JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) – The woman accused of leaving 3-year-old Ke’Torrius “KJ” Starkes Jr., in a hot car leading to his death has officially been indicted.
Starkes was under the care of the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) and was being transported by Kela R. Stanford who was a Covenant Services employee at the time of his death. Covenant Services was contracted by DHR to help with child transportation.
The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office confirmed that Starkes was left inside the vehicle July 22 on Pinetree Drive in Birmingham from approximately 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. He was found unresponsive and pronounced dead about 30 minutes later.
According to court records, on Feb. 6, 2026, a Jefferson County Grand Jury indicted Stanford on the charge of leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle…