TX - Keyontae Holzendorf, 8, drowned in hotel bath tub, Houston, Mar 2021 *mom and husband arrested*

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everybodhi said:
MOM TOLD POLICE SHE AND COMMON-LAW HUSBAND HAD SEX WHILE SON WAS DYING

According to court records, the couple told investigators they "don't know what happened" to Keyontae. Police wrote they observed new and old injuries on his body the night he died and the details are graphic. They include burn patches on his chest and body, burns to the shaft of his penis, bruising to the left side of his forehead, a laceration to the left ear, small puncture wounds to different places and ligature marks on his ankles and wrists.

https://abc13.com/amp/boy-killed-grandparents-8-year-old-found-dead-in-hotel-keyontae-holzendorf/10448338/

Ex-girlfriend of man accused in 8-year-old's death says he was abusive

She said eventually the emotional abuse turned physical. She told him the relationship was over. The ex-girlfriend said he tried to assault her when she came home from work one day.

"I had just gotten home from work. I was trying to take a shower. He was all like, 'Baby, baby. Let's kiss,' and whatever. 'I already told you I'm not your girlfriend anymore. You're just still living here. I'm trying to take a shower.' Gradually, he took me to the bed and tried to have sex with me. I told him I'm not interested," said the woman. "He's like, 'I'll rip your shirt off.' My dad was in the next room and heard the scuffle. He called 911."

"If I had continued the relationship, it could have gotten a lot worse. The thing about Dominique is when he gets angry, he gets extremely angry," said the woman. "He doesn't control himself well. He will destroy things. He will hit things. Luckily, I got out of it before it got too bad."

The woman said she feels for the boy's mother, Kayla Holzendorf. She said she wanted to hug her and said it's likely Kayla got caught up in a bad relationship.

Ex-girlfriend of man accused in 8-year-old's death says he was abusive

Prosecutor describes death of Keyontae Holzendorf as a ‘long-term torture case’

The couple appeared Friday morning in Harris County criminal court before Judge Hilary Unger. Prosecutor Gilbert Sawtelle revealed more details in what he called a “long-term torture case,” saying that he suspects Lewis, who is not the boy’s biological father, was the main culprit in the child’s death.

Preliminary autopsy results reveal that the boy likely died from a combination of blunt trauma and asphyxiation, Sawtelle said. The full autopsy results have not been released. There was also evidence of prior injuries. The boy had scars on his back and thighs, Sawtelle said.

Keyontae had injuries consistent with duct tape being ripped off his face and body, Sawtelle said. He had internal injuries consistent with choking on his own blood, the prosecutor said. Investigators recovered handcuffs stuffed under a mattress and duct tape with evidence of hair and skin.

Kayla Holzendorf told investigators that she and Lewis told the boy to take a bath while they had sex, Sawtelle said. The mother said she fell asleep and awoke to screaming in the bathroom. Prosecutors said they believe that Lewis struck Keyontae in the mouth and bound him with duct tape.

“Our inclination is that the injuries were (caused) by Mr. Lewis,” Sawtelle said.

Prosecutor describes death of Keyontae Holzendorf as a ‘long-term torture case’

Grandparents seeking justice after 8-year-old boy found dead in Houston motel

“I immediately thought there was something else behind it. There is no way an 8-year-old boy is going to just drown himself in a tub,” said Keyontae’s step-grandfather Deon Davis.

Kayla’s mother, Sheryl Holzendorf, agrees that her daughter’s story doesn’t add up.

Kayla’s father, Timothy Holzendorf, said he is heartsick over the death of his beautiful grandson.
“You could not find a sweeter, more lovable, little boy,” Timothy said.

Grandparents seeking justice after 8-year-old boy found dead in Houston motel
Click to expand...
This case is so gut wrenching.
 
“I filed a police report. I asked the police if they could just take the little boy somewhere they told me that they do believe he was being abused but there was nothing they could do at that point,” Jackson said.

The Houston Police Department did confirm that the officers talked to the boy’s parents, who claimed the child hurt himself while riding a bike.

About three weeks later Keyontae would be found dead.

https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2021/03/26/local-woman-says-she-tried-to-help-8-year-boy-three-weeks-before-his-death/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=snd&utm_content=kprc2&fbclid=IwAR2nD4d-ykS_bq1kkbBEvnhx2uLu312GJqR_x6N5n-_Gc3MnLD5NJolJEBA
 
ConcernedCitizenWay said:
Not so sure
Click to expand...
There’s no way we can be sure but her parents and step parents did immediately drive from Florida and Georgia to Texas when she called them from the hotel room, only to find out he was dead when they got there.
And they are not making excuses for her, putting all the blame on the bad man, as is often the case with families.
They were in court and say they will be there until Keyontae gets justice
Grandparents seeking justice after 8-year-old boy found dead in Houston motel
 
Last edited:
bears10 said:
“I filed a police report. I asked the police if they could just take the little boy somewhere they told me that they do believe he was being abused but there was nothing they could do at that point,” Jackson said.

