Medical examiners have determined that the January death of 4-year-old Myls Dobson was a homicide. His alleged killer, 27-year-old caretaker Kryzie King, may now face a murder charge in addition to previously levied assault and child endangerment charges.
Officials say Myls died of child abuse syndrome in addition to dehydration, meaning that he was malnourished and suffered multiple injuries at the time of his death. Prosecutors have accused King, who was left in charge of Myls while his father sat in a New Jersey prison, of burning the toddler's leg with an oven rack, whipping him with a wire, tying him with shoelaces, gagging him, beating him with a belt and starving him. On January 8th, three weeks after entering in King's care, Myls was found dead in her Midtown apartment.
King has claimed she was trying to "make Myles feel like he was at home" and "show him what love is really like," but was punishing him for "being disrespectful." She has allegedly admitted to torturing Myls in the days leading up to his death, telling prosecutors the toddler was being "difficult." She told cops she would "flick his hands and would flick his lips" with the hot oven rack—authorities say Myls's body was severely burned—forced him to stand outside in subfreezing temperatures wearing nothing but a t-shirt and shorts, and repeatedly beat him. According to a statement:
That day I beat him, hit him and before I beat him, I told him to pull his pants down and might have hit him in the privates and not known it. I gagged him to keep him from screaming. I then put him in the bathroom with the lights out and locked him in the bathroom for 2-3 hours.
Myls's death has prompted the city to call for Administration for Children’s Services reform. The toddler had a history of abuse and familial strife, allegedly having been abused and neglected by his mother and subsequently taken from her care several years ago. His father, Okee Wade, was in and out of jail while Myls was in his custody, and allegedly left the toddler with a series of girlfriends during that time—King was reportedly one such girlfriend.
