Video: Child’s Death Ruled Homicide

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Brayden Barksdale (Courtesy GoFundMe page)

Chambers

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) — An autopsy ruled the death of a 4-year-old Lowndes County boy Monday was a homicide and not an accident, Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant says.

And sheriff’s detectives confirm the mother’s boyfriend is facing murder and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon charges.

Brayden Barksdale was found shortly after 8 a.m. Monday in the Sobley Road home he shared with his mother, Amy Richardson, and her boyfriend, Patrick Chambers. He died from a single gunshot wound to the head from a .45-70 rifle.

The call originally went out as an accidental shooting but deputies, investigators and Merchant had suspicions from the time they arrived at the scene.

Chambers was the only one with the child, while his mother was starting her second week on the job at Wade John Deere in Columbus.

Chambers told a neighbor the child accidentally shot himself.

“It was not an accidental shooting or death,” Merchant said Tuesday afternoon. “The child did not shoot himself.”

Lowndes County Investigator Ryan Rickert echoes Merchant’s findings “Evidence at the crime scene, some things that we saw at the crime scene, and the autopsy that was conducted this morning, which has been ruled a homicide, lead us to where we are right now.”

Merchant would not disclose the distance from which the child was shot, but he said it wasn’t point-blank.

Chambers has maintained the child accidentally shot himself and Merchant reiterated that wasn’t the case. He also would not disclose what leads investigators to believe Chambers didn’t accidentally shoot the child while handling the weapon.

“There was no chance it was an accident,” Merchant said.

Deputies said they are continuing to to look into Chambers’ past, including the charge he was convicted of.

Investigators said Chamber moved to Mississippi “a couple” of months ago. He and Richardson met in North Dakota.

The families were notified of the autopsy findings at about midday Tuesday.

The child’s father is Jeffery Barksdale of Columbus. Amy Richardson was awarded custody last July because Barksdale is a paraplegic as a result of a car accident, authorities said.

Lowndes Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Visitation for Brayden Lee Barksdale will be Wednesday at Lowndes Funeral Home in Columbus from 1-3 P.M. The funeral will begin at 3 P.M.

Barksdale will be buried at Murrah’s Chapel Cemetery.

He is survived by his parents Jeffery Barksdale and Amy Richardson, along with a brother and sister.

Friends and relatives have started a GoFundMe account to raise money to help with burial expenses. Use the link below to donate:

http://www.gofundme.com/kih7l0