A Carrollton toddler who was allegedly abused by his parents remains on life-support as doctors launch a final round of tests to decide whether to remove him from life support.
The first of two brain scans will be performed on the child this week at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, according to Capt. Jeff Richards of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office. The tests must be done 24 hours a part. The child has shown no response thus far, Richards said.
“Once the tests are completed, a decision will have to be made as to what is in the best interest of the child,” Richards said.
Meanwhile, the child’s parents, Stephen Ray Harry, 32, and Kristen Angeline Parmer, 25, remain in the Carroll County Jail without bond. Both were charged with first degree child cruelty. The couple’s other child is in state custody.
If the child is removed from life support and dies, the sheriff’s department will likely pursue upgraded charges of felony murder against the parents, Richards said. The parents’ next scheduled court appearance is in January for a probable cause hearing, unless the charges are changed.
The toddler's skull was fractured and his jaw, ribs and vertebrae were broken when he was brought to the hospital Dec. 15, according to an incident report obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Investigators were called to the hospital on a suspicion that the child had been abused, police said. The alleged abuse against the boy happened at the Carroll Inn hotel near Villa Rica, where the family of four was living, police said.
About the Author
