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Miami Herald
01-08-2025
- Miami Herald
3-year-old in state care dies when worker forgets him in hot car, AL cops say
A 3-year-old in state custody died in a hot car when a worker forgot to drop him off at day care after a family visit, Alabama authorities said. Now, the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office has announced the arrest of 54-year-old Kela Stanford on a charge of leaving a child or an incapacitated person unattended in a motor vehicle. 'This is a terrible tragedy that was completely avoidable and unnecessary,' District Attorney Danny Carr said Aug. 1. Records show Stanford was booked in jail Aug. 1 and bonded out about an hour later. 'I truly believe in my heart, because I have met her several times and she has transferred kids a lot, I don't think she killed my nephew intentionally,' the boy's aunt, Brittney Debruce, told NBC. 'But she made a mistake. We definitely want answers, and we won't stop.' Stanford is accused of leaving 3-year-old Ketorrius 'KJ' Starkes Jr. in a hot car in Birmingham for about five hours on July 22, leading to his death, according to the Jefferson County coroner. Stanford was a contract worker with the Alabama Department of Human Resources, which had custody of the toddler at the time, the agency said. Stanford picked up KJ from day care and brought him to a supervised visit with his dad at a DHR office, then she was supposed to drop him back off at day care after, WBRC reported after speaking to the boy's father. But police say she forgot he was in her car and went home instead, according to the outlet. It wasn't until the boy's foster mother called looking for the child that they realized he had been in the car all along, reported. 'I mean, words can't even express how I feel right now,' the father told WBRC. 'As soon as I leave my son, the first thing he says is, 'Daddy, I want to go with you.' He says that every time, and it really hurts.' DHR told McClatchy News the woman was terminated. Now she's facing up to 20 years in prison if convicted. KJ's family is calling for change. 'We want justice for my nephew KJ and also for this to never happen to another kid again,' Debruce wrote on Facebook. 'IF the State is going to remove people's kids from their home and their families they should be held 100% accountable for their safety and well-being.' More than 1,000 children have died in hot cars since 1998, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 'About 37 children a year die from heatstroke, either because they were left or became trapped in a car. During the summer, that's about two children every week killed in a hot car.' Hot car deaths are most common in the summer, but they can happen at any time, according to the administration. The first 'vehicular heatstroke' of the year typically happens in March. 'Leaving a window open is not enough — temperatures inside the car can rise almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit within the first 10 minutes, even with a window cracked open,' the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. If you see a child alone in a vehicle, officials said you should make sure the child is responsive and if not, immediately call 911.
San Francisco Chronicle
10-06-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
Alabama to execute a long-serving death row inmate for the 1988 beating death of a woman he dated
ATMORE, Ala. (AP) — A man convicted of beating a woman to death nearly 37 years ago is scheduled to be executed Tuesday in Alabama in what will be the nation's sixth execution with nitrogen gas. Gregory Hunt is scheduled to be put to death Tuesday night at a south Alabama prison. Hunt was convicted of killing Karen Lane, a woman he had been dating for about a month, according to court records. The Alabama execution is one of four that had been scheduled this week in the United States. Executions are also scheduled in Florida and South Carolina. On Monday a judge in Oklahoma issued a temporary stay for an execution in that state, but the state attorney general is seeking to get it lifted. Lane was 32 when she was murdered Aug. 2, 1988, in the Cordova apartment she shared with a woman who was Hunt's cousin. Prosecutors said Hunt broke into her apartment and killed her after sexually abusing her. A physician who performed an autopsy testified that she died from blunt force trauma and that Lane had sustained some 60 injuries, including 20 to the head. A jury on June 19, 1990, found Hunt guilty of capital murder during sexual abuse and burglary. Jurors recommended by a vote of 11-1 that he receive a death sentence, which a judge imposed. The U.S. Supreme Court denied Hunt's request for a stay Tuesday afternoon, clearing the way for the execution to go forward. Hunt's stay final request for a stay, which he filed himself, focused on claims that prosecutors made false statements to jurors about evidence of sexual abuse, which is what what elevated the crime to a death penalty offense. The Alabama attorney general's office called the claim meritless and said that even if the prosecutor erred in that statement, it did not throw the conviction into doubt. Hunt, speaking by telephone last month from prison, described himself as someone who was changed by prison. 