Photos of Jackson Dallas Forster were shown in a Ramsey County courtroom Monday before his father was sentenced to prison for causing head injuries to the 8-week-old, who died less than two months later.
One photo showed Jackson in a romper that read, “Mommy’s Little Baby.” It was taken five days before he was injured at the hands of his father, who told police he could not remember what had happened because he was “blackout drunk.”
Mark Russell Forster (Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)
Last month, Mark Russell Forster, 40, of White Bear Lake, entered a Norgaard plea to second-degree unintentional murder for his son’s March 2024 death, which an autopsy determined was from complications due to blunt force head trauma. Under a Norgaard plea, a defendant says they are unable to remember what happened due to drug use or mental health impairment at the time, but acknowledges there is enough evidence for a jury to convict beyond a reasonable doubt.
Forster received 128 months in prison, more than 10 years, a sentence that was negotiated between the defense and prosecution as part of a plea agreement. He received credit for 460 days he served after his arrest.
Assistant Ramsey County Attorney Saraswati Singh noted in court the term fell at the low end of state sentencing guidelines. “The state believes that this is a reasonable offer, because Mr. Forster pleaded guilty before trial, sparing the witnesses and family members from testifying,” Singh told Judge Sophia Vuelo.
Singh said Jackson’s mother provided the photos of her baby and was planning to be at the sentencing hearing, but “she ultimately decided to stay at home.” The mother attended the Oct. 9 plea hearing, Singh said, but stepped out twice and ultimately left “because it was very difficult for her to hear about the injuries that baby Jackson sustained.”
‘Abusive head trauma’
Jackson’s mother brought him to the hospital on Jan. 31, 2024. He remained hospitalized and died on March 22, 2024, at M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis from complications of bleeding between his brain and skull, according to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Child abuse specialists reported that Jackson’s injuries “were highly consistent with abusive head trauma,” according to the June 2024 criminal complaint.
Forster told police he arrived home from work on Jan. 31, 2024, about 1 a.m. and “kinda delved into liquor a little bit,” the complaint said.
He said he remembered putting the baby to bed, but not how or when he went to bed. He remembered waking up at 6 a.m. to feed Jackson, after which he said he put the baby in his swing. He said at some point they moved to the bed because that’s where they were when he woke up.
Forster later admitted to police that he had smoked marijuana when he got home from work and “drank more than typical that morning,” the complaint continued.
The baby’s mother told police she woke at 6 a.m. to prepare herself and her daughter for work and school, and she returned home about 1:30 p.m. She said Jackson was sleeping in a chair with Forster.
She noticed Jackson was napping longer than usual and then cried “a different cry,” the complaint said. He wouldn’t take a bottle, one of his arms was flailing, his face twitched and he had a spasm in one leg. She contacted Forster, who came home, and they called a nurse line and were told to bring Jackson to an emergency room.
Jackson’s mother told investigators that she confronted Forster about their baby’s injuries and he said “he may have done something to their son but he did not remember because he had been drinking,” according to the complaint.
Forster told investigators that the baby’s mother wasn’t responsible for their child’s severe injuries. He said “he could not rule himself out as the cause,” the complaint said.
Investigators found a text message that Forster sent to the baby’s mother, which said, “Yea. I’m just really upset with myself because I got so blackout drunk last night I don’t remember anything. This is all my fault,” according to the complaint.
‘We held him and rocked him’
Prosecutor Singh noted in court Monday that Forster had two DWI convictions in his prior home state of North Carolina. Singh said she was surprised to read in this month’s presentence investigation report that Forster stated he “borderline has an alcohol issue.”
“He crossed that line ages ago,” Singh said. “He has a serious issue, and it resulted in the death of baby Jackson.”
Related Articles
2 plead guilty to Roseville Lululemon thefts in multi-state crime spree that allegedly netted $1M
Maplewood man, 56, admits in court to 2014 kidnapping and rape attempt
‘I look for her every day,’ mother of slain Fridley teen said at killer’s sentencing
Parents threaten to sue Stillwater school district after employee accused of producing AI child porn
Ex-wife of DOC commissioner sentenced to 3 years in prison for attempted murder of son
Jackson was “showered with love” at the hospital, his mother’s aunt said in a victim impact statement read by Singh. “We held him and rocked him and baptized him,” the statement read.
For much of the hearing, Forster looked down while holding his head in his right hand. He wiped his eyes with tissues.
When given the chance to address the court, he read a statement. Through tears, he said he prays to God and has found repentance, “and I apologize with all my heart for the pain and sadness and the betrayal that I’ve caused.”
He said Jackson has been in his dreams, sometimes older with “dark hair, a terrific smile, (his mother’s) eyes and a sweet face.”
Leave a Reply