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- Meagan Ann Dixon pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter in her son’s death.
- Jayden Dixon, 11, was found dead inside his mother’s trailer at Lovey’s Landing RV Park.
- Dixon pleaded no contest to three felony charges of animal cruelty for three dogs’ deaths.
A Northern California woman was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the January 2025 death of her 11-year-old son who reportedly was smothered by his mother who was found in a drug-induced or manic episode at an RV park.
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Meagan Ann Dixon, 45, was initially charged with murder and child abuse in the death of her son, Jayden Dixon. On Thursday, the accused mother pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter in her son’s death.
The boy was found dead inside his mother’s trailer on Jan. 5, 2025, at Lovey’s Landing RV Park along the Sacramento River just north of Meridian in Sutter County. Investigators believe the boy had been dead for several days before authorities were called that morning to the RV Park.
The mother’s mental competency as a defendant came into question not long after the murder case was filed in Sutter Superior Court. At least three mental competency hearings were ordered for Dixon in the first few months of the case.
On Sept. 22, Dixon entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder and child abuse charges, court records shows. She entered the same insanity plea to three felony counts of animal cruelty charges for the deaths of three dogs, including one dog found in her trailer and two found inside her car.
Last week, Dixon also pleaded no contest to the three felony animal cruelty charges. As a result of the no contest pleas, the murder and the child abuse charges were dropped. The homicide cased was resolved before the court scheduled a preliminary hearing to determine whether there was enough evidence for Dixon to stand trial.
The Sutter County District Attorney’s Office did not respond to requests for comment or to answer questions about Dixon’s conviction and what led to the resolution in the homicide case.
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Authorities were called about 10 a.m. Jan. 5, 2025, to Lovey’s Landing RV Park after the trailer park’s manager reported an argument between Dixon and a neighbor.
At a news conference the following day, Sutter County Sheriff Brandon Barnes said Dixon was in a drug-induced or manic episode when authorities arrived at the RV park. He said firefighters, who arrived first, found the child who appeared to have been dead for several days, along with a pillow near him.
Dixon, at that time, had lived at the RV park for about three years with the boy and his stepfather, whom investigators believe was out of town for several weeks visiting family. Barnes said detectives do not believe the man was involved in the boy’s death.
The accused mother had no significant criminal history aside from a theft charge from about 20 years earlier. Barnes said Dixon’s son was believed to have been the only child who lived in the trailer, and nothing suggested Child Protective Services had been involved.
The sheriff said the boy, who was homeschooled, may have been a high-functioning autistic child who would typically play with other kids in the trailer park. Barnes said neighbors asked questions after not seeing the child for several days, and at least one neighbor was arguing with Dixon about the matter that morning before the trailer park manager reported the dispute.
On Tuesday, Dixon remained in custody at the Sutter County Jail. She is scheduled to return to court July 17 for her sentencing hearing.
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