'Karen didn't deserve what happened to her,' Hunt said. Hunt said he had been drinking and doing drugs on the night of the crime and became jealous when he saw Lane in a car with another man. 'You have your come-to-Jesus moment. Of course, after the fact, you can't believe what has happened. You can't believe you were part of it and did it,' Hunt said. Hunt, who was born in 1960 and came to death row in 1990, is now among the longest-serving inmates on Alabama's death row. He said prison became his 'hospital' to heal his broken mind. He said since 1988, he has been leading a Bible class attended by two dozen or more inmates. 'Just trying to be a light in a dark place, trying to tell people if I can change, they can too. ... become people of love instead of hate," he said. Lane's sister declined to comment when reached by telephone. The family is expected to give a written statement Tuesday night. 'The way she was killed is just devastating,' Denise Gurganus, Lane's sister, told TV station WBRC at a 2014 vigil for crime victims. 'It's hard enough to lose a family member to death, but when it's this gruesome.' The Alabama attorney general's office, in asking justices to reject Hunt's request for a stay of execution, wrote that Hunt has now been on death row longer than Lane was alive. Alabama last year became the first state to carry out an execution with nitrogen gas. Nitrogen has now been used in five executions — four in Alabama and one in Louisiana. The method involves using a gas mask to force an inmate to breathe pure nitrogen gas, depriving them of the oxygen needed to stay alive.
Boston Globe
10-06-2025
- Boston Globe
Alabama to execute a long-serving death row inmate for the 1988 beating death of a woman he dated
Lane was 32 when she was murdered Aug. 2, 1988, in the Cordova apartment she shared with a woman who was Hunt's cousin. Advertisement Prosecutors said Hunt broke into her apartment and killed her after sexually abusing her. A physician who performed an autopsy testified that she died from blunt force trauma and that Lane had sustained some 60 injuries, including 20 to the head. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up A jury on June 19, 1990, found Hunt guilty of capital murder during sexual abuse and burglary. Jurors recommended by a vote of 11-1 that he receive a death sentence, which a judge imposed. Hunt's final request for a stay of execution, which he filed himself, focused on claims that prosecutors made false statements to jurors about evidence of sexual abuse. The element of sexual abuse is what elevated the crime to a death penalty offense. Advertisement In a filing to the U.S. Supreme Court, Hunt, acting as his own attorney, wrote that a prosecutor told jurors that cervical mucus was on a broomstick near Hunt's body. However, the victim did not have a cervix because of an earlier hysterectomy. The Alabama attorney general's office called the claim meritless and said even if the prosecutor erred in that statement, it did not throw the conviction into doubt. Hunt, speaking by telephone last month from prison, did not dispute killing Lane but maintained he did not sexually assault her. He also described himself as someone who was changed by prison. 'Karen didn't deserve what happened to her,' Hunt said. Hunt said he had been drinking and doing drugs on the night of the crime and became jealous when he saw Lane in a car with another man. 'You have your come-to-Jesus moment. Of course, after the fact, you can't believe what has happened. You can't believe you were part of it and did it,' Hunt said. Hunt, who was born in 1960 and came to death row in 1990, is now among the longest-serving inmates on Alabama's death row. He said prison became his 'hospital' to heal his broken mind. He said since 1988, he has been leading a Bible class attended by two dozen or more inmates. 'Just trying to be a light in a dark place, trying to tell people if I can change, they can too. ... become people of love instead of hate,' he said. Lane's sister declined to comment when reached by telephone. The family is expected to give a written statement Tuesday night. 'The way she was killed is just devastating,' Denise Gurganus, Lane's sister, told TV station WBRC at a 2014 vigil for crime victims. 'It's hard enough to lose a family member to death, but when it's this gruesome.' Advertisement The Alabama attorney general's office, in asking justices to reject Hunt's request for a stay of execution, wrote that Hunt has now been on death row longer than Lane was alive. Alabama last year became the first state to carry out an execution with nitrogen gas. Nitrogen has now been used in five executions — four in Alabama and one in Louisiana. The method involves using a gas mask to force an inmate to breathe pure nitrogen gas, depriving them of the oxygen needed to stay alive. Hunt had named nitrogen as his preferred execution method. He made the selection before Alabama had developed procedures for using gas. Alabama also allows inmates to choose lethal injection or the electric chair.
