The son of a Georgia police chief has been charged with murder after beating his 3-year-old stepson to death.
Joshua Richards, 21, the son of Carrollton Police Chief Joel Richards, was arrested and charged with murder after he allegedly beat his stepson, Brentley Gore, to death with a belt, the Daily Mail reports. The incident occurred on Tuesday, Jan. 23., while the toddler’s mother, and Richards’ wife of eight months, had been asleep in another room.
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Police responded to a call placed by Gore’s mother in the early morning after she discovered her son had injuries to his head and wouldn’t wake. The 3-year-old was airlifted to a hospital in Atlanta for treatment, where he underwent emergency surgery to remove a fraction of his skull in order to relieve pressure from his swelling brain. Brentley Gore succumbed to his injuries on Sunday, Jan. 28.
“Our belief is it happened during the night and the mother was actually asleep in a different room and was not aware of what was happening,” Capt. Keith Shaddix said according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Richards was initially charged with aggravated assault, aggravated battery, first-degree cruelty to children and possession of marijuana. The upgraded charge of murder was filed following the toddler’s death.
Appearing in court on Monday, Jan. 29, Richards wept while answering the judge’s questions. However, his attorney claimed that Brentley Gore’s death was the result of an accidental fall that happened after Richard’s dropped him.
The case remains under investigation.
