An Illinois boy was found beaten and starved at home before tragically dying in hospital. There was a sign on his bedroom door that read, “Do not feed Navin.”
Navin Jones, eight, was found unconscious in a skeletal and emaciated state at his home in Peoria on March 29, 2022. His father now faces life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder – while his mother has already pleaded guilty to the gruesome murder. crime.
The little boy weighed only 30 pounds and he was found in a locked room covered in urine and feces. He showed signs of physical abuse on his face, body, arms and legs.
There was a note on Navin's bedroom door: 'Do not give Navin food or drink. Don't let him leave the room. He has what he needs until I wake up.”
Navin Jones, 8, seen here not long before his death, was found lifeless in a skeletal and emaciated condition at his Peoria home on March 29, 2022. His father now faces life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder. his mother already pleaded guilty to the heinous crimes
There was a note on Navin's bedroom door: 'Do not give Navin food or drink. Don't let him leave the room. He has what he needs until I wake up'
Prosecutors said the boy's room was disgusting and deplorable, with only a bed and one toy, while the rest of the North Gale Avenue home was “well appointed” with a well-stocked refrigerator and pantry.
His mother Stephanie Jones, 37, faces at least 20 years in prison when she is sentenced in February.
The boy is seen here when he was younger
In exchange for her guilty plea, State's Attorney Jodi Hoos agreed not to give her a life sentence.
Jones has now agreed to testify against the boy's father, Brandon Walker, 41. His trial is ongoing.
Body cam footage has since revealed the moment Peoria police showed up at Jones and Walker's home after Jones called 911 to report that Navin was cold and lifeless.
Officers in the clip immediately disagree with Jones' story and the condition of the boy's body.
Stephanie, the mother, is seen on the steps of the house, crying into her hands, while smoking a cigarette.
When the father is told there's a chance the child can't be resuscitated, Brandon runs to a car, slams his fists on the hood and shouts, “There's no damn way.”
Jones and Walker were both charged with first-degree murder. Jones pleaded guilty, while Walker's trial is still ongoing
Here you can see rope used to keep his bedroom door closed
Navin's bed in his parents' house
Navin's closet, which contained feces and urine, police said
The bodycam in the house showed the mess, but also the bare room in which Navin lived.
The rope used to keep his door closed was visible, as was a note written by one of his parents to his older brother, telling him not to feed Navin.
Before coming into the care of his mother and father, Navin was cared for by his legal guardian, his grandmother, Laura Walker. She had been doing this since the boy was only five months old.
After briefly leaving Washington in July 2021, she returned to find Walker and Jones refusing to return the boy to her.
In an attempt to get the boy back into her care, Laura Walker contacted the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, the Washington Police Department and the Peoria Peoria Department.
She said that despite her best efforts, nothing changed.
Stephanie, the mother, is seen on the steps of the house, crying into her hands, while smoking a cigarette
When the father (brown shirt) is told there is a chance the child cannot be resuscitated, Brandon runs to a car, slams his fists on the hood and shouts, “There's no damn way!”
Police conducted a welfare check at the home just a month before the boy was found unconscious and died
DCFS investigated Laura Walker's claims but said her allegations were “baseless.”
In February 2022, an anonymous tip led DCFS to visit the home. Navin was seen as 'sickly', thin and small. Because Navin told the social worker that he wanted to stay with his parents, they noted that he was safe.
Just over a month later, on March 29, Navin was found unconscious.
Stephanie, his mother, told police she had put the boy in the shower when she noticed he was not breathing. Navin died in hospital later that day.
Detective Roberto Vasquez, who was at the scene, said the odor coming from the little boy's room was unlike anything he had smelled before. There were no sheets or blankets on his bed.
Forensic pathologist Amanda Youmans, who carried out Navin's autopsy, told the court that the little boy had lost the fat layer under his skin and was showing signs of chronic malnutrition.
His bedroom door had no doorknob, but instead there was a rope to keep it closed.
Forensic pathologist Amanda Youmans, who carried out Navin's autopsy, told the court that the little boy had lost the fat layer under his skin and was showing signs of chronic malnutrition.
Navin is said to have had limited mobility before his death as his muscles had to atrophy. The boy was also covered in bruises – including on his wrists – consistent with being restrained and caused by blunt force trauma.
Youmans said his death was ruled a failure due to malnutrition.
The boy also suffered cardiac arrest, caused by starvation.
Shocking text messages between Jones and Walker, seized in October 2021 and shown in grand jury testimony, showed Walker wanting to put the boy in the basement after he urinated on the wall.
Gary Morris, Walker's attorney, has blamed DCFS for failing to give legal guardianship to Jones and Walker.
He said, “DCFS needs to be more responsible in getting custody changed from one person to another if they need medical attention because everyone agreed they couldn't take the child to the doctor and that's a fact .'
The trial of Brandon Walker is still ongoing after Stephanie Jones pleaded guilty to first-degree murder on Thursday.