Foster Child Dies in Hot Car; State Contractor Charged
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Kela Stanford, a 54-year-old contractor for Alabama’s Human Resources Department, has been charged in connection with the death of 3-year-old Ke’Torrius Starkes Jr., who died after being left in a hot car for five hours on July 22.
Stanford, a contractor with Covenant Services, was responsible for transporting the child after a supervised visit with his father. Instead of bringing him to daycare, she allegedly ran errands before arriving at her home in Bessemer around 12:30 p.m.—leaving the child strapped in the backseat. Temperatures that day reached over 100°F with the heat index, and the car’s interior is believed to have exceeded 140°F.
The child, known as KJ, was found unresponsive around 5:30 p.m. after a daycare center contacted Stanford about his absence. Authorities say she attempted to revive him by splashing cold water on his face before emergency services arrived. KJ was pronounced dead at the scene.
Stanford is charged with felony child endangerment for leaving a child unattended in a vehicle, creating an unreasonable risk of harm. She was booked and released on bond from Jefferson County Jail.
KJ was in foster care under state supervision. The boy’s family, represented by attorney G. Courtney French, says they’ve received no contact from Alabama’s Department of Human Resources since his death. French and local lawmakers are now calling for a full investigation into the department and third-party contractors like Covenant Services.
“This tragedy was preventable and should never have happened,” French stated. “The failure of oversight cost a child his life.”
If convicted, Stanford faces between 2 and 20 years in prison.
The case remains under investigation as community outrage and legislative scrutiny continue to grow.
