A 41-year-old Beaumont man who had been imprisoned since 2012 for severely abusing a toddler was found dead on Sunday morning at Huntsville’s Ellis Unit.
After presenting evidence of the violent beating to the jury in 2012, Dewayne McKinley Byrd was found guilty after less than an hour of deliberation and sentenced to 99 years in prison.
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According to prosecutors, the beating occurred at an apartment on the 4900 block of Concord Road in Beaumont.
Byrd had claimed that the beatings were intended to “toughen the boy up,” but court documents reveal that the toddler is now permanently handicapped and blind in one eye. He is unable to walk or talk and has a feeding tube. Dr. Marcella Donaruma later testified that Walton suffered lifelong brain damage.
The cause of Byrd’s death has not been determined, and an autopsy has been scheduled.
This is a developing story. We will provide an update as soon as we obtain additional verifiable information.