The Houston Police Department did confirm that the officers talked to the boy’s parents, who claimed the child hurt himself while riding a bike.

About three weeks later Keyontae would be found dead.
Local woman says she tried to help 8-year boy three weeks before his death
Click to expand...

8-year-old is 1 of 1,700 Harris Co. child abuse victims this year

We are only three months in
 
katydid23 said:
Houston police had contact with 8-year-old boy 3 weeks before his death

boy-death-.jpg



Houston police had contact with 8-year-old boy 3 weeks before his death

Houston police had contact with 8-year-old boy 3 weeks before his death
By Jessica Willey and Charly Edsitty


HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Houston police officers spoke with an 8-year-old boy three weeks before he was found unresponsive with both new and old injuries, including patches of missing skin and deep ligature marks.

The boy's mother, Kayla Holzendorf, 24, and her common-law husband, Dominique Lewis, 28, have been charged with injury to a child and tampering with evidence. Those charges could be upgraded.

Nahji Jackson told ABC13 she called police on Feb. 28 to report abuse. The boy, who had been identified in court records as Keyontae Holzendorf, was selling muffins outside a Food Town on Briar Forest. She said he was unkempt but also injured.

"He had a cut here," Jackson said motioning to her eye. "Old cuts and bruises. When I asked the little boy if he was okay, all he did was stare at me. He did not speak."

Jackson provided video of the encounter to ABC13. Three and a half weeks later, the boy was found dead.

...snipped...

Tuesday night, police and firefighters responded to a possible drowning call at the Quality Inn and Suites off the West Beltway around 11 p.m. Investigators said it was obvious there was more to it.

I can't completely say we are sold that it was a drowning. When HFD and Houston police arrived, this complainant had many, many signs of chronic abuse, both old and new injuries and the new injuries are horrendous," explained Gilbert Sawtelle, the chief prosecutor of the Child Fatality Division at the Harris County District Attorney's Office. "It involves large patches of skin missing from his chest, upper arms, thighs and genitalia. He also had fairly new, deep ligature marks on his ankles."

Handcuffs and duct tape were found in the room, said Sawtelle. He added the mother admitted to hiding the handcuffs, which led to the tampering charge.

"We believe those handcuffs may be associated with ligature marks on the ankles," he said.

Officers found the boy on the floor in the middle of a room on the second floor of the hotel. Paramedics began CPR and transported the boy to Texas Children's Hospital in Katy where he was pronounced dead.
Click to expand...
I'm sick to my stomach. Did you see that child's face in the video? Was there a female officer in attendance at that call? I have to wonder if there had been, would she have had CPS pick him up and not given him back to those monsters? I'll not be able to watch that video again and see the pain and fear in Keyontae's eyes.

I don't advocate violence, but this case stretches my boundaries. I'll not further describe what I would wish to see done to the egg donor and her %$#(&^ piece of carp bf.
 
Harris County court records revealed the new details just hours after the child's maternal grandparents told ABC13 his mother concealed him from them before his death.

Sheryl Holzendorf, Keyontae's grandmother, traveled to Houston following the news of the boy's death and told ABC13 she had no idea about the abuse.

"It's just shocking that this could happen to us," Sheryl said. "None of us knew what was going on because [Keyontae's mother] was so short on the phone, and every time that we would talk to her and Keyontae, she would have his face covered or we couldn't see his face at all. We could just hear him in the background, so we had no idea this was going on."

“I want everybody to know that Keyontae had a family," said Ericka. "We love him. He wasn't by himself, and he's not alone, and we're here to find out what happened ... we're here until we get justice."
Death of 8-year-old found in hotel tub with 'horrendous' injuries ruled a homicide, examiner says
*C’mon grandma, did you not ask to speak to and see your grandson? When was the last time you saw or spoke to him? What did he tell you? Did he….*I can’t. I just can’t. “Shocking that it could happen to us?” What? Us?
 
imstilla.grandma said:
Harris County court records revealed the new details just hours after the child's maternal grandparents told ABC13 his mother concealed him from them before his death.

Sheryl Holzendorf, Keyontae's grandmother, traveled to Houston following the news of the boy's death and told ABC13 she had no idea about the abuse.

"It's just shocking that this could happen to us," Sheryl said. "None of us knew what was going on because [Keyontae's mother] was so short on the phone, and every time that we would talk to her and Keyontae, she would have his face covered or we couldn't see his face at all. We could just hear him in the background, so we had no idea this was going on."

