Kamari Zavon Taylor | Homicide Watch DC

Peter Hendy Sentenced to 20 Years for Killing Girlfriend's 4-year-old

Kristian Hernandez — Fri, 07 Feb 2014 17:43:21 -0500

Peter Hendy was sentenced to 20 years in prison Friday for the death of his girlfriend's son, four-year-old Kamari Zavon Taylor.

Hendy, 33, was babysitting Taylor in an apartment in Northeast DC on Aug. 5 of last year, when, according to court records, he punched the boy repeatedly in his stomach, fracturing the child's ribs and lacerating his liver.

Before leaving that morning, the boy had asked his mother if he could go outside and ride his scooter. The mother left for work and throughout the day received various calls from Hendy, saying the boy had acted up and that Hendy had disciplined him.

According to Hendy's admissions in court, the boy disobeyed him by riding too far on his scooter and by talking back, telling him: "I don't have to listen to you you’re not my daddy."

Hendy admitted to punching the boy four or five times, which he later described to police as, "a body shot, but not hard." Hendy remembers the boy's legs shaking and sweating profusely before placing the boy in bed.

After an hour of selling Marijuana outside of the residence, Hendy went back inside and realized the boy was not breathing and had a "blank look," so he called 911, according to Hendy.

Emergency respondents found the boy unconscious and unresponsive. He was taken to Children's National Medical Center and pronounced dead.

Peter Hendy Pleads Guilty to Second-Degree Murder for Kamari Zavon Taylor Death

Ivan Natividad — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 13:30:57 -0400

Peter Hendy pleaded guilty Thursday to second-degree murder in connection with the death of 4-year-old Kamari Zavon Taylor. Prosecutors dropped an initial charge of first-degree murder in exchange for the plea.

On August 5 around 2:05 p.m. police found the child unconscious in an apartment complex on the 5600 block of Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue Northeast. He was transported to the Children’s National Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead. An autopsy revealed the cause of death to be blunt force trauma; the case was ruled a homicide. Hendy, 33, was arrested the next day and held on suspicion of first-degree murder in the child's death.

Prosecutors said Thursday that Hendy struck his girlfriend's 4-year-old son and then left the child alone for over two hours.

According to plea documents, Hendy had taken the child outside to play after his mother, Hendy's girlfriend, left for work. Hendy became upset after the child disobeyed his restrictions on how far the child could ride his scooter. When Hendy scolded the child, the child responded that he did not have to listen to him. Hendy then punched the child in the body four to five times, one of the times a direct punch to the stomach, court documents state.

Once inside the apartment the child collapsed to the floor and could not stand. Hendy offered the child food and water, but he declined, so Hendy then carried the child to his bed, and then went outside to sell marijuana. An hour later Hendy came back to the apartment and noticed the child had a “blank look” on his face and looked “spent.” Hendy went outside again for another hour to sell more marijuana. When he returned, the child was not breathing and his neck was stiff, documents state.

At around 2:00 p.m. Hendy called 911. The child was transported to a hospital and at 2:46 p.m. was pronounced dead. An autopsy concluded that the child suffered from broken ribs, bruises from being struck in the stomach, and a liver lacerated in three places, plea documents state.

Kamari's mother sat in the courtroom Thursday, wearing a black sweater with a baby picture of her son printed across her back. With tears running down her face she said, "I can never see my son again. Never."

"He just said it like it wasn't somebody's life," she said of the plea. "Like it didn't matter."

Hendy is scheduled to be sentenced on November 22 by Judge Ronna Beck.

The proffer of facts for this case has been added below:

Hendy, Peter Proffer of Facts (PDF)Hendy, Peter Proffer of Facts (Text)

Peter Hendy Held in Death of Girlfriend's Four-Year-Old Son, Kamari Zavon Taylor

Laura Amico — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 17:12:29 -0400

Peter Hendy was ordered held today pending a preliminary hearing on a charge that he fatally struck his girlfriend's four-year-old boy.

