Success: Woman Charged in Death of Infant Daughter

Target: Police Chief A.C. Roper, Birmingham Police Chief

Goal: Praise the Birmingham Police Department for charging a mother in the death of her infant daughter.

A woman will be charged in the death of her one-year-old daughter thanks in part to the support of the ForceChange community. Katerra Lewis, a 26-year-old mother of five, is facing charges of manslaughter after her juvenile son murdered her infant daughter while she was out clubbing with her friends.

Lewis left her home around 11 p.m. In doing so, her five children were home alone for the majority of the night. Her eight-year-old son, the oldest of the children, was entrusted with the care of the younger children. When one-year-old Kelci began crying uncontrollably, the eight-year-old boy was unable to handle the situation. Frustrated, he began beating Kelci and only stopped when she no longer cried.

When Lewis arrived home early the next morning, she did not bother to check on the children. It was not until after 10 a.m. that she found Kelci. According to police, the infant may have survived had she been taken to the hospital sooner. Kelci sustained extensive organ and tissue damage due to the beating and died as a result.

While much debate centered on whether the eight-year-old boy should be charged, law enforcement made the right decision in charging the mother instead. Lewis is currently out on a $15,000 bond but will go before a judge to face charges of manslaughter. The boy is currently in the custody of the state and will be tried in juvenile court for his actions. He will not receive any criminal charges.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Police Chief A.C. Roper,

We would like to express our support for your decision to charge Katerra Lewis in the death of her one-year-old daughter, Kelci. While we understand that Kelci did receive her injuries at the hands of her eight-year-old brother, it is clear that the negligence of the mother is to blame for this unfortunate incident.

The death of an innocent child should never go unpunished. In this case, the mother of the child did not act responsibly. Her decision to leave her children alone and her subsequent failing to check on them upon return resulted in a terrible tragedy. Please accept our support for your decision and we encourage you to pursue the maximum penalty in this case.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: xandert