A woman is facing life in prison for the death of her boyfriend’s son, whom she has been accused of abusing. Josie Dikeman, 33, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, chronic neglect of a child resulting in death, and physical abuse of a child causing death.

Throughout her trial, which began last week, she has continuously denied any involvement in the death of 6-year-old Alexavier “AJ” Pedrin. Instead, she blames his father and accuses him of abuse, even while testifying on the stand Tuesday. 

Josie Dikeman Testifies on Her Behalf

Dikeman testified for hours yesterday, insisting she treated all the children in the home the same, as if they were her own. “He was my son,” she said of AJ. “I loved Alex with all my heart, just as if he came out of me.” She maintained her side even when pressed, “I treated them all equal.”

Other children in the home at the time of AJ’s death testified to the cruel actions of Dikeman. They said she applied special rules to the victim, such as that he was not allowed to have food or drink, and only the discarded pizza crusts from his siblings. She would also allegedly pour hot sauce on his food and force him to eat on the floor.

However, she thoroughly denied these statements, explaining that the pizza crust rule was that everyone had to eat their own crust, “because I was finding half-eaten pizza and they’d want more and pizza’s expensive.”

Children Describe a Different Story

The children’s testimony to the days leading up to AJ’s death is also serving as key evidence in the prosecution’s case. One child testified that Dikeman pushed the victim down the stairs and bent his leg so far back that it broke. She denied this while on the stand and claimed she never saw the fall. 

“I was going upstairs to get their clothes for the day, and I heard ‘thump thump.’ I heard that, and then I heard Alex screaming,” she said.

Dikeman’s biological children took the stand, and she said it broke her heart to see them testify against her after not seeing them for three years. “It was very hard,” she said, “heartbreaking, especially hearing all of the lies.”

Alleged Domestic Abuse

Dikeman appeared blank when testifying, struggling with her memory and taking a break at one point to take headache medication. Her attorney used this as an opportunity to point out the alleged abuse she suffered at the hands of Alexavier’s father and his ex-girlfriend. 

“My brain’s going through a lot right now,” she said. “And it’s starting to block everything out.” Her attorney explained that she has a trauma response to her brain injuries.

According to the defense and testimony from Derek Pedrin, the victim’s father, there have been multiple instances of alleged abuse. Dikeman alleges he abused both her and the victim, but Pedrin denied ever laying a hand on his son. He admitted to being violent towards her, especially while under the influence.

Dikeman claims he lied about abusing the victim, and said it started when he was a baby. She detailed an incident where AJ lost a dental crown. “Derek tried shoving it back in his mouth,” she said. “He made Alex open his mouth, and he shoved it back in, and Alex was crying.”

She was not able to recount how many times Pedrin allegedly hit his son, “I can’t count, it’s been ever since he was a baby.”

Perjury or Innocence

Dikeman also bluntly denied killing AJ when her attorney questioned her on the stand. She said she woke up to find him unresponsive and called the police. The autopsy shows he suffered from blunt force trauma and had a lacerated liver. 

She is either lying under oath and perjuring herself, or she is telling the truth, and the jury could convict the wrong person responsible for the death of AJ.