Man Sentenced for Murdering Ex on Way to Paternity Test, Abandoning 7-Month-Old Along Road

Antwaun Ware, 27, was sentenced to natural life in prison, per a release from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in Arizona, after he pled guilty to a class one first-degree felony murder charge and a class six felony charge of endangerment for the tragic incident.

The actual crimes occurred back on Tuesday, March 6, 2018, which is when the MCAO reports that a couple found the 7-month-old in a car seat alone on the side of the road at approximately 10 p.m.

Along with the baby were personal items belonging to Jasmine Dunbar, 21, including her wallet and ID, backpack, diaper bag, and one adult shoe, according to court records seen by AZCentral.

Police were directed to Ware as a possible suspect after they spoke to the godmother Dunbar lived with, per the news outlet, who told them that Dunbar had planned to meet with Ware on Tuesday evening so she could take him to get a paternity test.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office reported making contact with Ware just after 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning. He reportedly told officials he had picked Dunbar and the baby up on Tuesday — but said he dropped them back off after a disagreement, per court records from the time.

Authorities said that Ware’s story would change throughout the course of the investigation, with the suspect next admitting that he punched her “a number of times with his fist,” per the police’s probable-cause affidavit, before abandoning her alive in a field.

With this version of events, Ware said that he drove away with the baby. Then, per the court filings, he told police “he panicked and dropped (the baby) off … because he saw people nearby and believed they would find her and take care of her.”

He told police he returned to the field, where he found Dunbar dead. At that point, according to Ware’s statement, he put a piece of paper on her, doused her with gasoline and set her on fire with a cigarette. He then said he watched her burn until the fire went out on its own.

According to Phoenix ABC affiliate KNXV, Ware said he had intended to then return for the child, but when he got close he saw that police were already on the scene, and so he took alternate routes to avoid the area.

The victim’s remains were discovered via helicopter at around 4:35 p.m. that day, per AZCentral. Ware was initially booked on suspicions of first-degree murder, kidnapping, child abuse, and abandonment of a body.

Speaking with KNXV shortly after her body was discovered, Dunbar’s mother Tonya Smith said she was haunted by her daughter’s final moments. “She asked you to take a DNA test, how’s that worth killing somebody over?” she wondered. “I’m angry. I feel like, ‘why God?'”

“This defendant’s callous actions have no place in our community. Thanks to the hard work of my prosecutors, he will live the rest of his life behind bars,” said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell in her office’s statement.