”

On his online obituary, people expressed deep sorrow over Alexavier’s death and outrage that such a young child had to endure so much pain. Many reflected on the tragedy of his suffering and the injustice of what he faced. People expressed their sympathies for his family, recognizing the love and care he received from those who truly cherished him. They offered prayers and wished for comfort and strength for his mother, grandmother, siblings, and all who loved him, acknowledging the heartbreak of losing someone so young and innocent.

Some were angry that anyone could harm a child so cruelly, calling for accountability and hoping those responsible would face justice. They praised his family for trying to protect him and vowed that his memory deserved to be honored with lasting love. Others simply shared that they were moved to tears reading about his story and wanted his loved ones to know that they weren’t alone in their grief. Through all the messages, people hoped the family could hold on to the happy memories of Alexavier’s bright spirit and eventually find peace.