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Atlanta 8-Month-Old Beaten To Death With A Belt, Mother And Boyfriend In Custody [Video]

By Patricia Ramirez
Published on: 13:58 PST, Aug 16, 2016

An 8-month-old infant from the Atlanta area was beaten severely on August 1, allegedly at the hands of her own mother and her mother’s boyfriend. After spending nearly two weeks in a hospital ICU, 8-month-old Kamoni Love Whitehead was removed from life support at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston on Saturday. Reportedly, the badly beaten infant passed away at about 10:30 p.m. on August 13.

As 11 Alive reports, police first got involved in the heartbreaking case of the fatally beaten Atlanta 8-month-old when they responded to a call of an unconscious, unresponsive infant at a private residence. According to reports, the 8-month-old is believed to have been beaten at the same address. When law enforcement arrived on the scene, they were horrified by what they found.

Reportedly, the badly beaten Atlanta 8-month-old showed clear signs of abuse. She was reportedly covered with bruises and also reportedly had head injuries and multiple fractures throughout her tiny body, including her ribs. Law enforcement reported that the beaten 8-month-old’s injuries were consistent with having been beaten with a belt.

Reportedly, authorities immediately suspected the 8-month-old child’s mother, 24-year-old Shavone Whitehead, and her boyfriend, 33-year-old Edward Wilson, of causing the horrific injuries to the badly beaten child. The pair were both arrested at the scene and have been charged with aggravated battery and cruelty to children. Following the death of the baby, it is likely that the two will face enhanced and/or updated charges. Law enforcement has opted to wait to change the charges facing the couple accused of beating the 8-month-old Atlanta baby to death following the results of her autopsy, which is planned for Monday.

[Photo by DeKalb County Jail]
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that following being admitted to the hospital for the injuries that resulted from being beaten, the Atlanta 8-month-old required a ventilator in order to breath. While law enforcement is awaiting the autopsy results to determine an official cause of death, it is believed that the tiny infant was simply unable to recover from the extensive injuries she endured while she was being beaten.

Initially, the 8-month-old’s mother denied that she had beaten the baby. In fact, during her 911 call she told the dispatcher that she’d gone to check on her 8-month-old and found her unresponsive. She didn’t mention that the baby had been physically injured or beaten.

“[She] made a loud gurgling noise and then when we went to check on her she’s not responsive.”

The beaten Atlanta 8-month-old’s injuries were extensive and reportedly covered her bottom, legs, arm, and even her chin. This was in addition to the broken bones and head injuries she suffered, allegedly at the hands of her mother and her mother’s boyfriend.

Despite her initial denial, later reports indicate that the 8-month-old Atlanta baby’s mother ultimately admitted to law enforcement that she had beaten the child with a belt, hitting the 8-month-old baby on the behind and legs as a punishment.

The 8-month-old victim left behind her biological father, who spoke to the media briefly after his daughter was hospitalized. An emotional Damarrio McCoy told a local media outlet that when he heard the news that his daughter had been severely beaten, all he wanted was for the little girl to survive her injuries and go on to recover and lead a “normal life.”

“I want her to be able to do things like any other parent would.”

Unfortunately for McCoy, his wish wasn’t granted, and his 8-month-old daughter was unable to overcome her injuries. Reportedly, he was one of the first to announce to local media outlets that the infant had passed away.

“You wanna see your kid grow. I have all my wants, but I don’t know God’s will. I don’t know God’s will.”

At this point, the legal future of Shavone Whitehead and Edward Wilson is still up in the air. The investigation into the death of the 8-month-old is still ongoing, largely depending upon the upcoming autopsy results. Police are also reportedly looking into whether the alleged child abuse was ongoing or an isolated incident. Upon the completion of their investigation, law enforcement will determine what additional or upgraded charges may be filed against the couple accused of taking the life of the Atlanta 8-month-old who was brutally beaten to death.

[Image via Brookhaven Police Department]

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