DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office announced the conviction of a Decatur man accused of beating and killing his girlfriend’s 19-month-old son.
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On Thursday, a jury found Kentavious Hardnett, 28, of Decatur, guilty of felony murder and cruelty to children in the first degree in connection with the child’s death in January 2021, according to the district attorney’s office.
Investigators said the victim’s mother had known Hardnett for about two years and had been in a relationship with him for two months at the time of the incident.
According to the investigation, the mother and her toddler went to Hardnett’s apartment on Hatton Drive in Scottdale on Jan. 21, 2021. She later left for work around 3:30 p.m., leaving the child in Hardnett’s care.
The mother told investigators the toddler appeared normal and showed no signs of injury during a video call around 5 p.m.
Authorities said around 7 p.m., Hardnett took the unresponsive child to a neighboring apartment. The neighbor called 911, but when help did not arrive quickly, she drove Hardnett and the toddler to Emory Decatur Hospital.
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Medical staff said the toddler arrived in cardiac arrest and respiratory failure. Doctors were able to restore a pulse after performing CPR and intubating the child. Hospital workers also noted bruising on the toddler’s forehead and ears.
The child was later transferred to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where a CT scan revealed bilateral subdural hemorrhages and retinal hemorrhages in both eyes, “too numerous to count,” prosecutors said.
The toddler never regained consciousness and was unable to breathe on his own. He was declared brain dead, and life support was removed on Jan. 24, 2021.
Investigators with the DeKalb County Police Department detained Hardnett at the hospital and later questioned him at police headquarters.
According to prosecutors, Hardnett denied assaulting the child and claimed the toddler fell from a bed after being put down for a nap. He told investigators the child became unresponsive after the fall.
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However, medical experts testified the injuries were not consistent with a fall from a bed.
A child abuse pediatrician diagnosed the victim with abusive head trauma. Prosecutors said the child’s autopsy revealed multiple scalp contusions consistent with blows to the head.
Medical experts, including the pediatrician, medical examiner, and pediatric neuroradiologist, concluded the injuries were inflicted.
A judge is expected to schedule a sentencing hearing in the coming weeks.