Police say he beat the infant because he was jealous and to stop her from crying.

By Vickie Chachere
The Associated Press
Posted June 2 2005


TAMPA -- A 7-year-old boy fatally beat his baby half-sister with his fists, feet and a two-by-four because he was jealous of the attention she was receiving and because she wouldn't stop crying, police said Wednesday.

The Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office is trying to decide whether to file charges against the boy in the attack that rattled even veteran homicide detectives.

The unidentified boy was not taken into custody and is living with his mother in Lakeland while prosecutors make their decision. The attack occurred May 22 at the home of the boy's father in Tampa.

Seven-month-old Jayza Laney Simms was dead on arrival at St. Joseph's Hospital, where her parents rushed her. Police declined to release the names of the boy or his parents, who are witnesses.

Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said detectives began focusing on the boy after witnesses were able to vouch for the parents not having been alone with the baby at the time of the attack. Detectives confronted the boy with the evidence, and a week after his sister died, he confessed to killing her, McElroy said.

"The veteran detectives who worked on this case have never seen a case with someone as young as a 7-year-old show so much violence and so little remorse," McElroy said. "The only explanation he gave is he wanted her to stop crying."

Pam Bondi, a spokeswoman for the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office, said prosecutors were just beginning to review the case and the complex legal issues that might present themselves in bringing charges against a child.

"This is the first time we have dealt with a 7-year-old accused of such a violent crime," Bondi said.

The boy had been visiting his father, who lived with his girlfriend and their two daughters, police said. A second child was also in the house at the time of the attack but was not harmed.

Police said the adults were outside with neighbors when the boy came to them about midnight and said the baby was bleeding. They found the girl with a bloody nose and said she wasn't breathing.

Initially, the boy told detectives he dropped the baby but later blamed other family members for hurting her before telling them what he had done, McElroy said.

The boy told detectives he had kicked, punched and then hit his half-sister with a two-by-four piece of wood that was found in the home, they said.

The father and his girlfriend told detectives the boy had been jealous of his half-sisters, but not to the point that they were concerned about the girls' safety, police said.

"The only person who was alone with the child was the 7-year-old," McElroy said. "They [the father and his girlfriend] didn't want to believe the 7-year-old had done it."

LINK/SOURCE

Awful.

What on earth can you do with a 7 year old killer?

send him to the corner for the rest of his life with a hat on his head saying 'im a loser'

This is the second recent thing I have heard about dealing with a young child murdering someone. Seems as if the youth isn't innocent anymore, very sad.

A 9 year old, now a 7 year old!? What the hell is going through these kids minds?! I wonder if the boy even felt any remorse for what he did.

if only that 2 x 4 peice of wood weren't laying around within easy reach of a child this might have turned out different. evil wood.

Yeah... 2x4s don't kill kids... kids kill kids....

Okay.. bad joke

***Nxt needs 3 lashes with a wet noodle***

God... That's just awful.

Now we know why envy is one of the seven deadly sins.

lol...... well atleast he can't go to jail..... he's so young...... probably anger management.......

With this statement, you assume that children (ALL of them, not just the majority or a select few) were innocent in the past.

What about Mary Bell, a 10 year old girl who murdered? What about James Bulger's killers? Also children. An 11 year old Jesse Pomeroy murdered in the 1840's... There are other instances too, and it certainly isn't just a modern phenomena. True, violence has become more common in the world, despite age or gender. However, I get agravated when people idealize the past as an age of innocence and purity.

This isn't just based on your statement Discordia. Your post was just sort of a spring board for my rant. If you felt attacked in anyway, I apologise.

What happened with this 7 year old is horrible. The biggest question now is.... what do you do with him? I can't imagine condemning him at this age.... He needs recooperation and therapy. Sounds to me like he has some serious neglect issues too.....

In England over the last few days two 11 year olds and one 12 year old have been arrested for the attempted murder of a 5 year old; they tried to hang him!

What is the world coming too?

ummmmmm...... one day I believe that we'll all end up killing eachother.... then we'll all be dead.


I find it so funny how people murder people without putting thought or strategie into it........ if you're going to kill someone, do it right.......

I find it so funny how people murder people without putting thought or strategie into it........ if you're going to kill someone, do it right.......

Any suggestions?

No.....no..... of course not ........

don't get caught?

yes... no one knows how to properly plot a murder these days..... what, do people want to go to jail?

Wow, this story pretty much leaves me speechless, it's beyond me how anything like this can happen. It's just sad and nothing really can be said I guess.

I had to re-read the story at lunch a couple times, because I couldn't just believe it.

Yeah...and I'm positive that you can plan a murder, hide the body and evidence, and keep it all under wraps for the rest of your natural life without the guilt eating away at you more and more every living second. And if you say you can, you're probably lying.

As for the story, it's sad that such a small child can cause such harm. It's hard to believe these thoughts actually manifest in the minds of the young as they do. But it happens, and the world goes on. As for punishment, I don't think there's much of anything they can do to him - save for mental therapy to understand it better. I bet there isn't a day that goes by the he doesn't regret doing what he did.

