Tupelo mother held without bond after charges upgraded to capital murder
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Jan. 27—TUPELO — Two weeks after her 5-year-old son died from beatings and burns, a Tupelo mother of five has been charged with capital murder and ordered held without bond.
Tupelo Municipal Court Judge Willie Moore on Friday ordered Brianna Nichole Young, 27, of Gun Club Road, Tupelo, held without bond and bound the case over to the grand jury.
Lee County Coroner Carolyn Green said the state medical examiner's preliminary autopsy the Jan. 15 death of Kaleb Bogan a homicide and said the boy died of "multiple blunt force trauma and thermal injuries." At the time of his death, police and hospital staff say they noticed a large burn on his upper body, lash marks on his back and burns on his buttocks.
During Young's initial appearance Friday morning on the upgraded charge, Tupelo police detective Jacob Whitlock said the autopsy report also revealed additional injuries to Bogan.
"The doctor (who performed the autopsy) said there were also broken ribs and a torn rectum," Whitlock said. "She said there was also a brain bleed and bruising to the scalp on the back of the head."
Young was initially charged with two counts of child abuse and one count of child deprivation of necessities with substantial harm. She was released on a $100,000 bond the day after she was formally charged.
"She was able to bond out on those charges and didn't leave. I don't believe she is a flight risk," public defender Dennis Farris said while arguing for bond. "The other children have been removed from the home, so they are not at risk. She has the support of her family, so there will not be a problem getting to court."
Allen said the nature of the charges forced him to deny bond as police continue to investigate "serious allegations of abuse that apparently have been going on for some time."
"Allowing Miss Young to be free while the investigation is ongoing would hamper the ability of police to determine if others are liable for the child abuse," Allen said.
Police were called to the Gun Club Road residence for an unresponsive child at 9:44 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 15. Tupelo firefighters were already performing CPR on the child, who was later transferred to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police and hospital staff noticed a large burn mark on the child's face, arm and stomach. There were also lash marks on the child's back, injuries to his buttocks, as well as bruising and scarring all over his body.
Young told police the child was burned by bath water about two weeks earlier, but she did not seek medical attention. Young later admitted she whipped the boy with a switch, leaving the lash marks. She initially said the injuries to his rear end were from a bicycle accident.
"She (later) said she hit him with a curling iron on his butt. That's how he got the burns," Whitlock said during a Jan. 17 court proceeding.
Police said the boy was autistic and nonverbal. Young, who has been cooperating and talking to police, told the investigator she was having trouble with the child and was overwhelmed. Following Young's initial arrest, her other four children were removed from the home and placed in the care of family members.
Young was arrested on the child abuse charges on Jan. 15. She had her initial court appearance on the afternoon of Jan. 17. She bonded out of jail to following day at 7 p.m.
Bogan's autopsy was conducted Tuesday at the state medical examiner's office in Pearl. Following the release of the preliminary report, the charges were upgraded. Young was arrested again and rebooked into the county jail on Jan. 26 at 3:04 p.m.
