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The death of a 7-year-old Kentucky boy, who died of asphyxiation at a children’s treatment and foster care facility, has been ruled a homicide, investigators announced per NBC News.
Ja'Ceon Terry, 7, was under the care of workers at Brooklawn, a center for children with mental and behavioral needs in Louisville, when he died on July 17.
The Jefferson County Coroner's Office said last week that Ja'Ceon died of “positional asphyxia,” which occurs when a person’s position prevents them from breathing, and the manner of death was a homicide.
Two employees "involved in the incident" have been fired in the aftermath of the young boy's death, a Brooklawn spokesperson said in a statement.
Ja'Ceon’s mother, Dominique Terry, said she was hoping to regain custody of her son when she found out about his death in July.
The autopsy confirmed her initial suspicions that foul play was involved, she added.
“I just knew that someone did something to my son,” Terry told WLEX, noting that she believes he was strangled.
A spokesman for the Louisville Metro Police said the force is continuing to investigate Ja'Ceon's death. No one has been charged in relation to the crime.
Seven Counties Services, which operates Brooklawn, issued a statement, saying they were "completely devastated by the unspeakable loss of a child in our care."
"[Ja'Ceon] should not have died on our watch. As protectors of Kentucky's most vulnerable children, we are dedicated to making sure it never happens again," the statement reads in part.
The Terry family is demanding answers and justice — Ja'Ceon's grandfather, George Terry, said he wants jail time for the employees involved in the young boy's death.
“He’s 7 years old. He couldn’t have been too strong for two adults to handle,” George Terry told WLEX. “Instead of putting an arm around his neck and choking him out, there should have been training, and the two that were involved, I think they should be arrested and charged for murder.”
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