As I’ve previously reported, Zyaire Reed was only a month past his first birthday when he died on July 28 after a savage beating. His twin brother, Zion, required surgery to repair the injuries he had suffered.

Until yesterday, the twins’ mother, 34-year-old Lisa Marie Reed, and her boyfriend, 34-year-old James Edward Gibson Jr., had only been charged with first-degree child abuse stemming from Zion’s injuries. Both boys were injured on July 28 at the family’s apartment in Ecorse, Michigan and rushed separately to the hospital, where Zyaire was pronounced dead.

James is not the biological father of the twins but was living with Lisa and her children at the time of the twins’ beating.

On Friday, October 16, 2020, new charges were added for both Lisa and James. In addition to their first-degree child abuse charges, James has been charged with first-degree murder, and Lisa has been charged with second-degree murder.

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James is accused of administering the beating to the toddler boys, while Lisa is accused of knowing about the abuse and neglecting to do anything to stop it. 

Lisa’s mother and sister have told reporters that she has high-functioning autism, and that she may not have known how to stop the abuse, she would never purposely hurt her children.

James has a lengthy criminal record; in fact, he was in prison on a 13 year sentence for carjacking when he paroled early due to the threat of COVID-19. Shortly thereafter, he moved in with Lisa.

Both boys suffered injuries to their lips, ears, and eyes, while Zion’s left femur was broken. The femur is the largest bone in the human body, and the amount of force it takes to break it, even in a toddler, is unthinkable. I can’t imagine how much pain and terror those poor little boys suffered.

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Inspector Timothy Sassak of the Ecorse Police Department said when the case first broke, “This is the worst. The worst I have ever seen.”

“The evidence in this case will show that Zyaire Reed suffered abuse for almost half of his very young life,” said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy. “He was 13 months old when he died. The alleged facts of this case left seasoned prosecutors shaking their heads and vowing to seek justice for him.”

Both James and Lisa are scheduled for arraignment in 25th District Court in Lincoln Park, Michigan on Monday, October 19 at 10:00 AM.

Sources: The News Herald, Detroit News, ABC 7 WXYZ