Zeus Cox

Photo of a young boy with brown curly hair, brown eyes, and pale-brown skin, wearing a fleecy sweatshirt and pants with a Batman logo. The photo is taken outdoors, and he is smiling and waving his hands.Name: Zeus Geovani Cox.
Died: July 5, 2021.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Blunt trauma; internal bleeding.
Location: Lafayette, Indiana, USA.
Disability: Suspected autism.

Details:
A month after being returned to his mother and her boyfriend, Zeus was found dead from a severe beating. Prosecutors told the court that Zeus had been beaten by his mother’s boyfriend, then denied medical treatment for his injuries.

His obituary describes him as “very active and full of life”.

Case Status:
Crystal Cox (Mother), convicted of murder, neglect of a dependent resulting in death, aggravated battery resulting in death, and battery resulting in death of a person younger than 14 years old; sentenced to 55 years in prison and 2 years probation.
Jermaine Garnes (Mother’s boyfriend), convicted of murder, neglect of a dependent resulting in death, aggravated battery resulting in death, and battery resulting in death of a person younger than 14; sentenced to 65 years.

Sources:
Michigan man gets 65 years in boy’s Indiana beating death
Garnes receives 65 years for murder of girlfriend’s 3-year-old
Lafayette woman gets 55 years in 3-year-old’s beating death
Lafayette woman gets 55 years in 3-year-old’s beating death
Mom charged with murder called ‘unfit and abusive’
Lafayette couple charged with the murder of a toddler
Zeus Cox Obituary
Lafayette woman found guilty of murdering 3-year-old son
Mom charged with murder is set to stand trial
Mother guilty of murdering and neglecting her 3-year-old son
Autism Memorial: Zeus Cox

Travis Scott

Photo of a curly-haired, chubby baby with tan skin. He is wearing a trach tube. Name: Travis Scott.
Died: February 13, 2021.
Age at death: 13 months.
Cause of death: Hypoxia.
Location: Augusta, Georgia, USA.
Disability: Prematurity, bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Details:
Born prematurely, Travis stayed in the hospital for eight months before being discharged with a tracheotomy, ventilator, and feeding tube. The ventilator alarm was designed so that it could not be accidentally disabled, and Travis did not have the ability to disconnect the ventilator on his own. Still, his parents repeatedly reported that the ventilator had been disconnected and the alarm failed to sound, always when they were alone with Travis. One day, Travis was at home with his father when they reported him unresponsive. This time, the baby’s brain had been so badly damaged that he was declared brain dead and removed from life support. Upon investigation, Travis’s parents were charged with turning off the ventilator and killing their son.

Some time later, after Travis’s parents had been charged and bailed out, they were arrested again after Samson, Travis’s 6-month-old little brother, died a “suspicious death” and doctors at the hospital called the authorities.

Case Status:
Tyrone C. Scott (Father), charged with murder and cruelty to children.
Salena Scott (Mother), charged with murder and cruelty to children.
Murder charges dropped due to inability to prove murder beyond a reasonable doubt. Both now charged with cruelty to children in the second degree.

Source:
Days before 2nd child dies, parents’ earlier murder charges dropped
Augusta parents charged in infant’s 2021 homicide arrested in other baby’s Tuesday death
Augusta father charged with murder in disabled baby’s death granted bond
Augusta parents arrested, charged with murder in 1-year-old child’s death
Augusta parents charged with murder of 1-year-old, mother and neighbors say there’s more to the story
1-year-old’s death sends shockwave through Augusta neighborhood
Augusta mother and father arrested for murder after repeatedly turning off infant’s ventilator, police say
Details emerge in death of Augusta 1-year-old as bond is set for father

Felicity-May Harvey

Photo of a baby with pale skin, wispy brown hair, and blue eyes, dressed in pink pajamas; she has a cleft lip.Name: Felicity-May Harvey.
Died: January 11, 2021.
Age at death: 20 days.
Cause of death: Shaken baby.
Location: Heywood, England, UK.
Disability: Cleft lip and palate.

