by An Alabama mother is taking legal action against multiple state workers and contractors after her 3-year-old son died from being left for hours in what her attorney described as a “scorching hot car”.
A Tragic Day in Foster Care
Ke’Torrius “KJ” Starkes, who was in foster care at the time, died on July 22, 2025, after being left inside a parked car for approximately five hours. According to the Birmingham Police Department, KJ was in the care of Kela Stanford, a 54-year-old employee of Covenant Services, Inc., a private company contracted by the Alabama Department of Human Resources (ADHR) to transport foster children.
Stanford’s job that day was to pick KJ up from daycare, take him to a supervised visit with his father, and return him to daycare afterward. However, investigators allege that after picking up the child, Stanford ran multiple errands — including trips to a grocery store and a tobacco shop — leaving KJ in the car each time.
Forgotten in Extreme Heat
Court documents allege that after her errands, Stanford parked at home around 12:30 p.m. and went inside without KJ, leaving him strapped in his car seat.
Outside temperatures exceeded 105 degrees in heat index, and with black-tinted windows trapping sunlight, the inside of the vehicle may have reached over 140 degrees, attorney G. Courtney French told PEOPLE.
It wasn’t until 5:30 p.m. — when she received a call asking why KJ hadn’t been returned to daycare — that Stanford realized the boy was still in the car. By then, it was too late. Birmingham Fire and Rescue pronounced KJ dead at 6:03 p.m.
French described the incident as “a brutal death,” emphasizing the extreme suffering KJ would have endured in those conditions.
Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed
KJ’s mother, Ethanlynn Stewart, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit as the personal representative of her son’s estate. The suit names Stanford, Covenant Services, eight individuals, and employees of both state and county human resource departments. It alleges multiple failures, including:
- Negligence in supervision and training of Stanford.
- Failure by officials to notice KJ’s absence from daycare for more than five hours.
- Breach of duty by all parties responsible for KJ’s welfare.
French stated that, “Had he been with his parents, nothing like this would have ever occurred.”
Criminal Charges Against Stanford
Following the incident, the ADHR confirmed that Stanford was terminated from her position. On August 1, the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office issued a felony warrant for Leaving a Child Unattended in a Motor Vehicle, a crime punishable by two to 20 years in prison.
Stanford was arrested the same day and later released on bail. She has not publicly commented on the allegations.
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Mother Says State Has Been Silent
French also criticized the ADHR and county human resources for failing to contact Stewart in the three weeks since her son’s death. “No one from the state or county has reached out to my client,” he said during a news conference.
The case has drawn widespread outrage and renewed calls for stricter oversight in foster care transport, better tracking of children in state custody, and public education about the dangers of leaving children in vehicles.
A Preventable Tragedy
Hot car deaths remain a persistent problem in the United States. According to safety advocates, children can die in as little as 10 minutes when left in a parked car under extreme heat. Even cooler days can be dangerous due to rapid heat buildup inside vehicles.
In KJ’s case, the lawsuit claims his death was entirely preventable had basic protocols and checks been followed. As the legal battle unfolds, his mother says she is seeking both accountability and changes to prevent future tragedies in the foster care system.
What’s your reaction to this heartbreaking case? Share your thoughts in the comments at ibwhsmag.com and join the discussion on how to improve child safety in state care.