“I want everybody to know that Keyontae had a family," said Ericka. "We love him. He wasn't by himself, and he's not alone, and we're here to find out what happened ... we're here until we get justice."
Death of 8-year-old found in hotel tub with 'horrendous' injuries ruled a homicide, examiner says
*C’mon grandma, did you not ask to speak to and see your grandson? When was the last time you saw or spoke to him? What did he tell you? Did he….*I can’t. I just can’t. “Shocking that it could happen to us?” What? Us?
Click to expand...
His face was always covered up and short on the phone were BIG indications in my opinion. I would have been either driving or on a $29 Spirit flight to IAH way before his death.
How many signs of abuse do you need?
JMO
 
“Long term torture”. He’s EIGHT.
I’m often desensitized due to this and other forums and you tube police interrogations videos. But this…this shatters me and stops my breath.
Long. Term. Torture.
Just thinking of what that could possibly entail, I don’t understand how a mother EVER gets to that.
 
MimosaMornings said:
His face was always covered up and short on the phone were BIG indications in my opinion. I would have been either driving or on a $29 Spirit flight to IAH way before his death.
How many signs of abuse do you need?
JMO
Click to expand...

I’d like to think that I’d have jumped in the car to go check on Keyontae too @MimosaMornings. But in reality I’m not so sure that most families would leap to the conclusion that there was abuse based on what they saw, although to US they are big indications, of course. We see so much here that we’re tuned in. But I think a lot of families would give the Mom the benefit of the doubt in that situation and accept her explanation, never imagining abuse, let alone torture. Even LE didn’t see enough to act on. I’m sure they’re beating themselves up in hindsight, both LE and the family. It’s beyond horrible that a mother’s attachment to her boyfriend is more important to her than protecting her child. So perverted! That poor little boy. :(
 
MimosaMornings said:
His face was always covered up and short on the phone were BIG indications in my opinion. I would have been either driving or on a $29 Spirit flight to IAH way before his death.
How many signs of abuse do you need?
JMO
Click to expand...

Ma, have you been secretly posting as MimosaMornings?

On her walker with titanium tubes in her eyes my mom would have showed up unannounced with an Army behind her "just in case". She'd bury me alive after torturing me first if I ever hurt my child.

Completely understand lilibet. Some of us happened to get Nancy Drew crossed with the Incredible Hulk in our family.
 
Sorry @Lilibet and @Filly if my response came across as harsh.
Covering up a child’s face once or twice - I can understand kids in hoodies, playing peek a boo, or being silly covering yourself with a blanket. Cutting FaceTime short when the little one is hungry, crying or on your way to work is understandable.
I’d be suspicious if it had been going on more then a few times. Especially if I couldn’t see the child’s face on numerous occasions.
But if everything else seemed okay and there were no other red flags, I’d probably dismiss the first time or two it happened. I’m just the questioning type, I have to remember not everyone is wired like me!
 
everybodhi said:
MOM TOLD POLICE SHE AND COMMON-LAW HUSBAND HAD SEX WHILE SON WAS DYING

According to court records, the couple told investigators they "don't know what happened" to Keyontae. Police wrote they observed new and old injuries on his body the night he died and the details are graphic. They include burn patches on his chest and body, burns to the shaft of his penis, bruising to the left side of his forehead, a laceration to the left ear, small puncture wounds to different places and ligature marks on his ankles and wrists.

https://abc13.com/amp/boy-killed-grandparents-8-year-old-found-dead-in-hotel-keyontae-holzendorf/10448338/

Ex-girlfriend of man accused in 8-year-old's death says he was abusive

She said eventually the emotional abuse turned physical. She told him the relationship was over. The ex-girlfriend said he tried to assault her when she came home from work one day.

"I had just gotten home from work. I was trying to take a shower. He was all like, 'Baby, baby. Let's kiss,' and whatever. 'I already told you I'm not your girlfriend anymore. You're just still living here. I'm trying to take a shower.' Gradually, he took me to the bed and tried to have sex with me. I told him I'm not interested," said the woman. "He's like, 'I'll rip your shirt off.' My dad was in the next room and heard the scuffle. He called 911."

"If I had continued the relationship, it could have gotten a lot worse. The thing about Dominique is when he gets angry, he gets extremely angry," said the woman. "He doesn't control himself well. He will destroy things. He will hit things. Luckily, I got out of it before it got too bad."

The woman said she feels for the boy's mother, Kayla Holzendorf. She said she wanted to hug her and said it's likely Kayla got caught up in a bad relationship.

