Couple beat women’s 5-year-old son using belt and sticks and left him suffer for days without medical attention before dropping him at relatives’ home and taking the daughter they shared to a mall; convicted!
A tragic case of abuse and neglect led to the conviction of a 28-year-old mother, later identified as Valerie, and her boyfriend, later identified as Emmanuel, who now face decades in prison. The charges originate from the brutal murder of Valerie’s 5-year-old son, King, who endured unimaginable abuse at the hands of those tasked with his care.
The harrowing events unfolded over three days in March–April 2021, within the confines of the couple’s apartment. Prosecutors revealed that the couple subjected young King to beatings using various items, including a belt and sticks, inflicting severe and extensive injuries upon him. Despite the child’s severe condition, the defendants refused to seek medical help and watched him suffer for days.
As King’s condition deteriorated and he lost consciousness due to his injuries, Valerie and Emmanuel ignored his state, and instead of taking him to the hospital, they took him to Emmanuel’s parents’ residence. A family member found King lifeless upon their return home. Despite frantic efforts to revive him, King was pronounced dead upon arrival at a hospital. The verdict, delivered after a comprehensive two-and-a-half-week trial, saw both Valerie and Emmanuel convicted of second-degree murder. Prosecutors condemned the pair’s actions, emphasizing the egregious nature of their crime and the horrifying suffering inflicted upon the innocent child.
The investigation showed that after leaving the child at the parents’ home, Valerie and Emmanuel drove back to their home and took the daughter they shared to the mall to go shopping. A search of the couple’s home uncovered a belt and several broken sticks, believed to be the items used to inflict the fatal injuries on King. The medical examiner who conducted the autopsy on King testified during the trial that the boy “was beaten from head to toe and that his injuries, which were too numerous to count, caused his death.” The couple is now facing up to 25 years to life in prison. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 1.
