A Police Chief’s Son Charged With Murder For Beating His Three Year-Old stepson to Death with a belt.
Joshua Richards faced a judge for the first time since the his stepson Brentley Gore died.
According to NYDailynews Richards broke down in tears while answering the judges questions.
His attorney is claiming that the toddler’s death was just a accidental fall when the stepfather dropped him while his wife was asleep, but Investigators believe Richards used a belt to beat the boy.
In tears: A tearful Joshua Richards, 21, is seen in this screenshot appearing in court on Monday to face an upgraded murder charge in his stepson’s death
Police responded to Richards’ home at the Hickory Falls Apartments in Villa Rica, Georgia, at around 10am on Tuesday after receiving a report about an injured child.
The frantic 911 call that summoned the officers had been placed by three-year-old Brentley Gore’s mother. Investigators believe the woman was asleep in another room during the attack on her son, which left him with multiple skull fractures.
The mother contacted the authorities when she noticed injuries on her child’s head and could not wake him up in the morning, reported Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Because of the severity of his injuries, Brentley was airlifted to a hospital in Atlanta for treatment.
According to a GoFundMe page set up to help the boy’s family with his medical expenses, Brentley underwent emergency surgery on Thursday to remove a portion of his fractured skull in hopes of relieving some pressure from the swelling on his brain.
The toddler’s stepfather was initially charged with aggravated assault, aggravated battery, first-degree cruelty to children and possession of marijuana.