Michigan man who beat Indiana boy to death convicted of murder, other counts

A jury has convicted a Michigan man of murder and other charges in the beating death of a 3-year-old boy in Lafayette.

Jermaine Garnes of West Bloomfield, Michigan, was convicted of murder, neglect resulting in death, aggravated battery resulting in death and battery on a person under 14 resulting in death. The jury returned the verdicts Wednesday.

Garnes and his girlfriend, Crystal Lynn Cox, were both charged in August 2021 in connection with the death of 3-year-old Zeus Cox. The little boy was found dead on a bedroom floor with bruises on his chest, stomach and other areas of his body.

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The couple gave police conflicting accounts. Cox said he had fallen on concrete and later ran into a table. Garnes told police Zeus had fallen off his bike.

Witnesses told police Garnes struck the 3-year-old with his fist.

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An autopsy revealed the 3-year-old died from multiple blunt force trauma injuries to his abdomen that ruptured the boy’s intestines and caused rib fractures and internal bleeding.

Cox was found guilty of murder, neglect resulting in death, aggravated battery resulting in death, and battery on a person under 14 resulting in death last May and was sentenced to 53 years in prison.

Garnes’ sentencing has not yet been scheduled.

Indiana woman killed in flash flood, multiple homes destroyed

A woman was killed during weekend flash flooding in rural southeastern Indiana that damaged numerous homes and washed away several roads, officials said.

Normally small creeks were overwhelmed as perhaps eight inches of rain fell Saturday night in parts of Jefferson and Switzerland counties. The Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency said one woman was found dead, along with two homes destroyed and more than 20 buildings damaged around the rural community of Manville.

Resident Kim Schultz told WDRB-TV that a friend tried to get the woman to leave her house before it was swept away, but she didn’t want to go.

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The fast-rising waters swept away several vehicles and uprooted trees. Jefferson County officials said at least two damaged bridges were closed indefinitely, while the state highway department closed a bridge for Indiana 250 in Switzerland County for repairs.

Jefferson County road department worker Chad Backus told WLKY-TV that it expected it would be several weeks before all roads would be reopened in the area about midway between Louisville, Kentucky, and Cincinnati.

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The identity of the woman who died wasn’t immediately released and no other injuries were reported.