LG Man Facing Murder Charges

A Fayette County Grand Jury indicted 37-year-old Billy Joel Polasek of La Grange for capital murder of a person under 10 years old. The indictment stems from the July 4, 2016 death of seven-month-old Logan Adkins of La Grange.

Polasek was first indicted for his alleged role in Adkins’ death in November 2016. At that time, the grand jury indicted him for injury to a child causing serious bodily injury. Polasek has maintained his innocence ever since.

The current grand jury handed down the capital murder indictment against Polasek on August 13. If convicted, he would face either the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole. The grand jury also re-indicted him for the original charge of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury. That carries punishment of life or five to 99 years in prison.

Fayette County Sheriff’s Office reported days after the death that Atkins’ mother called 911 around noon on July 4 reporting that the infant had drowned in a bathtub at a home near Oldenburg. The mother said the child was being transported to St. Mark’s hospital by private vehicle.

A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper stopped the vehicle for speeding on FM 159 at Texas One Stop in La Grange. The trooper performed CPR on the baby and called for an ambulance. Fayette County EMS transported the infant to St. Mark’s but medical personnel were unable to revive the child.

District Attorney Peggy Supak told the Record back in 2016 that Texas Ranger Brent Barina performed the investigation and presented the case to the initial grand jury. She said Barina’s presentation included pictures from the autopsy, which showed that the child did not die by drowning.

The indictment is not a finding of guilt but rather is a finding by the grand jury that enough evidence exists to warrant a trial.