State seeks death penalty in the worst child death case Opelika police detective has seen (2024)

Alabama is seeking the death penalty against an Opelika woman and her roommate after her 1-year-old son Ezekiel Norville died in late February with a brain bleed and fractured ribs.

Dorothy Kay Hight, 32, and Seth Jake Chandler Kendrick, 29, pleaded not guiltyto capital murder charges"by reason of mental disease or defect." It's unclear at this time when the case will go to trial.

More than seven months after their arrests, Hight and Kendrick appeared in court for two separate arraignments in what a Lee County district judge and Opelika police detective described as the worse case they've seen. Limited information was shared at Friday'sarraignments, butSgt. Brandon Huttogave his account of the Feb. 20 death during a preliminary hearing held in April.

Brain injury, burns and bite marks show signs of abuse, police say

Huttotestified that the co-defendants called authorities to their home in the 200 block of 24th Street afterNorvillebecameunconsciousness. The responding officer, whose name has not been released publicly,saw Kendrick performing CPR and took over.

The unnamed officer noticed approximately 95% of Norville's body was covered in deep purple bruising. There were several abrasions, cuts and markings on Norville's cheek, nose, arm and stomach. Several burns resembled the end of a butane lighter, according to the detective's account of the incident.

The toddler was rushed to the East Alabama Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Hutto was called to the hospital afterward.

Hutto told the court some bruises on Norville's stomach and abdomen area resembled fists and fingers. There was a circular mark on his right arm that appeared to be a burn and bite. There was deep purple bruising along the jaw line as if someone grabbed the child, according to police.

Hutto said the medical examiner shared more details, including the fact Norville had a brain bleed and what appeared to be two fractured ribs. The medical examiner said the cause of death was blunt-force trauma and he classified it as a homicide. Hutto described it as the worst child death case he has ever seen.

"Because the court has seen the evidence and the photographs of this child, the court will also state that is the worst I've ever seen. All of it didn't happen on one particular night. It happened over and over again over a period of time, leading up to the final blow that caused the child's death," Lee County District Judge Russell Bush said in April's preliminary hearing.

Kendrick told police the baby fell

In Kendrick's statement to police, he reportedly said Hight and that the child's father has been living with them him since Christmas.Kendrick allegedlytold police he had a bad relationship with the father, who hasn't stayed in the home since his recent arrest.

Hight said she went to bed around 9:30 p.m. that night. Kendrick allegedly told police he gave Norville a shower at 9:30 p.m. and Norville fell but seemed ok.

Kendrick said he put Norville in a hammock in the bedroom afterward and went to a convenience store. Hutto told the court Kendrick did not appear in any surveillance footage from that store's security cameras.

Kendrick said he returned to the residence at 11:30 p.m. and noticed Norville was not breathing. That's when he woke Hight, according to his statement to police.

Hight allegedly told police she started performing CPR and Kendrick took over. Police said she blamed Kendrick for her son's death, citing what she described as erratic behavior, according to testimony during the hearing.

Kendrick allegedly called someone he knew before 911

Hutto said that Hight and Kendrick drove to the hospital. Kendrick dropped off Hight at the entrance at approximately 12:32 a.m. and told her he was going to park the car. Police said Kendrick was seen leaving the EAMC and turning onto Pepperrell Parkway at approximately 12:37 a.m.

Hutto said they received a call from a witness that met with Kendrick after he left the hospital. Hutto said the witness recorded the conversation and some of the quotes in that conversation were that "he made a mess and that he might be going to prison for a long time."

They received a written statement from the witness that said Kendrick sent him a text with cryingemojis at 11:41 p.m. that night that read, "Baby, I'm sorry, I'll explain everything. I'm literally shaking right now." The text came approximately 35 minutes before the 911 call, according to police.

Hutto said someone close to Kendrick reported that she received a text minutes before midnight that read, "Man, I need you to call me right now. Baby's life is at stake. I don't know if he's dead or not. Please, please, please call." He also made multiple FaceTime calls that went unanswered.

Hutto said Kendrick made those calls before dialing 911 to report the child's death.

Hutto said another witness told authorities he was at the residence approximately two weeks prior to the incident and saw bruising on Norville's face cheek. He said he asked Kendrick and Hight, and they said Norville fell down the stairs, Hutto said.