South Carolina Couple Charged With Child Abuse After 9-Year-Old Boy Was Beaten To Death

A couple has been arrested in connection with the death of a 9-year-old boy in Kingstree, South Carolina.

Bobby Fulton Jr., 32, was arrested on Friday on charges of homicide according to South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED). Tasha McFadden, 42, was arrested Monday on charges of homicide by child abuse, aiding and abetting, reported local news outlet FITS News.

Fulton is accused of inflicting "serious injury" to the victim between 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. on December 29, 2020. According to the arrest warrant, he "exercised extreme indifference to human life while using blunt force to cause injuries," leading to the child's death. He is also accused of not taking the victim to the hospital after the incident and not calling 911.

Meanwhile, McFadden is accused of neglecting and allowing the abuse to happen even after she knew about two previous incidents in which Fulton had abused the child.

On the day of the incident, the unresponsive child was brought to Williamsburg Regional Hospital. The child was pronounced dead shortly after and agents of SLED started the investigation.

According to the arrest affidavits, Fulton is also accused of abusing McFadden's two other children aged 7 and 8 on separate incidents.

The medical examination revealed that there were old and new marks and bruises on the body of one of the children, including old and new bite marks on the forehead and injuries consistent with belt or cord, reported The News.

The suspects were booked at the Williamsburg County Detention Center. If convicted, Fulton could face up to 20 years of life in prison while McFadden could face between 10 to 20 years in prison. The 3rd Circuit Solicitor's Office will prosecute both cases.

In a similar incident in January, a South Carolina couple was charged with homicide by child abuse in connection with the death of their 3-year-old adopted daughter named Victoria Rose Smith. The girl was found unresponsive with blunt force injuries at the couple's house in Simpsonville. Ariel Robinson, 29, and her husband Jerry Robinson, 34, were arrested on charges of child abuse.