Over a week has passed since three-year-old Ke'Torrius "KJ" Starkes, Jr. of Bessemer, was found dead after an Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) contracted driver allegedly left him in a hot car for nearly five hours, and DHR officials remain silent.
Kela Stanford, 54, the contract driver for DHR-contracted Covenant Services, has now been charged with a Class B felony for Starkes’ death.
Stanford is accused of taking Starkes to her home instead of to daycare after leaving visitation. She allegedly made several stops, including to a tobacco store, before arriving home and leaving Starkes in the car at around 12:30 p.m. Starkes was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:30 p.m.
DHR released the following statement following the death:
"A child in DHR custody was being transported by a contract provider when the incident occurred. The provider has terminated their employee. Due to confidentiality, DHR cannot comment further regarding the identity of the child or the exact circumstances."
Since then, the department has been silent on the death.
1819 News inquired with DHR for a comment from commissioner Nancy Buckner regarding Starkes’ death. 1819 News also inquired about the protocol for vetting contractors, if Covenant Services was still in good standing and if the department had employed any measures to prevent a similar tragedy. The department did not immediately reply.
Lawmakers and the public spent over a week calling for reform and accountability for DHR, as well as an investigation into Starkes’ death.
SEE: State Rep. Paschal: 3-year-old's death in DHR custody needs ‘thorough and impartial investigation’
SEE ALSO: State Rep. Sellers calls for reform in hot car death of 3-year-old in DHR custody
The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office on Friday announced it had charged Stanford with a Class B felony for Starkes’ death, carrying a penalty of two to 20 years in prison.
"This is a terrible tragedy that was completely avoidable and unnecessary,” the DA’s office said. “Our condolences go out to Ketorrius’s family.”
Stanford is charged with violating Alabama Code Section 13A-11-290, also called the Amiyah White Act, which charges her with “being a person for hire responsible for a child under the age of 7 and leaving the child unattended in a motor vehicle in a manner that creates an unreasonable risk of injury or harm.”
The 2013 law is named after a two-year-old Mobile girl who died after being left in a van.
Audio allegedly of Stanford with Starkes’ family has been released, showing Stanford distraughtly apologizing to the even more distraught family shortly after the death.
A bail amount for Stanford has not been released, and court records give no additional details.
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