Sentenced: Gulfport Man & Woman Responsible For Death Of Six-Week-Old Son

[Sugar Cookie]

Kendall Pritchett Sr., 27, was sentenced to 40 years after pleading guilty to second-degree murder.

The case began when the Gulfport Police Department responded to Garden Park Hospital on May 3, 2020, in regard to a six-week-old boy who was dead on arrival.

The medical examiner found the cause of death was from burn injury complications and that it was a homicide.

During Gulfport police’s investigation, they discovered the baby was living at an apartment on Jody Nelson Drive with his mother and Pritchett, his father.

The baby had suffered from scald burns at least 10 days before his death. The investigation revealed that neither Pritchett nor the mother ever sought medical care for the baby or even made a call to a doctor during that span of time. The first call for any medical assistance was a 911 call by the mother on May 3 when the baby was found unresponsive in his crib.

“The evidence the State of Mississippi intended to present at trial included the fact that during the ten days this baby was in excruciating pain, Kendall Pritchett, Sr. and the mother watched the baby’s skin turn from different shades of red to green slime and become infected,” said Assistant District Attorney Haley Broom, who prosecuted the case. “The only steps taken was a trip to the local Family Dollar to purchase ointment and gauze pads, and Googled search terms on how to treat burns. Furthermore, not only did Pritchett cause these injuries and fail to treat the injuries, but he also concealed them so others would not discover the baby’s injuries.”

Medical experts said the baby’s injuries were consistent with injuries caused by exposure to water hotter than 120 degrees for at least five minutes. Additionally, experts were prepared to testify that the failure to obtain medical care for the scald burn injuries caused the infant’s death.

At the hearings, Pritchett said he and the mother were under the influence of drugs at the time and the baby was burned during a bath. Pritchett also claimed that he relied on the mother’s direction and experience of motherhood instead of seeking medical care.

“Can you imagine the horror this child experienced?” Judge Larry Bourgeois said before sentencing. “You fathered a child. Anyone can father a child. It takes a real man to be a daddy. You failed. You, sir, are no daddy. A real man would injure anything he had to do to save his child. You have not done it.”

The infant’s mother previously pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and sentencing is pending.

MSN

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Kendall

 

[Blizzard]

exposure to water hotter than 120 degrees for at least five minutes

I don't even -

 

[thuumpr]

... And the mother? Did she get 41 years?

 

[Sugar Cookie]

@Thumper

Sentencing is pending.

 

[HijabiGirl]

I just....there are no words. How do you scald such a small baby? You don't even bathe them in a normal bath. They have a plethora of cheap little tools to let you know the bath water is safe. I just don't understand how this happened and furthermore, why they simply didn't call 911 immediately? Were they afraid of "getting in trouble" or "getting the baby taken away?" Well, dead baby pretty much guarantees that, you dipshit.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

GRACIE SPRINKLE​

OFFENSE 1: MURDER 2ND DEGREE​

Sentence Length: 30 YEARS

County of Conviction: HARRISON

Sentence Date: 08/07/2023

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Tentative Release: 09/30/2050

KENDALL PRITCHETT​

OFFENSE 1: MURDER 2ND DEGREE​

Sentence Length: 40 YEARS

County of Conviction: HARRISON

Sentence Date: 06/22/2023

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Tentative Release: 08/17/2061