Details:
Felicity-May died from being shaken hard. After her father was arrested on suspicion of murder, the prosecution said he had killed her; but the defense said her mother had done it, because she was growing frustrated with feeding Felicity.

Felicity was a content, alert baby who was known for taking in the world through her big blue eyes.

Case Status:
Darin Harvey (Father), charged with murder.

Sources:
Dad accused of murdering baby daughter denies lying to police
Dad left disabled baby daughter ‘like a rag doll’ after shaking her to death
Defence claim ‘mum killed baby daughter’ after issues with feeding her
Tragic details surrounding death of ‘beautiful’ baby girl emerge at inquest
The family of a two-week-old baby girl who died in Heywood has paid tribute to her
Felicity-May Harvey: Family pay tribute to baby girl after murder arrest

3-year-old girl

No PhotoName Unknown.
Died: September 20, 2020.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Homicide.
Location: Cherus Village, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya.
Disability: Paralysis.

Details:
When this 3-year-old girl vanished, police questioned her parents. Police say her parents admitted to killing her because she was “a nuisance” and “to save their love”, and that they led police to her body, which was buried in the woods. Neighbors said that they usually locked the little girl in the house alone while they went to work as day laborers.

Case status:
Charity Cheruto (Mother), charged with murder.
Timoth Lihanya (Father), charged with murder.

Source:
Couple admits killing and burying disabled daughter
What Is The World Turning Into, A Couple Admits Killing Their Disabled Child
Wapenzi wasema walimuua mtoto kuokoa uhusiano wao

Cameron Gordon

Photo of a small fair-skinned boy with short blond hair, smiling for the camera, wearing plastic-rimmed glasses and a flannel shirt over a white T-shirt.Name: Cameron Joseph Gordon.
Died: September 6, 2020.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Head trauma.
Location: Duluth, Minnesota, USA.
Disability: Autism.

Details:
Cameron’s mother went to work, leaving him with her fiancé. When she returned, she found him unresponsive and rushed him to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with a brain injury, a broken rib, and extensive bruising. Cameron died two days later from his injuries.

Case Status:
Jordan William Carter (Mother’s fiancé), convicted of second-degree murder, sentenced to 15 years.

Sources:
‘Cameron will forever be 3’: Duluth man sentenced to 15 years for boy’s murder
Duluth man found guilty of second-degree murder in 2020 death of then-fiancee’s 3-year-old
Trial begins for Duluth man charged in toddler’s murder
Medical examiner rebuked for delay in Duluth murder trial
Trial in Lakeside boy’s death pushed back to 2023
Duluth Man Charged With Second-Degree Murder in Death of 3-Year-Old
Child advocates speak out after death of Duluth 3-year-old
Trial Involving The Death Of Three Year Old Duluth Boy Delayed By Defense Team Until 2023
Medical evidence awaited in Duluth child death
Autism Memorial: Cameron Gordon

Thaddeus Sran

Photo of a small, smiling boy wearing a red striped shirt. He has light skin and short brown hair.Name: Thaddeus Sran.
Died: July 23, 2020.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Unspecified homicide.
Location: Fresno, California, USA.
Disability: Due to prematurity (Nonspeaking; feeding tube).

Details:
Police grew suspicious when Thaddeus’s parents reported him missing, but almost immediately stopped cooperating with the missing-child investigation. A few days later, Thaddeus’s burned body was found and they were arrested. Further investigation revealed that Thaddeus’s mother had also killed his sister, Davina, five years earlier.

Case status:
Briseida Sran (Mother), pleaded guilty to two counts of murder, two counts of child abuse, and one count of mutilation; sentenced to 29 years.
Sukhjinder Sran (Father), pleaded guilty to murder; sentenced to 11 years.

