The autopsy report for 5-year-old Elyjah Hearn — whose naked body was found wrapped in a fleece blanket inside a Panorama City dumpster — reveals the staggering extent of repeated physical abuse the boy suffered before his death.
In total, there were 90 signs of trauma documented across nearly every area of his 3-foot, 8-inch body, according to a recently released report from the L.A. County medical examiner. This included dozens of scrapes and bruises as well as a fractured jaw, broken rib and extensive internal bleeding.
The wounds were in various states of healing, indicating that he had been repeatedly assaulted on different occasions, according to the report. His cause of death was ruled blunt force trauma and the manner a homicide.
Elyjah was found July 12 in the dumpster behind 8215 Van Nuys Blvd. by a person searching for recyclables, according to the report. His mother’s ex-boyfriend Brycson Gaddis was accused of beating him to death and was charged with murder later that month.
Gaddis, 21, has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody in lieu of $2-million bail while awaiting trial. He faces 25 years to life in prison if sentenced as charged.
Elyjah’s grandfather Troy Hearn has said that Gaddis dated the boy’s mother on and off for several years and accused him of stalking her.
In the 12 months leading up to Elyjah’s death, Gaddis had been charged with carjacking, assault and domestic violence, according to court records. Last April, he failed to appear in court for his scheduled trial, and a judge issued a bench warrant for his arrest.
The discovery of the boy’s brutally beaten body sparked outrage from his family members and the local community.
“It’s very heartbreaking for him [Gaddis] to do that to my 5-year-old grandson,” Hearn said. “I’m overwhelmed and so angry that I can’t even explain it.”
The autopsy report described extensive injuries to Elyjah’s head, torso, arms and legs. There were multiple tears in his the liver, causing internal bleeding, with blood collecting both inside the abdomen and in deeper spaces behind it.
A massive bruise covered his entire buttocks, with multiple additional bruises in various states of healing across the rest of his body. His lower jaw was broken, his lip cut, and he had significant bruising around his eyes and head.
A trace amount of methamphetamine was found in his system; however, investigators ruled that this was not a contributing factor in his death.
Gaddis is accused of beating Elyjah to death in an apartment in the 14500 block of Lanark Street in Panorama City on July 11 and then tossing the body in a dumpster where it was found the following day, prosecutors said.
L.A. County Dist. Atty. said in a statement that his office is committed to ensuring Gaddis is held responsible for his actions in this “heartbreaking and horrific case.”
Staff writers Summer Lin and James Queally contributed to this report.
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