'I guess I whooped him too much': Mother 'tortured and beat her son, 4, to death because she didn't want him any more'

A mother and her live-in boyfriend are accused of beating her four-year-old son so badly over three days that he died from his injuries.


Mikkia Shardae Lewis and Joe Genard McCaskell from South Daytona were arrested over the April 15 death of Ke'Andre Coleman, who was pronounced dead at their home when paramedics arrived.


Lewis told detectives when they interviewed her: 'I guess I whooped him too much' and admitted telling her son two days before he died that she 'gives up' and 'I don't want you any more'.

The medical examiner took a full day to record all of his injuries, which included shoe impressions all over his body, a red and swollen bottom with open sores, a mutilated nipple, scabs on his stomach, hemorrhaging in his thighs and shoulders that appeared dislocated.

The couple have been charged with aggravated child abuse but additional charges are expected pending the final result of the cause of death.

South Daytona Police Chief Ron Wright said: 'This four-year-old child suffered tremendously, tremendously. Makes me want to throw up.'

The Daytona Beach News Journal reports that the couple told detectives they forced the boy to hold positions for 30 to 45 minutes, including standing in the corner with his arms raised above his head, keeping his back against the wall and squatting with his knees bent and arms outstretched, and holding himself in a raised push-up position.






Accused: Mikkia Shardae Lewis, left, and Joe Genard McCaskell have been charged with aggravated child abuse - though more charges may be added when cause of death is determined






Home: When paramedics arrived at the Daytona apartment, the toddler was already dead after allegedly being tortured over three days

When police interviewed teachers at East Volusia II Head Start in Daytona Beach, they said they did not see any injuries when they performed a routine health check on April 11 and that he was running around as normal with other classmates.

Police believe Ke'Andre was severely abused and tortured over the following three days.


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Residents of Sunrise Harbor Apartments, where the couple had just moved to, said they did not even realize the four-year-old was living there.


Tonda Taylor told the News Journal she only saw the boy when the couple first moved into the apartment complex.


'Other than that, I'd never seen the child come outside,' she said. The couple are being held on $50,000 bail.