Louisville, KY: Charges upgraded to murder in death of 3-year-old boy

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Police say he caused the death of a 3-year-old Shively boy and late Monday charges against 36-year old Larry Webster were upgraded to murder. Unfortunately, it's a crime investigators are seeing over and over again.

"The nature of the death was blunt force trauma to multiple areas of the body and the charges have been upgraded from attempted murder to murder," said Detective Josh Myers of the Shively Police Department.

What happened to Ah'Haod Crawford is the type of violent crime that continues to rear its ugly head - a mother loses a child at the hands of a boyfriend.

It's a familiar charge in recent history. This year, 20-year-old Matthew Vaughn pleaded guilty in the death of his girlfriend's 9-month-old. 18-year-old Samuel Harris pleaded guilty in the death of his girlfriend's 4-month-old and police say 29-year old Johnny Juliot killed his girlfriend's 4-year-old son. Little Tony Hack was found with three skull fractures and bruises covering his body. Now, detectives say Webster caused the death of little Ah'Haod while the boy's mother was at work.

Ah'Haod was found at an apartment complex on Crums Lane Sunday with bruises on his chest and back. He wasn't breathing.

According to court records, family members believed Webster, who has a long criminal history, had abused the boy before. In a 2001 case, Webster was accused of threatening to kill another girlfriend and their one-year-old child.

"I get so angry when I hear a 3-year-old has been beaten to death," said Lucy Lee, the Executive Director of ECHO, the Exploited Children's Help Organization.

Lee believes abuse cases like this will continue unless more people are willing to get involved, from family members stepping in to watch children and report violence to volunteers willing to help educate teens, even calling lawmakers.

"It's not right that children are dying from child abuse, so change our laws make them stricter," Lee said. "If somebody kills a child, they should never walk the streets free again."

Webster is being held at Louisville Metro Corrections on a $1 million bond. Shively Police investigators say the boy's mother will not face charges and is so upset she can't talk about her son's death.

To find out more about ECHO, the Exploited Children's Help Organization, call their Louisville office at (502) 636-3670 or head to their website, www.echolou.org.