Source:
California Mom Admits to Brutally Killing Her Two Young Children Five Years Apart
Prosecutors could pull from the past in Thaddeus Sran murder case
Parents of Special Needs Toddler Who Vanished in California Arrested for Murder
Charred Remains of Missing California Toddler Found, Parents Arrested for Murder
What Happened To Thaddeus Sran?

Lola James

Photo of a pale-skinned toddler girl with pale-blond hair in two ribbons. She is smiling, and wearing a pink coat.Name: Lola James.
Died: July 21, 2020.
Age at death: 2.
Cause of death: Head injury.
Location: Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK.
Disability: ADHD (Suspected).

Details:
Lola’s mother’s boyfriend suspected her of having ADHD and called her “a crazy kid”. She died from a head injury after being severely beaten.

Case Status:
Kyle Bevan (Mother’s boyfriend), convicted of murder, sentenced to 28 years to life.
Sinead James (Mother), convicted of causing or allowing death, sentenced to 6 years.

Sources:
Lola James murder: The timeline that led to the death of a two-year-old
Lola James: Mum and her boyfriend jailed over girl’s brutal murder

Esteban, Penelope, Avielle, and Apollo Harless

No PhotoName: Esteban Lorenzo Harless.
Age at death: 4.

Name: Penelope Arcadia Harless.
Age at death: 3.

Name: Avielle Magdalena Harless.
Age at death: 1.

Name: Apollo Harless.
Age at death: 11 months.

Died: June 4, 2020.
Cause of death: Carbon monoxide poisoning.
Location: San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Disability: Special needs.

Details:
Esteban, Penelope, Avielle, and Apollo’s parents gassed them with carbon monoxide before committing suicide. They also killed the family’s two cats.

Case status:
Jared Esquibel Harless (Father), deceased.
Sheryll Ann Harless (Mother), deceased.

Source:
San Antonio Murder-Suicide: Army Officer’s Wife Helped Husband Kill Children with Special Needs
Police: Wife helped husband kill kids before double suicide
Army identifies Fort Sam Houston soldier found dead in apparent murder-suicide

Ishanth

No PhotoName: Ishanth.
Died: January 28, 2020.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Trauma.
Location: Korukkupeet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Disability: Intellectual disability, mobility impaired, unspecified disorder of the nerves.

Details:
When her son was taken to the hospital, Ishanth’s mother claimed that he had tripped and fallen while playing. He died of his injuries three days later. However, the autopsy and investigation found that he could not have tripped, because he could not walk yet. His mother admitted during questioning that she had beaten him because she did not want a child with a disability.

Case status:
Nadiya (Mother), charged with murder.

Source:
Stressed over son’s learning disability, Chennai mother kills toddler, held after 11 months
Chennai woman admits to murdering 3-year-old son who had disability
Chennai: Mother arrested for special kid’s death after 11 months

Jessica Dalgeish

Photo: A toddler girl with wet hair, wrapped in a terrycloth robe with hood. She has brown eyes and light-tan skin.Name: Jessica Dalgeish.
Died: December 24, 2019.
Age at death: 3.
Cause of death: Skull fracture and brain injury.
Location: Sandgate, Kent, England, UK.
Disability: Global developmental delay, possible autism.

Details:
When Jessica refused to eat her lunch, her mother’s boyfriend became angry and threw her onto her bed. Her head hit a hard surface, causing a skull fracture, and she died from head injuries several days later. An autopsy found an old, healed head injury as well.

Case Status:
Paul Marsh (Mother’s boyfriend), convicted of manslaughter and child cruelty, sentenced to 6-11 years.

Sources:
Man battered disabled girl, three, to death after she refused to eat sandwich
Hythe careworker killed girlfriend’s disabled daughter after she refused lunch
Man killed girl, 3, in ‘fit of temper’
Disabled girl, 3, ‘killed by mum’s boyfriend after she refused to eat lunch’
Careworker accused of killing step-daughter, 3, told police ‘this will ruin me’
Autism Memorial: Jessica Dalgeish