Memphis man on trial for murder in girlfriend’s death and newborn daughter’s disappearance into Mississippi River

A Memphis man is on trial on first-degree murder charges for the 2022 deaths of his girlfriend and their newborn daughter, authorities said. Brandon Isabelle, 28, is accused of luring Danielle Hoyle to a Memphis meeting to bring their two-day-old baby, then shooting Hoyle and throwing the infant into the Mississippi River, prosecutors said.

Kennedy weighed 6 pounds and stood 17 inches tall at the time of her death, according to police, but her body has never been recovered. The Mississippi River, where alligators are present, has complicated search efforts. Prosecutors say Isabelle was caught on video last month telling detectives that he killed Hoyle and tossed his daughter into the river because he did not want the child, News Channel 3 reported. The trial began this week, with opening statements expected on Tuesday.

Isabelle faces two counts of murder for the deaths, but he has also pleaded not guilty to charges including murder in the perpetration of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated child abuse and neglect, and tampering or fabricating evidence. Police affidavits outline how investigators say he lured Hoyle to a location where her body and the couple’s car were found, then shot her in the head. He is accused of driving to Mud Island on the Mississippi River, throwing the baby into the water at a boat ramp, and discarding the gun used in the killing at a nearby location.

Authorities located an abandoned vehicle and Hoyle’s body in 2022, which triggered an Amber Alert for Kennedy. Hours later, Kennedy’s car seat was found abandoned in a Walmart parking lot, but there was no sign of the child. The case has remained active as investigators sought any sign of Kennedy and pursued leads across state lines.

Kennedy’s maternal grandmother, April Campbell, described the heartbreak of losing a granddaughter she had only briefly held, saying she hopes justice will be served. “I want him to suffer like he made my baby suffer,” Campbell told local outlets at the time. Hoyle, who worked at FedEx, was survived by another daughter.

The case has drawn attention to cross-jurisdictional cooperation in homicide investigations, Amber Alert protocols, and child-protection issues in the region. Prosecutors have underscored that the charges carry weight beyond the loss of Hoyle, given the severity of the acts alleged in relation to a defenseless newborn. As the trial proceeds, witnesses are expected to testify about the sequence of events in 2022, the search efforts for Kennedy, and the broader implications for families affected by such crimes.