One-year-old Kelci Lewis was found dead in her crib last October 12, at 10:45 in the morning. She was rushed to the hospital, where she could not be revived.
She was reportedly beaten to death by an unnamed eight-year-old boy who was with her in the house. Police believe that the boy had put her back in the crib after he hurt her. Her mother only discovered Kelci's condition the following morning.
Kelci’s mother, 26-year-old Katerra Lewis, was out with the boy’s mom at a local club when the murder happened.
Toddler showed signs of head trauma and damaged internal organs
Kelci was left at home with the boy’s four other siblings. He was the oldest person present in the house at the time of the incident. The other children in the house were aged two, four, six, and seven years old.
The six-year-old who was present during the incident provided details as to what happened. He said the bigger, eight-year-old kid beat little Kelci because she wouldn’t stop crying.
Police found the story consistent with the toddler’s wounds.
Kelci sustained major head trauma and severe damage to her internal organs, which indicated she was battered terribly.
Where are Katerra and the boy now?
The eight-year-old is currently in the care of the Department of Human Resources of Alabama’s child welfare agency in the US. Katerra has been charged with manslaughter for the circumstances that brought about her daughter's death and is out on $15,000 bond.
In a report from ABC 13 Eyewitness News, police spokesperson Sean Edwards said that the boy could be the youngest murder defendant the town has ever seen.
Edwards adds, "I believe the 8-year-old is going to require some intense counselling for the next several years.”
The boy’s mother, who was not named in the report, has not been charged.
Read: 11-year-old sacrifices his life to save little sister
This is such a sad story. What do you think should be done about the boy?
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