Nationwide — Deshante LaShawn Beard, the mother of a 6-year-old African American boy, and her boyfriend Less Thompson Jr. were sentenced to prison after prosecutors proved they abused and killed the child as punishment for wetting the bed. The case exposed days of violence that ended in the boy’s death.
Prosecutors said the abuse happened inside the family’s Henry County home in June 2021. In the days leading up to the child’s death, Beard and Thompson repeatedly punished him for wetting the bed. A jury later determined that those actions directly led to the child’s death, according to WSB-TV.
On June 13, the boy wet the bed again. Court records show Thompson forced him to do intense physical exercises in the heat, including running laps and doing pushups. The child collapsed from exhaustion and lost consciousness.
Investigators testified that the couple did not call for help right away. Instead, they waited at least four hours after the boy collapsed before contacting emergency services. By the time help arrived, it was too late.
Medical experts told the court the child showed signs of severe and repeated abuse. Doctors explained that the forced physical punishment caused shock and brain swelling, which ultimately led to his death.
A jury convicted Thompson on Oct. 3 of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and first-degree cruelty to children. A judge sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Oct. 22.
Beard pleaded guilty to second-degree murder the same day. The judge sentenced her to 30 years in prison, with 25 years to serve. Prosecutors said the sentences closed a painful chapter in a case that centered on a child who was supposed to be protected.