Local

Report says 11-month-old died of severe abuse

CHESTER COUNTY, S.C. — Eyewitness News obtained new information on the war veteran, Jeff Bradley, who was charged in the death of 11-month-old Madison Stewart.

On Sunday night, Eyewitness News learned from the Rock Hill Herald that Stewart died of severe abuse -- a fractured skull, kidney injuries and internal bleeding in her eyes.

On Sunday night, Eyewitness News spoke to a close family friend about the heart-wrenching loss.

Stewart was about to turn a year old, but last Thursday something went terribly wrong.

Police said her mother's boyfriend, Bradley, was babysitting the little girl when she suffered deadly injuries.

The mother was working one of two jobs at the time.

It has left the family and those who know them devastated.

"Any loss of any child or anyone but to lose your baby that you wanted so badly is just heartbreaking," said Jodi Dover.

Dover is a family friend who goes to church with them. She went to the hospital to pray with Stewart's mother after she heard the news.

"Her brother was actually wondering how they were going to be able to afford the final expenses, and being a mother myself it just broke my heart -- not only the tragedy, but just knowing that she was getting ready to celebrate this baby's first birthday and not to bury her just broke my heart," said Dover.

Dover set up a fundraiser online to help pay for the funeral and she is spreading the word about it through social media.

"So I just wanted to be able to do something to help them and just to be an encouragement," she said. "I can't take the pain away nobody can but I just wanted to be some kind of help to the family."