The following is a news release issued by the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office:MEMPHIS, TN – Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons announced Tuesday that the state Grand Jury for Shelby County indicted a Memphis man for the February murder of a young child who was left in the defendant’s care.
The Grand Jury indicted Jamaal Eddie, 26, for first degree murder in the perpetration of aggravated child abuse, aggravated child abuse, and aggravated child neglect or endangerment.
According to the affidavit of complaint filed in this case, on February 27, 2009, 11-month-old Brennan Rayford was taken to LeBohneur Children’s Medial Center because he was unresponsive. Rayford later died as a result of blunt force trauma to his head. The Shelby County Medical Examiner ruled Rayford’s death a homicide. According to the affidavit Memphis police homicide investigators determined that Jamaal Eddie was the person caring for Rayford in the time before the child was taken to the hospital. The affidavit states that Eddie advised investigators that he hit the victim several times in the head with his open hand because the child would not stop crying and that after Eddie hit Rayford the child became unresponsive. Homicide investigators arrested Eddie on March 3, 2009.
Eddie is being held in the Shelby County Jail without bond. An arraignment date has not yet been scheduled.
First degree murder is a charge covered by the D.A.’s “No Deals” policy on violent crimes. Exceptions are made to the policy for legal or ethical reasons. First degree murder is punishable by life in prison with the possibility of parole after 51 years, life in prison without parole, or death. Aggravated child abuse or neglect in which the victim is six-years-old or less is a class A felony, for which the standard sentencing range is 15 to 25 years in prison.
