Man Allegedly Beat Infant to Death, Tried to Frame Autistic Son, Prosecutors Say

A Washington D.C. man is accused of beating his girlfriend's infant daughter to death and then attempting to frame his 6-year-old autistic son for the crime. Demetrius Beatty, 40, was arrested Tuesday and charged with first-degree felony murder and first-degree cruelty to children in the death of 2-month-old Khamyah Honesty.

Prosecutors allege Beatty killed the infant on Aug. 16 at his New Jersey Avenue home. When police arrived, Beatty was reportedly holding the severely injured baby. According to an arrest affidavit, Beatty initially claimed his autistic son had attacked the infant. However, police noted inconsistencies in his 911 call, including the incorrect age for his son and the wrong apartment unit.

During the 911 call, Beatty stated, "I guess my autistic son got to the 2-month-year-old daughter and was fighting her and he damaged her pretty good. Her face is swollen, her nose is bleeding. I need help quick." He further claimed he was momentarily in the hallway with other children and found the baby on the floor when he returned.

Beatty, who was reportedly watching Khamyah, her twin sister, and three other children, admitted to using drugs. He told officers he heard a thumping sound and later found the baby "on the f–king floor face down," with his son clapping and smiling nearby. He allegedly told police, "I know my son, he gets into something... He beat that girl ass."

Beatty described his son as having "negative behavior toward his siblings" due to perceived favoritism and noted that the boy was "out of this world strong." He provided an incorrect name and birthdate for the infant, stating she was not his biological child but asserting he was her protector.

Little Khamyah Honesty suffered multiple fractures, a flattened nose bridge, and significant head trauma, which led to her death hours later. A forensic pathologist determined the injuries were too severe to have been inflicted by a child.

Investigators believe Beatty killed the baby out of jealousy, as the mother of his two children had become pregnant with the twins through an affair. He reportedly expressed bitterness and unhappiness about the situation. The mother confirmed that Beatty had previously threatened to kill her twins if she left them alone with him, according to her interview with police.

The mother was at the grocery store during the incident. She told officers that Beatty had warned her days earlier, "If you leave them b–ches here, them b–ches are going to be dead." She later remarked to police, "Mighty funny that you made that comment and I come back from the grocery store and my daughter dead," though she also reportedly expressed doubt about Beatty's responsibility.

Records indicate this was not the first instance of severe injury to the infant. Weeks prior, Khamyah had fallen approximately 75 feet down an escalator after slipping from a car seat, an incident the mother allegedly downplayed. Beatty is also accused of locking the crying twins in a closet.

The four surviving children exhibited signs of neglect and unexplained injuries. Social services removed them from the home. Investigators discovered the residence in deplorable and filthy conditions, with pills and marijuana left accessible. Beatty admitted to using fentanyl in the days leading up to the murder.

Court documents reveal that a relative of the twins' father had been attempting for two months to have the city's Child and Family Services Agency investigate the children's safety.

Beatty is being held without bond and is scheduled to appear in federal court again on September 28.