An 11-year-old girl tragically lost her life due to a brutal beating inside a South Carolina home, with both adults and children witnessing the horrific event, as revealed by recently disclosed arrest warrants.
A’kyri Bell tragically died on June 11 from severe head injuries after being transported from a home in Myrtle Beach to a nearby hospital.
A relative and guardian of the young girl, Camisha McGaskey, aged 31, was first taken into custody on charges of obstructing justice, but these were later escalated to a murder charge.
On June 17, the Horry County Coroner’s Office said Bell died of blunt force trauma and classified her death as a homicide.
Around the time of Bell’s death, police found that she wasn’t the only child allegedly enduring beatings and living in that home.
The girl lived with her seven siblings in the residence, including a 15-year-old boy who reportedly suffered abuse from January 1 to June 11, according to warrants obtained by News13.
Also present during the assaults were McGaskey’s two-year-old, along with a three-year-old and a 14-year-old, as noted in documents related to the police raid conducted on the home on Tuesday.
Additionally, four other adults; Lakesha Burnett, 34, Alantis Thomas, 21, Darnell Dearmas, 20, and Margaret Roberson, 56, faced charges of unlawful conduct toward a child for allegedly witnessing the fatal assault on Bell and failing to inform authorities.
A’kyri Bell, aged 11, was fatally beaten on June 11 at a Myrtle Beach residence. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma, and the coroner ruled it a homicide.
On Tuesday, the Horry County Police Department conducted a raid on the home Bell lived in
Burnett, Thomas, Dearmas, and Roberson ‘failed to take reasonable steps to intervene, prevent further injury or report the abuse to the appropriate authorities,’ the warrant stated.
Additionally, their ‘willful inaction placed the child at an ongoing and unreasonable risk of harm and contributed to the circumstances that led to a homicide.’
Previous arrest warrants said Burnett, Thomas, and Roberson obstructed justice because they ‘prevented, impeded, or interfered a law enforcement investigation by providing known false statements and attempting to obscure and destroy evidence related to the death of a juvenile victim.’
Roberson and McGaskey were also hit with human trafficking charges, according to arrest records obtained by Daily Mail.
McGaskey used her hands, feet and weapons to beat Bell and other children, the documents showed.
A sixth suspect, who has not been identified, is expected to face the same charges.
At the time of her arrest, McGaskey told New13 she was being racially profiled.
‘I feel like they see the color of our skin and immediately we did something to the little girl. And it was disgusting,’ she said.
Bell’s distant cousin and guardian, Camisha McGaskey, 31, was initially charged with charged with obstruction of justice, but it was soon upgraded to murder
Lakesha Burnett (left), 34, and Alantis Thomas (right), 21, were also arrested and charged in connection to the little girl’s death
Bell’s cousin said the little girl also had a history of fainting spells.
‘I sent her upstairs to take a bath with her sister. Like 20 minutes later, her sister called and said she passed out,’ McGaskey recalled.
‘I went up there to provide aid for her, and as soon as I found out that she was unconscious, I dialed 911, I called the police.’
Video posted by the Horry County Police Department showed a slew of authorities pull up to the home in big vehicles as they issued the warrant and arrested the adults.
Carol Hussel, a neighbor who lives near the home, witnessed the dramatic moment.
She recalled an interaction with one of the women, as Hussel said ‘she didn’t want to engage’ with others.
‘And that was before you knew who she was. You know, for a week we didn’t know that it was the people,’ she added.
Darnell Dearmas (left), 20, and Margaret Roberson (right), 56, were also arrested and charged. All the adult suspects remain in custody
One of the adult suspects is seen with handcuffs around her wrists during the raid on the South Carolina home
Bell was originally from Bay City, Texas, according to her obituary.
She loved to dance and play sports and was known by her loved ones as ‘Ny Ny’ or ‘Star.’
It is unclear why Bell was in McGaskey’s custody.
McGaskey, Thomas, Burnett, Dearmas, and Roberson all remain in custody, according to records.
McGaskey is being represented by an unnamed public defender, according to court records. No bail has been set for her.
