A tragic incident in Tennessee resulted in the death of a young child under the care of her aunt and boyfriend, who are now facing serious criminal charges. Following the death of Moore’s 1-year-old niece, her 21-year-old aunt, K. Moore, and her 34-year-old boyfriend, D. Smith, were arrested and charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and aggravated child neglect, respectively.
At 3 a.m. on Saturday, police officers dispatched to a hospital set in motion a terrible chain of events. They came to discover the infant in cardiac arrest, an extremely serious condition in which she did not survive. The 1-year-old died an hour after arriving at the hospital. The medical examination found troubling evidence of abuse, including several skull and neck fractures, massive bruises on her back, and other physical wounds.
According to accounts, the aunt and her boyfriend were babysitting the one-year-old for two days. The pair started babysitting the girl at roughly 5 p.m. on Thursday, two days before the fatal tragedy. When questioned by the authorities, Moore and Smith gave contradictory stories, each blaming the other for the girl’s injuries and death. Moore claimed she had briefly left the girl alone with Smith and returned to find her niece unresponsive. Smith, on the other hand, accused Moore of physically beating the infant out of frustration because she was sobbing, claiming she banged the youngster into the floor, furniture, and walls several times. According to accounts, Smith told investigators that Moore slammed the girl against the walls, floor, and wooden furniture six to ten times.
Medical specialists further examined the 1-year-old baby’s body and discovered bleeding in the brain, an injured kidney, high liver enzymes indicating abdominal trauma, and blood in the lungs. These findings offered a bleak picture of the violence the toddler faced in her final hours. A search of the couple’s home revealed issues about the child’s living conditions, including the lack of baby food and a safe sleeping location for the youngster.
The 1-year-old girl’s mother defended her sister in a series of impassioned social media posts, claiming that she was not to blame for the injuries. She added that what seemed to be injuries on her daughter’s back were only birthmarks that had always existed. She attributed the hematochezia to the child’s acute constipation, which she had attempted to alleviate by using Vaseline and feeding her green vegetables to promote digestion. The mother firmly blamed Moore’s boyfriend, stating her trust in her sister’s innocence. The police have not responded to these claims.
The neighborhood was shocked and saddened to learn of the young girl’s brutal death. One neighbor reflected on the great tragedy of such a short life. According to court documents, Moore faced four charges of aggravated child abuse in February 2022. The court released her on a $90,000 bond. Moore and Smith are currently in jail without bond, and if found guilty of the crimes against them, they could face life in prison. The legal procedure is still underway, with additional investigations and court hearings expected to shed more light on the facts behind this unfortunate tragedy.
