– A 10-year-old boy is charged with manslaughter after deputies say he killed a toddler, described by authorities as a relative.
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Deputies said the medical examiner found that Journee’s injuries were not consistent with the statement given by the 10-year-old and ruled her death as a homicide.
According to Sheriff’s Office spokesperson, the children were unsupervised, along with a third child who is younger than 10, when the injuries occurred.
A juvenile witness told investigating officers that 10-year-old Berhaun Blyden had physically abused both her and his two-year-old cousin Journee.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said the 10-year-old suspect told them he was running while holding his toddler cousin and fell on the kitchen floor – which caused the 2-year-old’s injuries.
Detectives were initially told Journee fell out of a playpen but a medical examiner ruled her death a homicide. He also told investigators that he accidentally pushed the girl off of a counter top.
The girl, Journee Blyden, was taken to the hospital with severe head trauma on June 21 and died a few days later, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
“Her parents deserve to know what happened to her”.
Ten-year-old Berhaun Blyden was arrested and charged with the aggravated manslaughter of a child. She said her brother hit her and Journee, records show.
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Medical examiners concluded that the boy’s account did not square with Journee’s trauma, according to the sheriff’s office. He’s been booked into the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center and is being held without bond until at least his first appearance hearing in court on Thursday.