Ex-girlfriend of man accused in 8-year-old's death says he was abusive

Prosecutor describes death of Keyontae Holzendorf as a ‘long-term torture case’

The couple appeared Friday morning in Harris County criminal court before Judge Hilary Unger. Prosecutor Gilbert Sawtelle revealed more details in what he called a “long-term torture case,” saying that he suspects Lewis, who is not the boy’s biological father, was the main culprit in the child’s death.

Preliminary autopsy results reveal that the boy likely died from a combination of blunt trauma and asphyxiation, Sawtelle said. The full autopsy results have not been released. There was also evidence of prior injuries. The boy had scars on his back and thighs, Sawtelle said.

Keyontae had injuries consistent with duct tape being ripped off his face and body, Sawtelle said. He had internal injuries consistent with choking on his own blood, the prosecutor said. Investigators recovered handcuffs stuffed under a mattress and duct tape with evidence of hair and skin.

Kayla Holzendorf told investigators that she and Lewis told the boy to take a bath while they had sex, Sawtelle said. The mother said she fell asleep and awoke to screaming in the bathroom. Prosecutors said they believe that Lewis struck Keyontae in the mouth and bound him with duct tape.

“Our inclination is that the injuries were (caused) by Mr. Lewis,” Sawtelle said.

Prosecutor describes death of Keyontae Holzendorf as a ‘long-term torture case’

Grandparents seeking justice after 8-year-old boy found dead in Houston motel

“I immediately thought there was something else behind it. There is no way an 8-year-old boy is going to just drown himself in a tub,” said Keyontae’s step-grandfather Deon Davis.

Kayla’s mother, Sheryl Holzendorf, agrees that her daughter’s story doesn’t add up.

Kayla’s father, Timothy Holzendorf, said he is heartsick over the death of his beautiful grandson.
“You could not find a sweeter, more lovable, little boy,” Timothy said.

Grandparents seeking justice after 8-year-old boy found dead in Houston motel
Click to expand...

The mother’s dad was in the next room?

He lived at the hotel right next door to them amd didn’t see any of the injuries to his grandson?

The maternal grandparents and other family members didn’t know they were living in a motel? They couldn’t tell from FaceTime.
They didn’t send gifts to the child for his birthday or Christmas? Never asked for an address to send a card and maybe a cheap toy?
It’s a horribly sad life that he had to live.

When was the last time they actually saw their daughter and grandson in person?

Did he not go to school either?

This little sweet boy suffered greatly :(
 
MimosaMornings said:
Sorry @Lilibet and @Filly if my response came across as harsh.
Covering up a child’s face once or twice - I can understand kids in hoodies, playing peek a boo, or being silly covering yourself with a blanket. Cutting FaceTime short when the little one is hungry, crying or on your way to work is understandable.
I’d be suspicious if it had been going on more then a few times. Especially if I couldn’t see the child’s face on numerous occasions.
But if everything else seemed okay and there were no other red flags, I’d probably dismiss the first time or two it happened. I’m just the questioning type, I have to remember not everyone is wired like me!
Click to expand...

@MimosaMornings please don't apologize. I agree with you. The way you expressed yourself was almost verbatim to what my mom would say.

Exactly not everyone is wired this way, but you can now count two others who are absolutely wired like you.
 
Filly said:
@MimosaMornings please don't apologize. I agree with you. The way you expressed yourself was almost verbatim to what my mom would say.

Exactly not everyone is wired this way, but you can now count two others who are absolutely wired like you.
Click to expand...
And if you add a glass or wine I can get downright feisty. The upcoming holidays have me stressing so I need to try to cool off before I go blasting anyone.
 
MimosaMornings said:
Sorry @Lilibet and @Filly if my response came across as harsh.
Covering up a child’s face once or twice - I can understand kids in hoodies, playing peek a boo, or being silly covering yourself with a blanket. Cutting FaceTime short when the little one is hungry, crying or on your way to work is understandable.
I’d be suspicious if it had been going on more then a few times. Especially if I couldn’t see the child’s face on numerous occasions.
But if everything else seemed okay and there were no other red flags, I’d probably dismiss the first time or two it happened. I’m just the questioning type, I have to remember not everyone is wired like me!
Click to expand...

You weren’t harsh @MimosaMornings. :) I think a lot of us assume others are wired like we are and I see that narrow viewpoint on too many threads IMO. Speaking generally, I just think we are wise to keep in mind that others see and navigate the world differently before we form negative opinions about them when they are also victims in the Websleuths sense of the word. This family is grieving and no doubt feeling horrible and wondering if they coulda, shoulda woulda done something differently that might have saved Keyontae. Ultimately, the mother and boyfriend are the ones who tortured this poor child. :mad:
All JMO
 
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