On January 14, 2010 a report came in about little two year old Aveion Malik Lewis being kidnapped. His stepdad, Brandon Lockett told police that three men broke into his home and knocked him out and took Aveion after tying up his 4 year old sister. He said they left a ransom note demanding $10,000. He even went as far as telling the police that the men took off in a white 1990 Chevy Blazer.

Even though an Amber Alert was issued for little Aveion, police were very skeptical of Brandon Lockett’s story about the baby being kidnapped especially since his mother, Morgan Lockett or Brandon were not very helpful in the investigation. Police Chief Joe Gaskins said, “We had some reservations about the stories that were being told, but considering the child, we couldn’t afford to assume that an abduction had not occurred so we certainly had to work it from the angle that there had been an abduction.”

Eventually Brandon Lockett confessed that the baby was actually dead before he called the police and he just made up the kidnapping story. Lockett was arrested and charged with child neglect, improper disposal of a human body and obstruction of justice but at that time no murder charges had been filed against him.

After a search in landfill’s for the child’s body, the police reported that a body had been found bound and wrapped in plastic at the Smith Gap Landfill on Jan. 27 and they believed it to be that of Aveion Lewis.

Now a grand jury has handed down indictments against Brandon and Morgan Lockett, who according to her sister is pregnant now, for murder. It is said that this innocent baby was killed after being abused and neglected by his mother and stepdad for most of his short life. They say Morgan Lockett caused or allowed the baby to be tortured, tormented, mutilated, beaten or cruelly treated and she failed to provide care for his health since January 27, 2007, which is the day after he would have turned three years old, and she is being charged with that and Brandon is charged with the same thing beginning June 1, 2007.

According to Roanoke Commonwealth’s Attorney Donald Caldwell the evidence they have will show that both parents were aware of the abuse even though they will not release a cause of death.

Morgan’s sister, Cara Ward defends her sister’s part in this though, saying, “My sister’s only crime is marrying a deadbeat.” She says if there was any abuse going on her sister didn’t know anything about it.

Little Aveion was born with a medical condition that required him to have to have surgery. They had to remove part of his intestines. By the time he was 14 months old it was reported to Social Services that he was underweight and was being neglected by his mother.  After investigating they found the boy only weighed just less than 9 lbs. They removed him from his home in May of 2008 and put him in foster care where he started gaining weight but for some reason they saw fit to return him to the care of his mother where he had been for the four months prior to him being reported missing.

The Lockett’s could face up to 55 years in prison if they are convicted on the murder, abuse and neglect charges. Personally if they are guilty of these charges, I don’t think 55 years each is long enough and they certainly should not be allowed around children anymore, even their own.

This innocent child looked like he was such a sweet little baby. How anyone can hurt a child, I will never understand. There are too many folks out there that can’t have children of their own that would love to have the chance to be parents even to adopted children. If you don’t want them, at least find them a good home to go to instead. Killing them is not the answer. They didn’t ask to be born but they do deserve a chance to a life just as much as any of us do.

Please if you know of any child being abused, report it to the authorities as many times as it takes to save that child’s life. That child may grow up one day and come to you and thank you for saving its life. God bless all the children. Bless their little innocent hearts.

Jan Barrett