Memphis is in shock after the heart-wrenching loss of 3-year-old Kevin Horton, who police say died after being brutally abused by Domnica (sometimes spelled Dominica) Mosby, his father’s girlfriend. According to court records, Mosby has now been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and aggravated child neglect.
Authorities say Kevin was dropped off at Mosby’s home by his aunt early on a Friday, and she alleged he was vomiting and not feeling well. But the aunt strongly disputes that — she told investigators that Kevin had been perfectly healthy when she left him, saying the “sick” story was just part of Mosby’s cover story.
Court documents suggest that Mosby later confessed to not only beating Kevin, but torturing him. She allegedly admitted to putting out a lit cigarette in his ear, burning his genitals with a lighter after he urinated on the floor, and repeatedly stomping on his stomach with the heel of her boot. When he wouldn’t lie down, she says, she struck him forcefully on his torso and chest with both closed and open hands.
In the early hours of Saturday, around 3 a.m., Mosby called 911 to report that Kevin was unresponsive. First responders arrived at her residence on Beacon Hills Road, but tragically, Kevin was declared dead at the scene.
The medical examiner’s report was devastating: Kevin died from internal bleeding, had a lacerated liver, and showed signs of extensive bruising across his torso. He also suffered burns on his ear and genitals. The autopsy officially ruled his death a homicide.
Mosby remains jailed without bond, according to local authorities. At her arraignment, prosecutors charged her with first-degree murder and the aggravated abuse and neglect counts.
In discussions around the case, Kevin’s aunt expressed profound grief — and anger. She said she’d noticed bruises on him during past visits and questions whether someone should have intervened sooner.
The tragedy has laid bare some of the darkest realities of child abuse, and the community is demanding justice. As people wrestle with the horror of what happened, there is also a growing outcry for better protections for children — the kind of safeguards that could prevent such a terrible loss in the future.
