According to court documents, Stanford is charged with leaving a child or incapacitated person unattended in a motor vehicle, a violation of Alabama law. The indictment alleges the incident resulted in the death of K.J. Starkes Jr.
The case stems from a July 22, 2025 incident in which Stanford, identified as a contract transport worker for the Alabama Department of Human Resources, picked up the child from daycare for a supervised visit. Authorities say that after the visit ended, the child was not returned to daycare.
Investigators allege the child remained in a vehicle for several hours, from approximately midday until late afternoon, during extreme heat conditions. The child was later found unresponsive and pronounced dead. Officials said temperatures that day were reported to be around 96 degrees.
Following the incident, law enforcement launched an investigation into possible criminal negligence involving a child in state custody. Stanford was charged on August 1, 2025, and later released on bond.
A Jefferson County grand jury has indicted Kela Stanford in connection with the 2025 death of a 3-year-old child who was left in a vehicle for several hours.
abc3340.com
The indictment states that "Stanford did recklessly or with criminal negligence, leave (Ke’Torrius Starkes Jr.) in a motor vehicle unattended in a manner that created an unreasonable risk of injury or harm."
Family told WVTM 13 that his foster care family dropped him off at daycare where a DHR worker would pick him up for supervised visits with his family.
A Jefferson County grand jury indicted Kela R. Stanford in the death of 3-year-old TJ Starkes.
www.wvtm13.com
I live in the area and it was so hot that summer. It was so heartbreaking to experience that heat and know that poor baby was going through that, but a million times worse. I understand hot car deaths (I recommend reading Fatal Distraction if you haven't) and I genuinely think they can happen to any parent - I just really don't get it when it's your job. I really think she had to have been on drugs or something - why else would she have picked up the kid, gone to get food, and then just gone home? I just don't understand that. This is your job, you're clocked in, it's not like you've been parenting 24/7 for months and you're routinely taking in your groceries and your sleep deprived brain forgets.
