Indiana couple allegedly admitted to covering up murder of 3-year-old boy, cops say
Aug. 19 2021, Published 2:32 p.m. ET
A couple in Indiana were arrested after they allegedly killed a 3-year-old boy and then told friends about the murder.
The day her son Zeus died, Crystal Cox, 31, allegedly told a friend that her boyfriend, Jermaine Garnes, 31, killed the child, and she was going to get in trouble for covering it up, the Lafayette Journal & Courier reported.
On Aug. 16, prosecutors charged Cox and Garnes with murder, neglect of a dependent resulting in death, aggravated battery and battery resulting in the death of a person younger than 14, according to the Journal & Courier.
Lafayette, Indiana, police arrested the couple at their house in the 1200 block of Howell St, the Journal & Courier reported.
Police found Zeus’ bruised, lifeless body lying down on a bedroom floor when they arrived at the couple’s home just before 9 a.m. on July 5, according to the Journal & Courier.
Cox blamed the bruising on Zeus falling down on the concrete and running into a table on July 4, the Journal & Courier reported.
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However, on June 29, she allegedly texted Garnes saying they needed to buy a swimsuit for Zeus that would hide his bruises, prosecutors say, according to the Journal & Courier.
Garnes told police that Zeus’ bruising was from falling off his bike about a week before the boy’s death, the Journal & Courier reported.
Garnes’ 9-year-old son told police he called his father a name, and Garnes took his anger out on Zeur, punching him, knocking the boy to the living room floor, according to the Journal & Courier.
Prosecutors say Cox was present when the beating happened, the Journal & Courier reported.
An autopsy determined Zeus died from blunt force trauma, according to the Journal & Courier.
Later on July 5, Garnes and Cox confided in the friend. With Garnes standing there, Cox said that Garnes killed Zeus and she was going to get in trouble for covering up the crime, prosecutors say, according to the Journal & Courier.
At the time, prosecutors say Garnes also confided in another person that he thought he killed Zeus, the Journal & Courier reported.
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