Parents’ worst nightmare realized as ‘joyful’ 3-year-old dies under state custody

Ke’Torrius “K.J.” Starkes Jr., a lively and dearly loved three-year-old boy, died in a heartbreaking incident after being left alone in a hot car while under the care of a contracted worker for the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR), the state agency responsible for child welfare.

The Birmingham Police Department is currently investigating the case, which has caused widespread anger and sorrow. According to CNN, K.J. was described by his family as a “happy,” “smart,” and “full of life” little boy who brought joy to everyone around him. The tragedy was part of a court-ordered process meant to reunite him with his parents. On Tuesday, a worker hired by a company that contracts with Alabama DHR picked him up from daycare at 9:00 a.m. for a supervised visit with his father. The visit ended around 11:30 a.m.

According to the family’s lawyer, Courtney French, instead of taking K.J. straight back to daycare, the worker reportedly made several personal stops while the little boy remained strapped into his car seat in the back of her car. Around 12:30 PM, the worker arrived at her home and left K.J. in the parked car, still buckled into his seat with the windows closed and the engine turned off. He stayed in the car outside the worker’s home for more than five hours.

Child dead at the custody of social worker in Alabama

During this time, the weather in Birmingham was extremely hot and muggy. Temperatures stayed between 93 and 96 degrees Fahrenheit from 12:30 PM to 5:30 PM, the period when K.J. was reportedly left alone. The heat index, which combines temperature and humidity to show how hot it actually feels, ranged from 101 to 105 degrees.

The heartbreaking discovery was only made after the daycare called the worker to ask why K.J. had not been brought back. At that point, the worker realized K.J. was still in her car, according to the family’s attorney. A 911 call was made right away, but it was too late. K.J. was pronounced dead at 6:03 PM.

The Alabama Department of Human Resources confirmed that the incident happened while the child was “in DHR custody” and “being transported by a contracted worker.” The department stated that the contracting company had fired the employee responsible for K.J.’s care. However, citing privacy reasons, DHR has not shared more details about the child’s identity or the exact circumstances of the incident. They did acknowledge how serious the situation is and said they would take steps to prevent such tragedies in the future.

K.J.’s family is shattered by his loss. They remember him as a bright and energetic child. His father shared that K.J. could count, knew his colors, and could name animals by age three, showing how smart and eager to learn he was.

K.J.’s death is the first hot car fatality in Alabama this year. Across the country, it is at least the 16th such death in 2025, according to Amber Rollins, the director of Kids and Car Safety, a nonprofit group that works to prevent child injuries and deaths in and around vehicles.