A 24-year-old woman in Michigan has been found guilty of murdering a toddler she was babysitting in a heartbreaking case that has shocked the community. Kimora Launmei Hodges was convicted of killing 23-month-old Kyrie Starks by violently throwing him against a wall, causing serious brain injuries that led to his death. The young boy’s mother had trusted Hodges with her son while she went to work—never imagining that this would be the outcome.
What Happened to Baby Kyrie?
On June 14, 2022, Kyrie’s mother received a call from Hodges, who said something was wrong with the child. The mother rushed to Hodges’ home in Roseville, Michigan, where she found her baby on the floor having repeated seizures. She immediately took him to the hospital, where doctors said he had suffered severe blunt force trauma to the head, was bleeding from his ears, and needed emergency brain surgery.
The Babysitter’s Explanation
At first, Hodges claimed that the child had an allergic reaction from eating soap, a story she told both to the mother and later to investigators. The mother, who had trusted Hodges for months and had even cared for Hodges’ own daughter, initially believed her.
“I believed her until the doctors told me otherwise,” the mother wrote on a GoFundMe page. “I feel so betrayed.”
But doctors at the hospital quickly made it clear that the child’s injuries were not consistent with an allergic reaction—they were clearly the result of physical abuse.
Confession and Arrest
Just hours after the child was admitted to the hospital, police arrested Hodges. During her interview with detectives, she admitted to physically abusing the child, though she denied doing it out of anger.
“Maybe I hit him too hard, but I didn’t take my anger out on him,” she told officers.
At first, Hodges was charged with first-degree child abuse, but the charge was upgraded to murder when the baby died the next day, on June 15, 2022.
The Verdict
On Thursday, August 1, 2025, a jury in Macomb County, Michigan, found Hodges guilty of murder in the tragic death of Kyrie Starks. She now faces a possible life sentence without parole. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 2.
A Mother’s Heartbreak
The victim’s mother said she had trusted Hodges completely. The two were neighbors, and Hodges had been watching her son on and off for months while she worked. The betrayal, she said, cut deep—especially because she had always supported Hodges and her daughter, who is the same age as Kyrie.
“All I know is she threw my son into the wall and shook him up pretty bad,” she told FOX affiliate WJBK, “and they said that’s just a bit of what she did to him.”
The tragic death of baby Kyrie Starks is a painful reminder of how trust can be broken in the worst way. His young life was cut short by someone who was supposed to care for him. Now, as the court prepares to sentence Kimora Hodges, the boy’s family and community continue to grieve, hoping that justice will bring them at least some peace.
