A 3-year-old boy died a horrific death after being left in a scorching vehicle for five hours by a child welfare contractor working for the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) — the very agency tasked with protecting him.
Ke’Torrius “KJ” Starks Jr., who had been removed from his family and placed in foster care, was picked up for a court-ordered supervised visit with his father Tuesday morning. The visit ended at 11:30 a.m. — but KJ was never returned to daycare.
Instead, a DHR-contracted transport worker allegedly ran personal errands, went shopping, picked up food, and visited a tobacco store — all while KJ remained strapped in a car seat under blistering Alabama heat.
Temperatures soared above 100°F, with a heat index of 108°F. Experts estimate the interior of the vehicle likely reached over 150°F — more than enough to kill a child.
[embedded content]
“The System That Should Have Protected Him… Killed Him”
Attorney Courtney French, who represents the family, called the incident a systemic failure of the state-run foster care system.
“The safety net that should have been in place to protect