Miami Herald
09-06-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Teens vanish tubing on Alabama river, setting off hourslong search, officials say
Four teens reported missing while rafting along an Alabama river were found safe after an hourslong search, officials said. The teens began floating the Cahaba River, near Birmingham, at about 6 p.m. June 8 using an inflatable pool and were reported missing three hours later, Leeds Fire and Rescue officials told WBRC. Rescuers from multiple agencies across several nearby towns helped in the search, and the students were found safe at about 1 a.m. June 9 after being spotted by a helicopter, the Irondale Police Department said in a Facebook post and reported. According to officials, the teens got out of the water and started walking along the shoreline when their raft started having issues, reported. Medical officials treated the teens after they were found, police said. No one was injured. 'The support shown by the community for the family and friends of the students stranded on the Cahaba River was truly remarkable,' police said. 'This incident is a powerful reminder of the importance of being prepared when enjoying the outdoors.'
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wellborn senior honored with Rising Star scholarship
WELLBORN — Bentley Bean, a senior at Wellborn High School, has been named one of six recipients of the 2024–2025 Rising Star Scholarship, a $5,000 award sponsored by AmFirst Credit Union and WBRC Fox 6. The scholarship honors students across central Alabama for their academic excellence, leadership and community service. 'I'm very excited that I was chosen,' Bean said . ' I didn't even think I would get the scholarship out of how many kids were selected for it.' Bean was selected from a competitive pool of 30 'Rising Star' nominees who were featured throughout the academic year by WBRC. Each honoree was chosen for demonstrating perseverance, passion and a commitment to bettering their communities. 'From that pool, six students were selected to receive the $5,000 Rising Star Scholarship to support their educational journey,' the organizations said in a joint announcement. The winners were announced during an awards ceremony in Birmingham. Along with Bean, scholarship recipients included Kimora Dejarenette of Sylacauga High School, Carleigh Lipscomb of Gadsden City High School, LeeAnn Satterfield of Southside High School, James Murphy Jr. of Minor High School, and Lana Todd of Holly Pond High School. 'We're incredibly proud to continue our partnership with WBRC to highlight and support the next generation of leaders through the Rising Star program,' said Kevin Morris, president and CEO of AmFirst. 'These students are a powerful reminder of the promise our future holds.' The scholarship program also included the Bill and Pat Connor Scholarship, named in 2025 to honor the legacy of former AmFirst CEO Bill Connor and his wife, Pat. That award went to Ryan Kozlek of Oak Mountain High School, a dependent of an AmFirst employee. For Bean, the honor represents years of hard work and a promising start to the next chapter of his academic journey. Each scholarship recipient plans to attend a full-time college or trade school beginning in fall 2025. Bean said she will attend Jacksonville State University and study physical therapy and sports medicine. Bean's mom, Dia Webb, who is also the principal at Wellborn High School, said she was amazed because there were over 200 applicants for the scholarship. 'We were just floored when we received the call that she was getting the award,' Webb said. 'As one of the recipients we were kind of speechless and I'm so proud that she did this on her own.' More information on the Rising Star program and this year's honorees is available at