I was thinking the same thing. I know all about older sibling being a bit jealous of new baby's attention, but jeesh! Either this kid is certifiably mentally disturbed or his parents were ingnoring him.

I have a 7 yr old. I can't imagine him trying to hurt anyone at all.


And another thing.... when he first hit the baby, wouldn't it start wailing and screaming? The parents were so far away they couldn't hear the baby or get back in time to stop this? I mean really... the kid had time to hit, kick, and go get a 2x4 and use that as well?

hmm perhaps it was nr feeding time and the parents went to get the food readybefore going into the room

The article said the child showed no remorse, none what-so-ever. I find that both sick and sad. If this is what he is capable now, as at seven, I wonder what he will get up to when they turn him loose from kiddie prison.

That's horrific! I guess that sometimes kids, like dogs, shouldn't be left alone with babies.

is anyone questioning the way this child was raised??
what about how much (violent) TV he watched?
seven year olds have vivid imaginations, but at that point they should know the difference between right and wrong... (unless I'm wrong...)

Imagine now that this child grows up normally with the knowledge that he killed his baby sister. What kind of damage does that do to a person? I couldn't live with myself

How terribly sad...

(twpdyp sits slowly shaking his bowed head. He is disgusted and scared, for he has 2 babies in his home and the babies have older brothers in the same home. Finally after a long conversation with his maker he decides that his best course of action is to go home and hug the precious little ones up tighter and be even more vigilant in their defense. He also says a prayer not only for the innocent little baby but for the 7 year old as well. God protect them both and look after their families. This young man knows not what he has done, guide him later in life as he comes to grips with his actions. Hold the tiny innocent one close God and give her an extra squeeze because her parents cannot. Amen)

*sniff* that was quite touching....

I'm wondering if his parents told him it was wrong to hurt and murder others?

Like everyone else in wondering, I wonder what are they going to do with the 7 year old boy?

Has anyone heard anything new on this case? I cannot find any new info myself.

Gosh, this is just horrible. I'm literally speecheless.... I couldn't think of anything to say, everything sounds so wrong.... gosh....

i just want to know how this child is gonna be punished?is it gonna be sentenced to life in prison?how do they figure out a just sentence for him?

no power rangers

no seriouslly they should give a harsh sentance,IMO

it's just horrible that someone so young would commit a crime so horrible. the boy desevres to be punished just like anyother killer.

Wow... What a evil little 7 year old. What are the chance's of a 7 year old getting jealous and so violent to do that.

Just sad. Reminds me of Cain and Abel.

Well, we can try and look on the bright side. This tragedy gave us this thread, which gave us this gem.



Which is good.

**shudders** wow, thats terrible wow...and I thought my family had problems, sure we have made each other chip teeth (mainly my sis making me) and nose bleeds, but we have never killed anyone...... unless you count my brother eating my second sister....lol just kidding its a family joke! i never had a second sis

what's sad is he is going to remember this his whole life!!! he will feel so bad, and then he will seclude himself from the world, especially if people know what happened and tease him, or not allow him to be with anyone...wow...he's going to have a traumatic childhood, more traumatic adolesense (sp?) (which is bad as it is!!) and a terrible adult...he might just feel so bad he commits suicide, I hope not because then his soul will not find a place in heaven no matter how much he asks for forgiveness

It's because parents don't know how to put their foot down and spank the child if they get out of line! Why the hell were the parents outside without supervising the seven month old. The child needs to be put in the mental ward and locked away the rest of his life. Someone so young will kill again at an older age, they have that thirst for blood set in them. Such a waste of life.....

For the people joking about this, your really freaking sick. I see no humor in this at all. I am a mother of a two year old and I wouldn't know what to do if something like that happen to my son or if he hurt or killed someone.

Charge the parents who should have been watching the infant with negligent homicide!
Take the boy and put him in a State run Orphanage and make sure he gets lots of counciling for the next 11 years.

This is sick. What can they do to a 7 year old who commits such a crime as this. Oh man what will the parents do? How are they going to handle this? Having a child kill another child and so young. My heart goes out to them.

That's what I was thinking ^...this is a very sad and disturbing ordeal

How i feel about this can only be expressed in emoticons:

thats so sad.

That happened when my mom was babysitting,except the killer got caught by my mom

Wow...just wow...

I don't think he knew what he was doing, so I really don't think punishing him will do any good. But imagine when he grows up and realises fully what he did, that guilt will be with him for the rest of his life...

Thats what your parents want you to think.

punish him severely. Age isn't an issue, if he gets off I will consider moving to Antartica

This is quite understandable how many of you with siblings have been envious or angry at a brother and or sister I know i am right now and i can totally understand what happened

Child got jealous of younger sibling
Only 7 so doesn't know what is right or wrong
Is pushed over the edge by siblings constant crying
Finally snaps and kills
No remorse..Of course its because he doesn't know that what he did was evil and cannot comprehend what was so bad because Well he sure got his parents attention so it must of worked so why should he feel bad

By age 7 a child should know right from wrong.