Family and friends gathered at Lincoln Memorial Cemetery in Bessemer to celebrate the life of Ke’Torrius “KJ” Starkes Jr., a three-year-old who died last year after being left in a hot car. Today, Feb. 22, would be his fourth birthday. Family and friends that attended the graveside event wore blue, KJ’s favorite color, in his honor.
“It hurts that no one’s stepping up and taking accountability for shortening and taking his life from him,” said KJ’s aunt Brittney DeBruce. “His life was stolen from him at a young age. Some people may look at it like it was a mistake, but some mistakes you just shouldn’t make, can’t make.”
KJ died last year on July 22 while in the care of a Department of Human Resources (DHR) worker after he was picked up from a visit with his father. Kela Stanford reportedly road around with KJ in the vehicle before returning home, stopping multiple times but forgetting to return KJ to daycare. He was left in the backseat while Stanford went inside her home…