Thursday, May 3, 2007

State seeks death penalty against South Bay woman accused of killing boy, 3


By Missy Diaz
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

May 3, 2007

For having an accident in his pants, 3-year-old Kelvin Jackson was punished by his would-be stepmother, who beat him to death with a belt and her hands, according to a medical examiner.

The blows ruptured his heart, fractured his skull and caused his pancreas, neck and adrenal glands to hemorrhage and bruised his spleen, scalp and nearly his entire body.

Now the state is seeking in-kind punishment for the suspect, Tia Roundtree: Death.

Roundtree, 28, appeared in a Palm Beach County courtroom Wednesday to ask a judge to release her on bond while she awaits trial. Authorities initially charged Roundtree with aggravated battery and her bail was set at $10,000. After the murder charge was added, it doubled to $20,000. She left for Texas after posting bond.

A warrant for her arrest was issued April 11 after she failed to appear for a court hearing. Roundtree left for Texas after her attorney, Assistant Public Defender Robert Fallon, told her she didn't need to come to court, according to testimony. While in Texas she was charged with public assistance fraud.

On Wednesday, Circuit Judge Krista Marx revoked Roundtree's bond, explaining that she's facing a death sentence and has no ties to the community.

Sheriff's Detective Debi Phillips testified that Roundtree admitted beating the child with her hand and a belt that had rows of metal circles, which matched circular patterns on Kelvin's body. Kelvin's 7-year-old brother, Telvin Jackson Jr., told investigators that his brother was "whooped" because he had an accident.

Roundtree lived at the South Bay apartment with the boys' father, Telvin Jackson Sr., along with her own 3-year-old son. Telvin Sr. had gone to work at Glades Correctional Institution about 10 p.m. on Feb. 2, checking on the three boys, asleep in the same bed, before he left, according to Phillips. The following morning Kelvin was dead.

Roundtree told detectives she didn't think she hit Kelvin hard enough to cause so much injury, She said she never struck him in the head.

Kelvin would have died within seconds to a minute after his heart ruptured, according to Dr. Linda O'Neil, an associate medical examiner.

Valencia Jackson, Kelvin and Telvin's mother, said she had planned to come to Florida in February to bring her boys back to Texas. She said she had legal custody of the boys, but that their father had been keeping them for the past two years while she got on her feet financially. She is a stay-at-home mom, she said, to two older children, ages 10 and 9. She said Telvin Jr., who has cerebral palsy, would soon be returning to Texas.

The reality of Kelvin's death is sinking in with Telvin Jr.

"He's finally realized his brother's not coming back and sometimes he cries and he says he misses him," she said.

Though a trial date has not yet been set, Valencia Jackson said she plans to be at the proceedings. "I want her to get the death penalty and for me to see her suffer like I think my baby suffered."

Missy Diaz can be reached at mdiaz@sun-sentinel.com or 561-228-5505.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is an outrage. How can someone be so cruel to beat any child so harshly to cause such deadly injuries. She and the father deserve the death penalty for the misfortune of this innocent child. Nothing will bring that baby back but atleast justice will be made. These two individuals need to suffer.

Anonymous said...

DAMN THATS CRAZY I WOULD NEVER HAVE KNOWN SHE WAS CAPABLE OF DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT I WAS LOCKED UP WITH HER N DA COUNTY JAIL DA STOCKADE AND HOMESTEAD C. I. SHE IS JUST SWEET AS SHE CAN BE BUT THAT LITTLE BABY DID NOT DESERVE THIS AND IM GLAD JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED......

Anonymous said...

ive had something similar like this happen to me recently and thank God that my baby did survive. i went to school with her and never thought that she would do something like that

Unknown said...

Smh I was locked up. With TIA about 7 years ago but I never knew what her charges was now these days ppl don't ask nobody why they in jail for ppl don't like that and just don't want to tell you and that's just how it is ..LIKE you said she was as sweat as can be but she wouldn't look nobody out on commssrey lol. Stingy as hell looking at her wouldn't of told you she killed a 3 year old baby feel me ..smh if I would have none that. I would have not talked to her and she always looked spaced out .....and facing her own action's and harsh reality that she can't run from. And absent from the outside world forever type of look no wat I'm saying daht shit is crazy

Anonymous said...

My God, this seems so fresh. I went to school with this young lady. She didn't really strike me as really odd but you was odd at times. I would speak to her but that is about it. I can not believe it to be so close to home but I put nothing past anyone with the things I see today. This should be on Snapped or Deadly Women...something! People need to know people like this exist EVERYWHERE.

Anonymous said...

As a family member I don't justify what she did. A lot of people pleaded with her to leave her piece of shit boyfriend as he was very physically abusive to her and the kids. Again, it doesn't excuse what she did but I believe her reaction was a result of that abuse. She also dealt with abuse as a child as well.

Unknown said...

It's a lie I know that baby father very well he never beat or beaten women and the audacity to say he best his kid's to make a killer look good smdh he should have never brought her here to Florida with him cause his son would still be here and tbh the real reason she killed his son is because she thought he was cheating on her so she took it out on a child who could barely talk to tell what was going on I knew of Tia but I know the father and the whole family and not 1 of them was anything you tried to make the father out to be YOUR COUSIN IS A CHILD MURDERER WHAT IF THAT WAS UR CHILD PEOPLE SAY THE DUMBEST SHIT TO JUSTIFY WHAT THAT MURDERER DID PERIODT POOH





Unknown said...

I meant beat not best☝🏽

Unknown said...

SHE DESERVES LIFE

Anonymous said...

You don't know what happens behind close doors. Stop assuming. We don't know what happened. I don't justify her actions but I do know he was abusive.

Anonymous said...

U dont know shit bitch

Anonymous said...

To the hoe saying he was abusive you dont know shit bitch other than what your bald headed bug eyes ass cousin told you

Anonymous said...

Well I know someone dealing with her ex now and he is abusive to her kids and she ask as is she is scare of him he don’t like her kids and treat them like shit he a piece of shit tbh

Anonymous said...

My grandson mother married his abusive butt , he is a evil person, he beats her, when my grandson was a teenager , he used to fight him, this year , her second oldest child he had chocked him, no officer was call on him , because she is afraid of him , this is why these cowards do this to women……

Anonymous said...

Ask his wife kids if he beat them, and her scary butt , it’s in him, he’s a mean as hell, and very controlling

Anonymous said...

I knew Tia personally and very well as a child (big kid) and she was never like this. And when I say I knew her I mean our families were locked in! She was very meek, mild, & kinda scary. You would just have to know her! I honestly believe that it was an accident. I’m not justifying what she did because you have to have self control but for her to intentionally kill that baby absolutely not. This is something that she will never get past either. This is hard on ALL parties especially the child and his mother. But understand anger takes control and you have to control yourself because it could happen to you too!!