Local

Police: Mother, boyfriend charged in baby's death

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On Sunday night, police said it is a mother's fault her 17-month-old daughter is dead.

They have also charged the mother's boyfriend with the child's death.

She tattooed her daughter's name to her arm and posted it on Facebook for everyone to see, but now, Jade Butler is only seeing cell bars after being accused of murder and felony abuse in the death of her 17-month-old daughter.

Butler's boyfriend, 23-year-old Antonio Cathey, is also in jail accused of the same thing.

Eyewitness News spoke with his neighbor, who is stunned at the allegations.

Khalilah Brown told Eyewitness News neighbors were told the child had a medical condition when she went to the hospital from the Little Rock apartments unresponsive Friday.

Police said the child died as a result of physical assault.

Police have not said what roles either Butler or Cathey may have had in the child's death.

On Monday, Cathey's mother, Garmarie Bennett, told Channel 9 her son was innocent.

"They were both good parents. My son loved that baby like it was his, and Jade loved her daughter to the fullest," Bennett said.

Bennett said Kyeimani suffered from an illness that made her bones brittle, and had recently been hospitalized. Bennett said the disease, not physical abuse, was what led to Kyeimani's death.

"She was in the hospital for like a week and a half on Sept. 8, that's why I don't understand why they're charging them with this, and it's from the same illness," Bennett said.

Monday afternoon CMPD investigators would not comment on those allegations, and have not said exactly what role the couple played in Kyeimani's death.

Eyewitness News dug deeper into their backgrounds.

Eyewitness News found Cathey has been to jail before at least three times -- in 2011 for robbery, 2012 for trespassing and 2013 for possession of marijuana.

Eyewitness News spoke with Butler's cousin over the phone.

She said Butler was a mother devoted to caring for her daughter.

She did not know who Butler was surrounding herself with, but never believed a situation would come to this.