JADIEN HARVEY - 2 yo/ Charged: Stepfather; Kemra Matthews - Clayton Co GA

Father takes stand in trial of man accused in 2-year-old's death

WXIA
7:52 p.m. EDT March 12, 2014

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. -- The father of a 2-year-old Clayton County boy who died because of alleged abuse choked back tears Wednesday as he testified about his growing concerns for his sons' safety as well as his failed attempts to report those concerns to state officials.

"I called over and over again," Garry Stokes said.

Prosecutors say Jadien Harvey's stepfather, Kemra Matthews, struck him so hard in July 2012 that he fractured the 2-year-old's skull, killing him.

Matthews is on trial for Jadien's murder as well as assault and cruelty to children for allegedly punching Jadien's older brother in the stomach causing internal bleeding.

Jadien's father testified that his concerns about potential abuse intensified in the weeks before his son's death. Stokes told jurors that he noticed a disturbing cut and bruise on Jadien's twin Jaylen about a month before his death.

Stokes testified that he took the twins to an emergency clinic where a doctor found the injury was consistent with "child abuse."

But even armed with that doctor's report, Stokes said his repeated calls to DFCS ended in frustration.

"I tried to call the telephone numbers," Stokes told jurors. "The DFCS numbers are always busy. You get a busy signal."

The prosecution and defense rested their cases late Wednesday. Opening arguments are scheduled to begin Thursday.

http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/2014/03/12/kembra-matthews-trial-jadien-harvey-death/6347307/

Georgia Man Jailed For Child Cruelty Accused of Murdering Girlfriend’s Toddler

Dec 13, 2012
By NewsOne Staff

Kemra Nesta Matthew,Kemra Nesta Matthew, 30, of Clayton County, Georgia, serving time for abusing his girlfriend’s 4-year-old son, is now accused of killing her 2-year-old son, reports the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

On July 11, Matthew was caring for his girlfriend’s four children, ranging in age from 8 months to 5-years-old, when he allegedly abused them. Police were called to check on “four sick children,” but their mother, Ashley Harvey, denied he hurt them, claiming not to know who did.

“He’s a hardworking, good man, so I’m not about to sit here and let nobody, I don’t care who they are, do this to him. Period,” Ashley Harvey said.

All of them were transported to the hospital, but 2-year-old Jadien Harvey died from his injuries. According to the AJC, “Matthew faces charges of murder, aggravated assault and cruelty to children in connection with the toddler’s death,” Lt. Chris Windley said.

He was already serving time on child cruelty charges for abusing 4-year-old Ashton. Even though Harvey claimed not to know who abused her children, Ashton said that Matthew punched him in the stomach until he vomited, and also punched Jadien.

AJC has more:

The GBI conducted an autopsy on the child, but the cause of death has not been released.

Matthew’s criminal history includes spending nearly three years at Calhoun State Prison following a conviction on various drug charges, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections. He was incarcerated in June 2006 and released from prison in March 2009, records show.

As previously reported by NewsOne, this story is unfortunately more common than one might think.

After serving 11 years in prison for the 1994 murder of his 11-month-old daughter, Daron Duane Davis was sentenced December 6 to life in prison for the murder a second baby daughter.

In 1994, Davis beat his first daughter, Sondaria Davis, to death one month before her first birthday. Her mother was also charged and sentenced to probation. He was released in 2006.

http://newsone.com/2102999/kemra-nesta-matthew-child-cruelty/