A man suspected of killing his girlfriend’s 20-month-old son has been indicted on a charge of felony murder.
Jonathan Fullard, 28, is charged with felony murder, first-degree cruelty to children and obstruction of justice, the US Attorney’s Office said Friday.
According to charging documents in the case, the child, Keyontae Osbia Moore, was in Fullard’s custody the night of March 4 and into the morning of March 5 while the child’s mother was at work. Moore was taken to Children’s Medical Center just before 6 a.m. on Monday March 5. Detectives said the boy was in grave condition and he died less than two hours after arriving at the hospital. An autopsy found several injuries including bleeding within his skull, bruising on his head and face, three broken ribs, bruising on his chest, bruising on his leg, and additional injuries consistent with sexual abuse.
The indictment comes less than four months after Moore was killed and before a preliminary hearing could be held in the case.
Fullard is expected to be arraigned on the charges July 13.
A related child cruelty case, in which Fullard is suspected of abusing a separate child, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing that same day.
A press release from the US Attorney’s Office is below.
District Man Indicted for Felony Murder, Other Charges In Killing of His Then-Girlfriend’s 20-Month-Old Child - Defendant Was Asked to Babysit for the Child -
WASHINGTON - Jonathan Fullard, 29, of Washington, D.C., has been indicted on murder and other charges in the killing of his former girlfriend’s 20-month-old son, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.
A grand jury returned the indictment on June 28, 2012 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, charging Fullard with felony murder, first-degree cruelty to children and obstruction of justice. He is to be arraigned on July 13, 2012 before the Honorable William M. Jackson. If convicted, the defendant faces a potential sentence of life in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, on March 4, 2012, Fullard was babysitting his then-girlfriend’s 20-month-old son, Keyontae Osbia Moore, at a residence in the 3000 block of 30th Street SE while she went to work. At about 3 a.m., Fullard called his girlfriend and stated that the toddler had stopped breathing. Keyontae was initially taken to United Medical Center, and later transferred to Children’s National Medical Center, where physicians found trauma to his head, and body. The child died on March 5, 2012 from multiple blunt force trauma.
The District of Columbia medical examiner’s office has ruled the case a homicide. The evidence indicates that Fullard was the only person caring for the child at the time of his injuries.
Initially, when questioned by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the defendant provided a false name of “Jonathan Mason” and was released. After the child’s death, Fullard’s true name was discovered and he was subsequently arrested on March 12, 2012.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the MPD and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia G. Wright.
Read the indictment below.
