Posted on February 8, 2005

Murder: Cases of Slain Infants near Trial

David Simpson, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 3, 2005

In a life of less than five months, Elijah Edetanlen suffered at least two bone-breaking beatings before a fatal blow to the head, authorities believe.

Other DeKalb County children had even shorter lives.

Kenyuna Doss allegedly was shaken to death at 4 months of age. Korin Long lived just six weeks before dying of blunt force trauma.

Kenneth Lamont Hearns may not have survived the day of his birth, if the allegations against Curtis Grayer are true.

DeKalb’s highest profile trial this spring likely will be the case against Grayer, accused of impregnating his 11-year-old stepdaughter and killing the baby boy she delivered.

The horrific story told by the girl and her mother and authorities’ unsuccessful efforts to find a tiny body in a DeKalb lake drew extensive public attention in 2003.

But the Grayer case is just one of at least nine cases involving dead children working their way toward trial in DeKalb Superior Court.

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