Hendy, 33, did not contest any finding of probable cause at his presentment on the charge Wednesday. According to charging documents, in an interview with police, Hendy said he struck the child for being a "smart mouth kid."

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 30.

Charging documents state that Hendy told police he took the child, Kamari Zavon Taylor, outside to ride his scooter after his mother left for work at about 10:45 Monday morning. When the child rode out of an area where Hendy could see him, he admonished him, Hendy told police.

The child responded, saying "I don't have to listen to you, you're not my daddy," Hendy told police. That was when he gave the child a "body shot-- but not hard," Hendy was overheard telling police, according to the charging documents.

Hendy said the child continued to play on the scooter, but about a half hour later noticed that the child was sweaty and his legs were shaking. Thinking that the child was dehydrated, he took him inside and gave him water and put him to bed, Hendy told police.

Later, when he again checked on the child he saw that he was unconscious and not breathing and Hendy called 911.

An autopsy concluded that the child suffered a lacerated liver and broken ribs, likely from being struck in the abdomen.

Charging documents in the case are below.

Peter Hendy charging docs (PDF)Peter Hendy charging docs (Text)

Death of 4-Year-Old Kamari Zavon Taylor Ruled Homicide; Suspect in Custody

Laura Amico — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 09:47:17 -0400

The Monday death of 4-year-old Kamari Zavon Taylor of Northeast DC has been ruled a homicide; a 33-year-old Northeast DC man has been arrested.

Police said Wedneday morning that Taylor was found unconscious in the 5600 block of Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, Northeast. He was taken to Children’s National Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy determined he had suffered blunt force trauma.

Shortly after midnight Tuesday, 33-year-old Peter Hendy was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder in connection with the child's death.

Taylor is the second four-year-old to be killed in DC this year; the first was Samauri Jenkins. Both are the youngest homicide victims to date.

A press release from MPD is after the jump.

August 7, 2013

Arrest Made in Homicide: 5600 Block of Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, NE

(Washington, DC) – Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch have announced that an arrest has been made in the homicide which occurred in the 5600 block of Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, NE.

On Monday, August 5, 2013, at approximately 2:05 pm, patrol units from the Sixth District and personnel from DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to the 5600 block of Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, NE to investigate the report of an unconscious male. Upon their arrival, they observed the child in an unconscious state. Personnel from DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services transported the child to Children’s National Medical Center, where the child was pronounced dead. An autopsy revealed the cause of death was blunt force trauma. On Monday, August 5, 2013, the decedent’s manner of death was determined to be a homicide.

The decedent is identified as 4-year-old Kamari Zavon Taylor of Northeast, Washington, DC.

On Tuesday, August 6 2013, at approximately 12:35 am, members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested 33-year-old Peter Hendy of Northeast, DC, pursuant to a District of Columbia Superior Court arrest warrant and charged him with First Degree Murder in connection to the death of Kamari Zavon Taylor.

Homicide Detectives Investigate Death of Kamari Zavon Taylor

Penny Ray — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 19:58:28 -0400

Homicide detectives are investigating the death of a child found unconscious Monday in Northeast D.C.

Around 2:00 p.m. Monday medical personnel responded to the 5600 block of Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue NE to help 4-year-old Kamari Zavon Taylor, who was unconscious. Taylor was taken to Children’s National Medical Center and pronounced dead.

The cause and manner of Taylor's death remains undetermined pending a ruling from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

An MPD press release is after the jump.

Undetermined Death Investigation in the 5600 block of Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, NE

(Washington, DC)-Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch are investigating a death which occurred in the 5600 block of Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, NE.

On Monday, August 5, 2013, at approximately 2:05 pm, patrol units from the Sixth District and personnel from DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to the 5600 block of Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, NE to investigate the report of an unconscious male. Upon their arrival, they observed the child in an unconscious state. Personnel from DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services transported the child to Children’s National Medical Center, where the child was pronounced dead. The cause and manner of the child’s death is pending a ruling from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

The decedent is identified as 4-year-old Kamari Zavon Taylor of Northeast, Washington, DC.

The investigation is ongoing.