Babysitters Arrested Over Death of 1-Year-Old

Two babysitters are facing murder charges in Memphis, Tennessee, following the death of a 1-year-old girl who allegedly suffered extensive injuries while under their care.

Dejon Smith, 34, and Kiya Moore, 21, have been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and aggravated child neglect, according to local outlet Action News 5.

Law & Crime reported that in the early hours of Saturday, August 17, Memphis police officers responded to a call at LeBonheur Children’s Hospital, where baby Kali Moore had been brought in, suffering from cardiac arrest.

Despite efforts to save her, Kali was pronounced dead approximately an hour later. Medical examinations found the child had sustained multiple skull and neck fractures, along with abdominal trauma and significant bruising, a probable cause affidavit reportedly stated.

Moore, who is the baby’s aunt according to local channel WMC, and Smith had been babysitting the child for two days, per court documents. According to Law and Crime, police say the two provided conflicting accounts of what transpired in the days leading up to Kali’s death. Moore reportedly told investigators that she left Kali alone with Smith and returned to find the child unresponsive. She said Smith instructed her to say that Kali fell off the bed after Moore fell asleep beside her.

Smith, however, said that he heard Kali crying in another room and Moore yelling at her. According to the outlet, Smith told the police Moore repeatedly slammed the child into the floor, walls, and wooden furniture, apparently in frustration over Kali’s crying. Smith said he attempted CPR on the unresponsive child and tried to revive her with cold water before Moore called a family member to take the baby to the hospital.

The outlet reported that police later found that in addition to the skull fractures and brain bleed, Kali had a bruised kidney, elevated liver enzymes indicating abdominal trauma, and blood in her lungs. They also said that the house where the couple was staying lacked baby food and did not have a safe space for the baby to sleep.

The incident has deeply affected the local community. Neighbors expressed disbelief and sorrow upon learning about the events. “You said 1-year-old? Come on now! She didn’t even get a chance to make it to the first grade,” neighbor Alvin Riley told Memphis Fox affiliate WHBQ.

Family members of Kali, particularly her great-grandparents, are struggling with both the loss and the accusations against Moore, WMC reported.

Moore and Smith remain in custody at the Shelby County Jail without bond. Court records shared with WMC also indicate that Moore had been previously indicted on four counts of aggravated child abuse in February 2022 and was out on bond at the time of Kali’s death.

Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about this article? Contact  Li******@******ek.com.