Birmingham Tragedy: 3-Year-Old Perishes After Being Dropped Off in a Hot Car by a Contract DHR Employee

Three-year-old Ke’Torrius “KJ” Starkes Jr. of Bessemer was discovered unconscious in a hot car on Pine Tree Drive in Birmingham on June 22. Birmingham police said he had been left inside after 12:30 PM until 5:30 PM.

That day’s high was 96°F, and the car’s interior was probably warmer than 150°F. At 6:03 PM, KJ was declared deceased.

Because of worries about drug use in his home, KJ was temporarily placed in the custody of Alabama’s Department of Human Resources (DHR). He was picked up from daycare that morning to accompany his father to a DHR office for a supervised visit. After the visit, the Covenant Services Inc. contracted worker in charge of KJ allegedly went on personal errands, stopping for food and at a smoke shop, before dropping the child off in the car outside their house.

“This is a devastating and avoidable tragedy,” said Courtney French, the family’s lawyer. “He was let down by the very system that was supposed to protect him.”

Brittney Debruce, KJ’s foster parent and aunt, went to pick him up and reported him missing. She and the responding officers later found him in the car.

DHR verified that the employee had been fired by the contracted provider that was responsible for the child at the time. The agency declined to comment further due to confidentiality laws.

The employee has reportedly cooperated with investigators, according to Birmingham police. The investigation is still ongoing, but no charges have been brought as of yet.

KJ’s body has been returned to his family following an autopsy. The date of his funeral is set for Saturday, August 2.