Reports based on court records describe earlier warnings, an escalator incident and allegations that the newborn twins had been confined in a closet.
WASHINGTON, DC — Relatives had raised concerns about the safety of 2-month-old twin girls before one of them was killed in a Southeast Washington apartment, according to court-record reporting that has become part of the murder case against their caregiver.
The death of Khamyah Honesty on Aug. 16 led to the arrest of Demetrius Beatty, 40, one month later on charges of first-degree felony murder and first-degree cruelty to children. Authorities say Khamyah died from blunt-force trauma while Beatty was caring for the twins and three other minor children. Prosecutors allege Beatty caused the fatal injuries, while his defense has blamed another child in the home. The criminal case has also brought renewed attention to allegations that warning signs existed before Khamyah’s death.
One of those warnings came from a relative of the twins’ biological father, according to reports based on court documents. The relative contacted the D.C. Child and Family Services Agency multiple times during the two months before the homicide because of concerns about the infants’ treatment. Public reporting has not established the full content of each contact, what information the agency had at each point or what specific actions followed every report, leaving important details about the child-welfare response unclear.
The records describe one episode in which the twins were allegedly kept in a closet while their mother was away visiting their biological father, who was incarcerated. The mother told investigators Beatty had put the babies in the closet. The relative described the incident to police as the infants being locked inside, according to the reporting. Beatty allegedly responded with a disparaging remark when asked why the babies had been there. The allegation is part of the case record but has not been established by a criminal verdict.
Another serious episode occurred 16 days before Khamyah’s fatal injuries. According to court-record reporting, the infant went down a Metro escalator in or around her car seat and fell a substantial distance. Beatty reportedly said the incident was accidental. Nurses who treated the baby questioned that account, the reports say. Authorities have not publicly announced a separate criminal charge tied to the escalator incident, but prosecutors have cited it as part of the history leading to Khamyah’s death.
The twins’ mother also described an increasingly strained household. She and Beatty had other children together, and they continued to share a residence even though they were no longer romantically involved, according to the reports. The twins had been fathered by another man. Prosecutors allege Beatty was upset after learning that fact, even though the mother said he had at times cared for the babies as though they were his own. Investigators later examined whether that conflict contributed to hostility toward the twins.
Of particular concern to prosecutors is an alleged statement made before Khamyah died. The mother said Beatty warned that the twins would be dead if she left to visit their biological father in prison. Prosecutors have treated that statement as potentially relevant to motive and intent. The accusation depends on the mother’s account and remains subject to challenge in court. Beatty has not been convicted of harming either twin, and the government bears the burden of proving the charges.
On Aug. 16, those prior concerns gave way to an emergency response. Metropolitan Police Department officers were dispatched to an apartment in the 800 block of New Jersey Avenue Southeast at approximately 9:47 p.m. for an unconscious infant. Police said Khamyah was unresponsive and had blunt-force injuries. D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services transported her to a hospital, but she later died. Two days later, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide caused by blunt-force trauma.
The circumstances police encountered inside the home also prompted concern about the children who survived, according to additional reporting based on court records. Officers reportedly described the apartment as dirty and cluttered. The surviving twin was said to have had a severe diaper rash, while another young child had a healing burn. Authorities subsequently removed the surviving children from the residence through the District’s child-welfare system. Those conditions do not establish who killed Khamyah, but they form part of the broader setting investigators examined.
Beatty’s initial explanation focused not on the earlier warnings but on a 6-year-old child who was also in the apartment. According to court-record reporting, Beatty told a 911 operator that his nonverbal autistic son had injured the infant. His defense later maintained that the older child was responsible. Prosecutors countered with medical evidence, including a forensic pathologist’s conclusion that Khamyah’s injuries could not have been inflicted by the 6-year-old in the way Beatty described.
The government also points to what it says were several different versions of the events before the emergency call. The twins’ mother said Beatty at one point told her he had stepped into a hallway to make a call and returned to find Khamyah bleeding. Another account involved the 6-year-old moving or throwing the infant. A later account reportedly included Beatty playing with the other children and then going into the hallway before discovering Khamyah injured. The mother described his explanations as inconsistent.
Police initially disclosed little about a possible suspect. Their Aug. 19 announcement identified Khamyah, confirmed the homicide ruling and said detectives believed the case had “domestic overtones.” The Special Victims Unit began investigating with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. That early announcement did not mention the alleged threats, the closet episode, the Metro incident or the family’s child-welfare contacts. Those details emerged later through court-record reporting after Beatty’s arrest.
On Sept. 16, members of the Capitol Area Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested Beatty under a D.C. Superior Court warrant. Prosecutors formally announced the charges the following day. The Justice Department said Beatty had been left alone with the infant twins and three other minor children at the residence when the fatal incident occurred. Police identified the case as an ongoing Special Victims Unit investigation even after the arrest.
At Beatty’s Sept. 17 initial appearance, Superior Court Judge Dorsey Jones found probable cause on the first-degree felony murder and child-cruelty allegations and ordered him held without bond pending further proceedings. That ruling allowed the prosecution to continue but did not determine guilt. A criminal defendant is presumed innocent, and allegations contained in complaints and preliminary court records remain subject to testing through the judicial process.
The available public record leaves several child-welfare questions unresolved, including the precise sequence and handling of the earlier reports about the twins. The official police and Justice Department releases reviewed for this article do not announce a final outcome in Beatty’s criminal case or a completed finding regarding the prior agency contacts. What they establish is that Khamyah’s death was ruled a homicide, Beatty was charged, and investigators continued examining the circumstances around the children’s care.
Author note: Last updated November 7, 2026.