South Carolina Police Arrest Five in Connection with 11-Year-Old’s Death

Authorities in South Carolina have detained five individuals amid an investigation into the death of 11-year-old A’Kyri Bell, who suffered severe injuries in June.

The girl was taken to the hospital after her guardian, Kamisha McGuskey, 31, called for help from a residence in Carolina Forest. Tragically, she later succumbed to her injuries, with the coroner’s office ruling the death was a result of blunt trauma and classified it as murder.

In a statement, McGuskey expressed her discontent with law enforcement, suggesting that their actions were influenced by racial bias regarding her and her family. “It felt like they were looking at our skin tone and thought we immediately did something to the little girl,” she told WBTW-TV, describing the situation as disgusting.

She attempted to recount the events that led to the tragedy, saying, “I sent her upstairs to bathe with my sister. About twenty minutes later, I was alerted that she was unresponsive. I rushed to help her and called 911 right away.” McGuskey further claimed that police accused her of lying during their investigation and insinuated that they would find a reason to charge her.

Initially, police charged McGuskey, along with 21-year-old Alantis Thomas and 34-year-old Lakesha Burnett, with obstruction of justice for allegedly making false statements. They were taken into custody but later released on $5,000 bail.

Detectives reported discovering items, such as mops and bedding, allegedly stained with blood, disposed of in garbage bags at the residence. Moreover, it was revealed that the Department of Human Services had removed seven children from the home.

Subsequently, McGuskey faced a murder charge, with the police describing her actions as “horrific.” Reports suggest she violently assaulted Bell in the presence of adults who failed to intervene, with the act allegedly occurring in front of other children.

In addition to McGuskey, Burnett and Thomas, two other individuals—20-year-old Darnell Dearmas and 56-year-old Margaret Roberson—were charged with similar offenses against minors. Both McGuskey and Roberson are also facing charges related to human trafficking.

“The death of a child is a tragedy,” stated a law enforcement spokesperson. “A’Kyri, at just 11 years old, deserved the opportunity to thrive. We commend our officers and detectives for their dedicated work in bringing clarity to this case.”